Beltway RESOURCE BANK
Small Literary Publishers in
DC, MD, and VA
ABZ Press
Small press based in Huntington, WV that publishes
first books of poetry through an annual competition.
http://abzpress.com/prize.aspx
Apprentice House
Non-profit and student-run, Apprentice House
is sponsored by the Department of Communication at Loyola College in
Baltimore.
http://www.apprenticehouse.com
Argonne Hotel Press
Limited edition chapbooks of fiction or poetry. Publishes only authors
previously published in the literary journal, WordWrights! Lots
of DC area authors, including Grace
Cavalieri, Sunil
Freeman, Miles
David Moore, Rhonda
Williford, and Richard
Peabody included in the chapbook series. The magazine comes out
twice a year. R.D. Baker, editor.
http://www.angelfire.com/art/ww
Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press
Small press in Stuart, VA that publishes poetry chapbooks through an
annual summer competition. Sherry Beasley, editor.
http://home.earthlink.net/~astoundingbeautyruffianpress/index.html
Azul Editions
DC-based press, founded in 1986. Publishes poetry, prose, essays, literary
and art criticism, speeches, broadsides, and manifestos that address
issues of economic, political, and social justice. Richard Scaaf, Editor.
http://www.azuleditions.com
Bay Oak Publishers
Delaware-based publisher of poetry, fiction, criticism, and historical
nonfiction for young readers.
http://www.bayoakpublishers.com/
Beothuk Books
DC-based press for new and innovative poetry, founded 2008. Michael
Gushue, Editor.
http://www.beothuckbooks.com/
Big Game Books
DC based, "an itty teeny tiny press dedicated to poems, poetry,
and poeting. We also like handmade things and playing with glue and
needles." Maureen Thorson, Editor.
http://www.reenhead.com/biggame/biggame.html
Bogg Publications
Publishes chapbooks (in conjunction with a literary journal). John
Elsberg, Editor. Boggmag@aol.com.
BrickHouse Books
Maryland's oldest continuously operating small press, edited by
Clarinda Harriss.
Publishes poetry, fiction, drama, and artistic nonfiction. Also publishes
special imprints: New Poets Series (first books), Stonewall (work with
a gay, lesbian, or bisexual perspective), and Chestnut Hills Press (author-subsidy
books).
http://www.towson.edu/~harriss/!bhbwebs.ite/bhb.htm
DC Poets Against the War
Publishes anthologies of political poems.
http://www.dcpaw.org
Dryad Press
Brief history of the press, sponsored by the University of Maryland,
holders of the press's archives. Dryad has published such authors as
Rod Jellema,
Linda Pastan,
Myra Sklarew,
Roland Flint,
and Reed
Whittemore. Founded by Merrill
Leffler and Neil Lehrman.
http://www.dryadpress.com
Echelon Press
Publishes electronic and print titles. Novels, young adult fiction,
genre fiction. Based in Laurel, MD. Karen Syed, publisher.
http://www.echelonpress.com
Edge Books
Publishes experimental poetry, with books by Buck Downs, Heather
Fuller, Joan Retallack, Mark Wallace, and others. Rod
Smith, editor.
http://www.aerialedge.com
Entasis Press
Based in DC, founded in 2007, publishes literary fiction, poetry, nonfiction.
Ed Perlman, editor.
http://www.entasispress.com
GirlChild Press
Feminist press founded and edited by Michelle Sewell, based in DC.
http://www.girlchildpress.com/
Gival Press
An independent publishing house with titles in poetry, fiction, and
non-fiction in English, French, and Spanish. Runs an annual poetry book
competition as well as two competitions for single poems, the Tri-Language
contest and the Oscar Wilde Award. Publisher: Robert
L. Giron.
http://www.givalpress.com
Ibex Publishers, Inc.
English and Persian books about Iran and the Middle East. Titles
include modern and classical Persian poetry. Located in Bethesda, MD.
http://www.ibexpub.com
James A. Rock & Company
Publishes novels, nonfiction, how-to books, children's literature. Their
Sense of Wonder imprint publishes science fiction, fantasy, and horror
novels. Based in Rockville, MD.
http://www.rockpublishing.com
The Johns Hopkins University Press
America's oldest university press, founded in 1878. Poetry and fiction
series edited by John Irwin.
http://www.press.jhu.edu/
Minimus
Literary press that publishes books and CDs and an annual literary journal.
Publisher: Terrence Mulligan. Poetry Editor: Martha
Sanchez-Lowery.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/tmulligan6/Miniweb/index.htm
Narrow House Recordings
Publishes CDs of poets from Baltimore, DC, and New York. Featured
authors include Rod Smith and Heather Fuller.
http://www.narrowhouserecordings.com
New Academia Publishing
Independent publisher of academic titles. Does not publish poems,
but does carry books on literary history and theory, and linguistics.
Based in Washington, DC.
http://www.newacademia.com
No Tell Books
Poetry books, chapbooks, and anthologies. Based in Reston, VA. Reb
Livingston, publisher and editor.
http://www.notellbooks.org
Orchises Press
Publishes 5-8 titles per year, mostly poetry, by such authors as Peter
Klappert and Lia Purpura. Also reprints classics such as Ulysses
by James Joyce, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman,
and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Located in Alexandria, VA.
Editor: Richard Lathbury.
http://www.iso.gmu.edu/~rlathbur
Passager Press
Publishes poetry, memoir, and fiction by new older writers whose work
has appeared in Passager literary journal. Housed at the University
of Baltimore. Does not accept unsolicited submissions. Mary Azrael and
Kendra Kopelke, eds.
http://www.passagerpress.com
Paycock Press
Publishes one title per year of fiction or poetry, in addition to
Gargoyle Magazine. Current titles include work by Ed
Cox and Joyce Renwick. Editor: Richard
Peabody.
http://www.gargoylemagazine.com
Plan B Press
Based in Alexandria, VA and Philadelphia, PA, this non-profit press
publishes 5-10 titles per year, mostly poetry, and runs 2 chapbook contests
annually (one poetry, one short fiction). Authors include Lyn
Lifshin and Mary
Ann Larkin. Steven Allen May, Publisher.
http://www.planbpress.com
Pond Road Press
Established in 2002 by Mary
Ann Larkin and Patric
Pepper to publish literary chapbooks of poetry and prose. Headquartered
in North Truro, MA and Washington, DC.
http://www.pondroadpress.com
The Portal Press
Publishes fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and cookbooks.
Based in DC. Darick Allan, publisher.
http://theportalpress.com
Pretend Genius Press
Publishes anthologies and single-author books. Based in Washington,
DC.
http://www.pretendgenius.com
primitive publications
Publisher of poetry chapbooks by Mark Wallace, Mary Hilton, others.
Mary Hilton, editor.
http://www.durationpress.com/primitive
RedBone Press
Publishes work "celebrating the cultures of black lesbians and
gay men, and work that further promotes understanding between black
gays and lesbians and the black mainstream," including single-author
poetry and fiction, and anthologies. Based in DC.
http://www.redbonepress.com
Red Dragon Press
Publisher of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that stresses the symbolic
value of language and deals with psychological and parapsychological
topics. Based in Alexandria, VA. Laura Qa, editor.
http://www.reddragonpress.com/
Red Moon Press
The largest publisher of English-language haiku and related forms
in the world. Publishes the Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku
series (an annual compilation of the best haiku and related forms published
around the world), a contemporary haibun series (the best haiku published
around the world in English), and an online journal of haibun. Edited
by Jim Kacian out of Winchester, VA.
http://www.redmoonpress.com
Red Morning Press
Based in DC; published contemporary poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Editors: Andrew Brown, Dennis Campbell, and Chris Perkowski.
http://www.redmorningpress.com
Rose Metal Press
Publishes approximately 3 books a year, specializing in hybrid genres:
short short, flash, and micro-fiction, prose poetry, novels-in-verse,
book-length linked narrative poems, and other transgressive and unusual
work. Co-editor Abigail Beckel is based in Takoma Park, MD.
http://www.rosemetalpress.com/
Tameme Chapbooks - Cuadernos
Non-profit publisher of bilingual (English
and Spanish) chapbooks of new writing from North America. C.M.
Mayo, Editor.
http://www.tameme.org
Three Continents Press
This article, reprinted from Gargoyle in 1980, tells the story
of this publisher of literature from the third world, including some
poetry. Although no longer in existence, Three Continents published
an impressive array of writers from Africa, the Carribean, the Middle
East, and Asia.
http://www.atticusbooks.com/gargoyle/Issues/scanned/issue15/herdeck_interview.htm
Vrzhu Press
Based in DC, Vrzhu attributes its existence to "either an act
of supreme foolhardiness or a cosmic wager on the power of joy."
Founded in 2006 by Dan
Vera and Michael
Gushue.
http://www.vrzhu.com
Washington Writers' Publishing House
Non-profit, cooperative press that has published over 50 volumes
of poetry since 1973. The Press sponsors an annual competition for poets
living in the Washington-Baltimore area. Also publishes some fiction.
The press has published David
Bristol, Nancy
Naomi Carlson, Ramola
D, Nan Fry,
Beth Joselow,
Ann Knox, David
McAleavey, May
Miller, Elisabeth
Murawski, Jean
Nordhaus, Myra
Sklarew, Elisavietta
Ritchie, Kim
Roberts, Grace
Cavalieri, and E.
Ethelbert Miller, among other authors. Carly
Sachs, President.
http://www.wwph.org
Waywiser Press
Small independent press based in London, with a subsidiary in Baltimore,
specializing in the publication of modern poetry in English. Publishes
American authors in the UK, such as Anthony
Hecht and Richard Wilbur. Also sponsors the Anthony Hecht Poetry
Prize, open to US poets.
http://www.waywiser-press.com/
The Word Works, Inc.
Publishes at least two books of poetry each year, one based on a national
competition, the other featuring noteworthy regional writers in the
Capital Collection series. Occasional anthologies also printed. The
catalogue includes books by such area authors as: Sarah
Browning, Kathi
Morrison-Taylor, Rosemary
Winslow, Grace
Cavalieri, Brandon
D. Johnson, Judith
McCombs, M.A.
Schaffner, Miles
David Moore, Hilary
Tham, and Robert
Sargent. Offers an annual writers' retreat in Tuscany, Italy. Offers
critiques by professional writers for a fee, publishes a newsletter,
hosts the monthly Cafe Muse reading series. President: Karren
L. Alenier. Editor-in-Chief: Katherine
Young.
http://www.wordworksdc.com
The Writer's Lair Books
Publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Based in Nottingham, MD.
Authors include Kwame
Alexander and Shana Yarborough. Also sponsors workshops and readings
for youth through Project Inkwell.
http://www.writerslairbooks.com
Xpress Yourself Publishing
Publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Based in Upper Marlboro,
MD.
http://www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org
Also of Interest
CapLit: The Capital Area Literary Publishers
Group
List serve of editors and publishers of literary presses in the greater
Washington DC area.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CapLit/