New Publishers and Agents in 2023

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The following is a roundup of new publishers and agents announced in 2023. Each was mentioned in a 2023 issue of The Hot Sheet at the time of the announcement.

New traditional publishing imprints (Big Five)

Remember that Big Five houses typically require an agent if you want your project to be considered.

Simon & Schuster

  • Scribner launches a new poetry program. An imprint of Simon & Schuster, Scribner has published some poetry in the past, but it never had a formal program. It will begin by publishing one contemporary poet per season. Learn more.
  • Summit Books imprint relaunches. Summit Books first existed from 1976–1991 and published authors such as Elie Wiesel, James Baldwin, and Oliver Sacks. The reinvented imprint will be run by Judy Clain, previously at Little, Brown (Hachette). In a statement, Clain said, “The new Summit has limitless potential to publish bold and international fiction and nonfiction. I hope to build a platform that will give readers an expansive view of the world.” Learn more.

Penguin Random House

  • Fern Press will operate as part of Vintage at PRH UK, focusing on nonfiction. It’s described as “a dynamic international community and space for those working at the frontier of creativity and thought.” It will publish authors such as Yuval Noah Harari, Maggie Nelson, and Emmanuel Carrère. Learn more.
  • Ten Speed Press launches graphic imprint. Ten Speed Press, owned by Penguin Random House, is launching Ten Speed Graphic, an imprint that will publish literary adaptations, global webcomics, biography, memoir, history, how-to, fiction, and licensed entertainment titles. “Our imprint is new, but our interest and expertise are not—we’ve been ramping up our presence in the graphic category for nearly a decade, and our list of published titles includes three New York Times bestsellers and one Eisner award winner,” editorial director Kaitlin Ketchum said in a press release. Learn more.
  • New pop-comics imprint. Inklore will publish manga, manhua, manhwa, webcomics adaptations, and light novels in collaboration with Del Rey UK. A press release says Inklore “will be a pop-comics imprint celebrating the most popular, fan-driven tropes in visual storytelling, with a focus on digital-to-print licensed publishing in the romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and slice-of-life genres.” Learn more.

Macmillan

  • Tor launches a romance imprint. Tor’s Bramble will be a romance imprint for “exceptional love stories of all kinds. Expanding into romance gives our team and our readers another chance to do what we do best: get obsessed!” Learn more.
  • Questlove starts new Big Five imprint. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (owned by Macmillan) will be the home of musician Questlove’s new imprint. The new imprint, AUWA Books, will feature an eclectic mix of fiction and nonfiction. Learn more.

Hachette

  • Hachette has partnered with Phenomenal Media to launch Phenomenal Media Books. The imprint will “develop and acquire works from underrepresented voices across multiple genres, fiction and nonfiction, and for audiences of all ages, from children to adults.” Phenomenal Media is founded by Meena Harris, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris. Before partnering with Hachette, Phenomenal Media launched a book club to positive reception. Learn more.
  • Orbit launches a digital publishing imprint. SFF publisher Orbit (a division of Hachette) has announced Orbit Works, a new imprint that will publish ebooks and audiobooks. It is open to both agented and unagented submissions. Orbit SVP and publisher Tim Holman said in a release, “We are thrilled to be launching a new imprint that harnesses our team’s expertise in publishing science fiction and fantasy, the exciting opportunities presented by high-quality digital publishing, and our commitment to author partnership.” Learn more.

HarperCollins

  • New Harlequin imprint inspired by TikTok. Aimed at the under-35 romance reader, Afterglow will build on TikTok’s #spicytok content, releasing two trade paperback titles a month starting in January 2024. In the announcement, senior editor Stacy Boyd says, “Afterglow is that feeling after a beautiful moment, achievement, or experience—it takes readers to the happy part of life. It’s timeless, positive, and rings true for the characters in these books.”
  • HarperCollins Focus launches Spanish-language imprint. Based in Nashville, HarperEnfoque will publish projects that are a natural extension of HarperCollins Focus. The mission of Focus overall is to “enlighten and empower readers to transform their hearts and minds” and “inspire the world with content that equips people to lead lives of significance, integrity, and purpose.” Learn more.
  • New crime imprint in UK at HarperCollins. Starting in spring 2024, Hemlock Press will publish espionage fiction, literary crime thrillers, and historical suspense. A statement from the publisher says, “Hemlock Press is a curated list for those seeking literary quality alongside intriguing plots, vividly realised worlds, and characters that live with you long after the final page. The creation of Hemlock is part of HarperFiction’s aggressive ongoing growth strategy and will sit alongside the general fiction list.”

New imprints beyond the Big Five

Fiction only

  • UK’s Canelo launches Canelo Horror. The imprint will publish a mix of re-issues and new publications starting in October 2023. Note the horror genre has enjoyed increased sales recently, with sales up by more than 30 percent in the first half of the year, at least in the US. As usual, TikTok is partly responsible. Canelo is a digital-focused publisher that launched in 2015; they are one of the top 10 largest fiction publishers in the UK by volume. Learn more.
  • Marvel Crime launches at Hyperion-Disney. The new imprint Marvel Crime will publish crime fiction for adults, with its first releases based on the Marvel characters Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Daredevil. Established novelists will be penning the novels. Learn more.
  • New imprint at University Press of Kentucky. Screen Door Press will “celebrate the best in fiction by publishing thought-provoking books featuring relatable characters, strong narratives, and beautiful language that champion diverse views from throughout the Black diaspora.” The imprint will publish two books a year, with authors receiving a $5,000 award. Learn more.

Fiction and nonfiction

  • New imprint at Open Road Media. Re-Discovery Lit at Open Road Media will publish out-of-print titles and books where rights have reverted to the author—primarily in ebook format but also via print-on-demand. Open Road has always been one of the most data-informed publishers in the business, one that assists other publishers with data-focused marketing. This new imprint will assess potential acquisitions through predictive analytics to determine whether Open Road can successfully sell the book. Learn more (gift link).
  • Author Michelle Tea launches Dopamine Books. Tea’s imprint, which will publish queer authors, is part of independent publisher Semiotext(e). Tea has helmed other imprints before at established presses, but the new partnership offers her more control. Learn more.

Nonfiction only

  • Skyhorse launches Peakpoint Press. The new Skyhorse imprint will publish “quick-to-market, personal and professional improvement titles.” The first titles will release this summer. Read the announcement.
  • Casemate starts new imprint. Brookline Books will focus on the history of southeast Pennsylvania and the greater Delaware Valley area. Casemate is an independent publisher that publishes primarily military history books. Learn more.
  • New true crime imprint: Crime Ink. Penzler Publishers is launching Crime Ink, an imprint publishing literary true crime. Other Penzler imprints include The Mysterious Press, American Mystery Classics, Scarlet, and MysteriousPress.com. The imprint will launch with six titles in its first year, starting in winter 2024. Otto Penzler says in a release, “True crime is an important publishing category that has enjoyed a long history of success.”

Children’s and YA

  • Mayo Clinic Press launches children’s imprint. Mayo Clinic Press Kids will publish “engaging mental and physical wellness content for children” for both the trade and educational market, authored by experts from the Mayo Clinic. Aside from stand-alone titles, the imprint will begin with two series: The Helping Paws Academy series will feature therapy dogs, and the Edge of Medicine series explores breakthroughs in medicine. Learn more about Mayo Clinic Press.
  • New YA imprint at Page Street. Independent publisher Page Street plans to double its number of YA titles to 24 new titles per year and house them under a dedicated imprint, Page Street YA. It has been doing particularly well with horror and LGBTQ. Page Street is distributed by Big Five publisher Macmillan. See their submission guidelines.
  • New children’s book imprint at Entangled. Entangled is a women-owned publisher distributed by Macmillan that is best known for romance. It has just launched Little Lark, a children’s imprint focused on books for children up to age eight. See submissions information.
  • Mattel launches publishing imprint. While Mattel already has licensing agreements with a number of traditional publishers, the company is launching its own effort to “focus on titles that tie in closely with franchise launches and priorities, story content, and more expansive world building.” The first titles will release in 2024. Learn more.
  • New children’s imprint at Gibbs Smith. Known for its illustrated books, Utah-based publisher Gibbs Smith is launching 7 Cats Press, an imprint devoted to “early learning concepts”—mainly board books—for secular and Christian markets. Gibbs Smith already has two other children’s imprints, BabyLit and Flying Frog, which are both doing well. Learn more.
  • New children’s publishing effort. Transit Children’s Editions, an offshoot of Transit Books, will feature noteworthy picture books from around the world. Transit Books is a nonprofit publisher in the Bay Area and focuses on international titles and works in translation. Learn more.
  • New children’s imprint in North America. Australian publisher Hardie Grant is launching its children’s imprint, Bright Light, for the North American market. They plan to publish 15 to 20 titles a year, starting with eight picture books this fall.
  • New children’s imprint from Baker & Taylor. Last year, Baker & Taylor launched Paw Prints Publishing, an original publishing program for young readers that focuses on social-emotional development and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s branching out with a new imprint called Paw Prints Readers this fall. A press release says, “Paw Prints Readers will publish works exploring diverse cultures and backgrounds. Emerging readers will evolve through Paw Prints Readers’ four-leveled program aimed at ages four through seven and up.”
  • Fox Chapel starts children’s nonfiction imprint. Fox Chapel is mainly known as an enthusiast publisher of craft and activity books. In 2018, it began its children’s publishing effort with the Happy Fox imprint, which focuses on nature and climate change. Its new children’s imprint, Curious Fox Books, will have a broader range and, in partnership with Purple Toad Publishing, will launch in spring 2024 with 30 titles. Both publishers are based in Pennsylvania.
  • New children’s imprint: Hatch Press (UK). Bonnier Books UK is launching the nonfiction children’s imprint Hatch Press, planning to publish about 30 titles a year, starting in January 2024. The imprint focuses on hands-on learning and art and activity titles for kids 3–12 years old. Learn more.
  • New graphic novel imprint: KugaliInk. Disney-Hyperion and pan-African entertainment company Kugali have launched KugaliInk, a graphic novel imprint focused on middle-grade readers. The first titles will release in 2025. Learn more.
  • Atelier Éditions launches a children’s book imprint. The Los Angeles–based publisher, established about eight years ago, has announced a children’s imprint, Atelier Enfants. Its first title is Pablo Dreams of Cats by Dutch artist Timo Kuilder. The imprint will publish two titles in spring 2024 and will work with both new and established author-illustrators. The imprint’s goal: “encourage children to become mindful, empathetic, inquisitive, and engaged members of their villages, wherever they may be.” Learn more.

New publishers

  • ByteDance starts publishing effort, 8th Note Press. Allison Moore has started as an acquisition editor at 8th Note Press, launched by ByteDance (owner of TikTok). Moore is acquiring romance, YA, and fantasy—including new titles and self-published titles—that appeal to the #BookTok audience. She seeks writers with a strong presence or potential in the social media space.
  • New comic book publisher. DSTLRY was founded this month by former executives at ComiXology (owned by Amazon). The new publisher will allow creators to have a stake in company ownership; it will also host a marketplace to resell digital works and give a percentage of resales back to creators. Learn more.
  • A new independent publisher, Great Place Books. The press will start with three titles plus creative writing classes (perhaps to help pay the bills). There are three co-founders: two authors and one literary agent. One of the co-founders admits to Lit Hub, about the challenges of starting a press, “We didn’t know what we didn’t know. We still don’t know! One question answered—about forming a company, working with printers, soliciting work from authors—meant needing to ask seven more. There are a lot of good people within the independent book world who have helped us, are helping us, and have generously tolerated our ignorance.” Learn more.
  • New publisher to focus on Asian American and Pacific Islander voices. Third State Books, based in San Francisco, will release its first titles in 2024. They consider fiction and nonfiction as well as adult and children’s work. The press has venture capital funding. Learn more.
  • New Canadian publisher: Assembly Press. Assembly Press will be an independent publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, with its first list releasing in spring 2024. The effort is being led by the former publisher of House of Anansi, a respected Canadian house. Learn more.
  • Bindery: a new startup that turns influencers into publishers. The startup Bindery is launching with nine inaugural imprints, each associated with a social media influencer who selects titles for publication. Bindery focuses on soliciting submissions from literary agents who can help match authors’ manuscripts with influencers’ tastes. The publishing contract is between the author and Bindery, with a $10,000 advance. Half of net earnings go to authors, 25 percent goes to the influencer, and 25 percent goes to Bindery. The book editing and design process will be handled by Girl Friday Productions, a publishing services firm. Distribution is through Ingram. Bindery will help influencers create and manage membership platforms to fund the publishing process; paying community members may play a role in selecting which projects get published. Learn more.
  • Sibylline Press. Based in California, Sibylline Press focuses on publishing novels and memoirs by women over 50. The founder is the former publisher of an imprint that was ultimately bought by one of the Big Five. Titles start releasing this fall. Sibylline classifies itself as a traditional publisher, but it does require marketing co-op money from the author: first, an upfront $3,000 contribution, then ongoing monthly marketing contributions for two years. Those contributions can ultimately be earned back by the author via “accelerated” royalties. Learn more in Publishers Weekly. Or read an interview with the founder in Hippocampus.
  • New publisher: WayWord Books. WayWord Books is a subscription-based publisher that sells print editions direct to reader and pays authors higher royalties than most traditional deals. The first title will launch in December. They are open to submissions.
  • New publisher: Green City Books. Green City Books will be a “genre agnostic” independent publisher based in Bend, Oregon, offering six to 12 titles per year, both fiction and nonfiction. The first title will publish in spring 2024.

New literary agencies and agents

New agencies

  • Frog Literary Agency. Andrew James, former editorial director at Jessica Kingsley Publishers, has founded Frog Literary Agency, dedicated to LGBTQIA+ creators.
  • Literary agencies Kneerim & Williams and Zoë Pagnamenta merge. The new combined agency is Calligraph, based in New York and Boston. Katherine Flynn, formerly managing partner at Kneerim & Williams, and Zoë Pagnamenta will head up Calligraph. Others at the combined agency include partner Alison MacKeen; principal agents Lucy Cleland, Eve MacSweeney, and Carolyn Savarese; affiliated agent Carol Franco; agent and editorial manager Sarah Khalil; agent and foreign rights manager Jess Hoare; and Kneerim & Williams co-founder John Taylor Williams.
  • The Weis Agency. Jennifer Weis founded the eponymous agency after departing Ross Yoon. (Ross Yoon was recently acquired by William Morris Endeavor.) Her website hasn’t been updated yet.
  • Irene Goodman start new agencies. As of July 1, senior agents at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency transitioned into a variety of new agencies. A statement provided by Goodman says: “This is a natural progression based on growing interests and diverging needs. We will all miss being under the umbrella of IGLA but remain excited for the future. We will continue to enjoy warm collegial relationships with each other, with our clients, and the many publishers with whom we work.” Natalie Lakosil has founded Looking Glass Literary & Media Management. She is joined by associate agents Grace Milusich, Antoinëtte V. Sluytman, and Lee O’Brien. Victoria Marini and Kimberly Perel, both former agents at Irene Goodman Literary Agency, have launched High Line Literary Collective. It will offer unique departments for fiction and nonfiction to serve the specific needs of authors in each category.

New agents

  • The Rights Factory (Canada). Claire Cavanagh has joined as an assistant agent. Previously she was a sales coordinator at Breakwater Books and an editorial assistant at the agency. She is actively acquiring adult fiction and nonfiction. Learn more. Kat Foxx is seeking commercial and book club fiction as well as upper middle-grade and select nonfiction projects. She produces the #badasswriters podcast and is a founder/host of #MoodPitch. Learn more. And Jes Trudel mainly represents children’s literature and founded WritingCommunity.ca in 2020. Learn more.
  • Gardner Literary. A former editor at Penguin Random House, Ashley Hong has joined Gardner Literary as an agent. Learn more.
  • The CAT Agency. Aliza R. Hoover has joined as associate agent after serving as art coordinator associate at Candlewick Press. She represents illustrators and author-illustrators, and she is particularly interested in illustrators from diverse backgrounds and portfolios that depict diverse characters and experiences. Learn more.
  • Triada US. Ashley Reisinger has joined as an assistant literary agent; she represents primarily romance, young adult, and middle grade. She was formerly an intern at the company. Learn more.
  • Felicity Bryan Associates (UK). Alice Caprio will join on April 3 as a literary agent, representing children’s/YA and commercial adult fiction, after working as a literary scout.
  • DeFiore & Company. Elise Howard has joined as an agent. She was the founding publisher of Algonquin Young Readers, which she led from 2011 to 2022. Howard will represent both children’s and adult authors and is looking for “fiction and nonfiction to be savored and remembered for its immersive storytelling, rich world-building, and illumination of landscapes known and unknown.”
  • PS Literary. Rose Ferrao was previously editorial assistant at Orbit Books UK. At PS Literary, she is seeking commercial romance, science fiction and fantasy, horror, upmarket thrillers, contemporary fiction, and select YA fiction. In nonfiction, she’s seeking cookbooks and food writing, sports, pop culture, music, psychology, lifestyle, and wellness. Learn more.
  • Martin Literary Management. Jen Newens was most recently publishing director of West Margin Press. At Martin Literary & Media Management, she represents primarily picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels, as well as adult food and drink. Learn more. Mara Cobb has joined as junior agent and is accepting queries as of Sept. 5. She is looking for adult nonfiction and women’s fiction. Learn more.
  • KT Literary. Arley Sorg has joined as associate agent, primarily interested in adult speculative titles, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror with speculative/fantastic elements, literary speculative fiction, and climate fiction. Learn more. And Adria Goetz has joined as senior agent and illustration coordinator, seeking picture books (especially by author-illustrators), middle grade fiction, graphic novels, and adult fiction—particularly rom-coms, thrillers, and upmarket fiction.
  • SBR Media. Dani Sanchez, owner of Wildfire Marketing Solutions, has joined as a junior agent. She’s primarily looking for contemporary romance, romantic comedy, dark romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, thriller and erotica. Learn more.
  • Idea Architects. Sydney Rogers will join Idea Architects as an agent on June 1; she is currently executive editor at HarperOne (HarperCollins), which specializes in nonfiction. Rogers is a graduate of the Denver Publishing Institute and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
  • Lucinda Literary. Previously an editor in academia, Kelly Bergh has joined Lucinda Literary as an agent. She’s seeking practical nonfiction for adults and children in the areas of health and wellness, spirituality, and popular science. Learn more.
  • Triangle House Literary. Emma Dries has joined Triangle House, seeking literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, climate writing, and academic crossover works. Dries previously worked in editorial at Knopf, Doubleday, and Ecco. Learn more.
  • Curious Minds. Marissa Koors has joined Curious Minds as a literary agent, seeking nonfiction authors in history, philosophy, the ancient world, fashion, culture, the arts, and emerging science and technology. She was previously associate editor at Basic Books and Seal Press. Learn more.
  • Transatlantic Agency. Pieter Swinkels joins as director of operations and literary agent, representing nonfiction and literary fiction. He was most recently chief content officer at Kobo. Learn more.
  • Sanford Greenburger. Previously at the publisher Europa, Clare Mao has joined Sanford Greenburger Associates as an agent. She represents adult fiction and nonfiction as well as illustrated projects. She does not represent children’s/YA, science fiction and fantasy, or horror. Learn more.
  • David Black Agency. Mark Tavani will represent both fiction and nonfiction; most recently, he was an editor at Putnam (PRH).
  • Creative Artists Agency (UK). Harriet Poland, previously at Hodder & Stoughton, has joined as an agent in the London office. She will be working with narrative nonfiction, pop culture, memoir, and journalism.
  • Blair Partnership (UK). Emily Barrett has joined The Blair Partnership as an agent after working on nonfiction at Little, Brown.
  • Ash Literary. Paula Weiman has a background in literary scouting and educational publishing and joined Ash Literary in October. She primarily seeks middle-grade and YA fiction. Learn more.
  • Aevitas. Donya Dickerson, formerly associate publisher at McGraw-Hill, has become an agent at Aevitas. Donya focuses primarily on nonfiction in the categories of business, personal development, self-help, pop culture, science, technology, history, and parenting. Learn more.
  • New Leaf. Matt Belford has joined as an agent after working as an editor at Random House Worlds. He is primarily looking for nonfiction. In the adult science fiction and fantasy realm, as well as the adult graphic novel space, he is looking for character-driven works that get to the heart of emotionality. Learn more.
  • Greyhound Literary (UK). Salma Begum has joined as an agent; she was formerly editor at Bonnier Books UK. She seeks “confident, immersive, ambitious, narrative-driven writing” and says she “works under the tenet that quality need not be to the sacrifice of commercial success.” Learn more.