The publishing scene in the Bluegrass State thrives with diversity and creativity, reflecting the eclectic spirit of the region.
Perhaps you’re a fan of local history, or you’re writing poetry, theology, or your first novel and want a home for it close to where you live. Below are 13 Kentucky publishing companies: literary presses in Louisville, Lexington, and Frankfort, a university press, a fine letterpress shop, a religious publisher with a long history, and two firms that sell publishing as a service. Each entry says what the company publishes and how to approach it. As we dive deeper, you may also be interested in my handpicked collection of publishing entities.
Submission policies change without notice, so check the publisher’s own page before you send anything, and never pay a reading fee. Last verified: October 1, 2026.
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Here are the best book publishing companies in Kentucky:
1. Martin Sisters Publishing
Martin Sisters Publishing is an independent press from the heart of Appalachia in eastern Kentucky. It began publishing in 2010, has released more than 100 titles, and runs two imprints: Martin & Miller for nonfiction and Just Us Books. It describes itself as a traditional publisher that pays royalties and charges authors no fees. It accepts email queries for fiction, nonfiction, Christian titles, and poetry, with manuscripts of roughly 60,000 to 95,000 words. Put your query, a marketing plan, and 5 to 10 sample pages in the body of the email. Submission guidelines.
Did you know that Kentucky was the birthplace of one of America’s most beloved writers, Robert Penn Warren? The first U.S. Poet Laureate and a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Warren drew inspiration from Kentucky’s rolling hills and deep-rooted traditions. Beyond the iconic horse races and bluegrass music, the state’s lush landscapes and rich history have quietly shaped the literary tapestry of America. So, as you sip on that bourbon, remember Kentucky isn’t just about the races; it’s a place where literary legends are born.
2. Butler Books
Butler Books is a Louisville custom publishing house with a catalog of several hundred titles, many of them about Kentucky people, places, food, and sports. Authors hire it for editing, design, printing, ebooks, and distribution, and it pays royalties on sales of the finished book. Treat it as a paid service: there is no free submission route, so ask for a project estimate and compare it with other options before you sign. Publishing services.
3. Steel Toe Books
Steel Toe Books is a small poetry press founded in 2003 by poet Tom C. Hunley and long listed at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. It has published about 30 books and has added fiction and nonfiction to its poetry list. New writers usually reach it through its yearly book prizes in poetry and prose, which pay a $500 advance plus publication, and through occasional open calls on Submittable. Expect to wait 9 to 12 months for an answer. Submission guidelines.
4. Cherry Moon Media
Cherry Moon Media is a creative studio in Central Kentucky founded in 2016 by Adam Turner. Its bookshelf lists 76 books by 37 authors, across fiction, nonfiction, illustrated, and children’s books. Publishing here is a paid package: editing, cover design, formatting, and distribution setup, priced by estimate. Use the contact form to describe your project and request a quote. Books and services.
5. Memoria Press
Memoria Press is a family-run classical Christian curriculum publisher in Louisville, founded in 1994 by Cheryl Lowe. It produces Latin, literature, history, and other materials for homeschools and schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. Its catalog is written in-house, so it has no route for outside manuscripts; it belongs on this list as a resource if you teach or write about classical education. About Memoria Press.
6. Sarabande Books
Sarabande Books is a nonprofit literary press founded in Louisville in 1994. It has published more than 300 works of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and translation. Sarabande accepts submissions only through Submittable, in set windows: its book prizes from January 1 to February 15, chapbooks from April 1 to 30 and October 1 to 31, and general open reading in July. Submission guidelines.
7. Fons Vitae
Fons Vitae is a Louisville nonprofit press that publishes peer-reviewed interfaith scholarship on world spirituality. It is best known for English translations of classic Arabic and Persian works, especially in Sufism. Fons Vitae accepts book proposals and translations from scholars by email; its author page explains what to send and includes a house style guide. For authors and translators.
8. The University Press of Kentucky
The University Press of Kentucky is the state’s scholarly publisher, based in Lexington and serving the state’s public universities. It publishes nonfiction in the humanities and social sciences, with deep lists on Kentucky and Appalachia, bourbon and food, film, and military history. It accepts nonfiction proposals from January 15 to November 15 each year. Unagented fiction and poetry go only through its New Poetry & Prose and Screen Door Press series, and it does not take drama, translations, children’s books, or manuscripts over 100,000 words. Author information.
9. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is the publishing arm of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), based on Witherspoon Street in downtown Louisville. Its imprints are Westminster John Knox Press, which traces its history to 1838, and Flyaway Books for children. Westminster John Knox accepts electronic proposals in theology, biblical studies, preaching, worship, ethics, and religion and culture; its author-relations page on the WJK site explains the format. Homepage.
10. Shadelandhouse Modern Press
Shadelandhouse Modern Press is an independent press in Lexington that publishes poetry, nonfiction including true crime and history, and children’s picture books, some of them bilingual in English and Spanish. Its books reach stores through national distribution, and it is still announcing new titles this fall. For now it does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, so follow its news page for any change. FAQs.
11. Accents Publishing
Accents Publishing is a Kentucky press launched in 2010 by poet Katerina Stoykova. It has published more than 100 books of poetry, anthologies, short stories, novels, and nonfiction, with a mission to promote diverse voices and exchange among cultures and languages. With the James Baker Hall Foundation it runs a yearly book award for Kentucky writers with no entry fee, which reads in spring. Its open reading periods are announced on the site. Book award and reading periods.
12. Broadstone Books
Broadstone Books is a Frankfort press founded in 2002 by Larry W. Moore and Stephen Taylor. It has published more than 100 books, mostly poetry, plus memoir and criticism close to poetry, all in print. Its list is full through 2026 and the first half of 2027, so it does not accept unsolicited manuscripts right now; it announces the next reading period at least three months ahead. Submission guidelines.
13. Larkspur Press
Larkspur Press is a fine letterpress shop in Monterey, in rural Owen County, run by Gray Zeitz with Leslie Shane and Carolyn Whitesel. Its hand-set books of poetry and stories feature Kentucky writers such as Wendell Berry, Guy Davenport, James Baker Hall, and Bobbie Ann Mason, and many titles are authors’ first books. It lists no formal submission process; orders still go by phone or check. Books.
Names you may be looking for
Heart to Heart Publishing Inc.
Heart to Heart Publishing is an assisted publishing company in Morgantown, Kentucky, founded in 2003. Its website no longer loads, so contact it through its social media pages.
Innovative Publishing
Innovative Publishing produces custom magazines and communications for associations, with editorial and advertising teams. It is a client service for organizations, with no route for book manuscripts.
The International Book Project
The International Book Project is a Lexington nonprofit, founded in 1966, that has shipped millions of donated books to readers in more than 160 countries. It distributes books and does not publish them.
Otherworld Publications
Otherworld Publications describes itself as an independent Canadian publisher, founded in 2018, that works only with Canadian writers.
Smiley Pete Publishing
Smiley Pete Publishing is a Lexington media company behind regional magazines such as Business Lexington, Chevy Chaser, and Southsider. It publishes magazines and local guides, with no book list.
Spalding University’s MFA in Writing Program
Spalding University in Louisville runs a low-residency graduate writing program through its Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing. It is a degree program for writers, with no publishing house attached.
University of Louisville Press
The University of Louisville has no book press. For scholarly books from Kentucky, look at the University Press of Kentucky above, which publishes on behalf of the state’s public universities.
Conclusion
Kentucky gives you real choices, as long as you know which kind of company you’re talking to. Martin Sisters, Fons Vitae, the University Press of Kentucky, and Westminster John Knox read submissions the traditional way. Sarabande and Steel Toe open their doors on a schedule, and Shadelandhouse, Accents, and Broadstone announce reading periods when their lists have room. Butler Books and Cherry Moon Media sell publishing as a service, which can work well if you compare estimates and keep your rights. Next up, you may want to explore a guide on the best book publishing companies in Oklahoma.
Rafal Reyzer
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