In my previous post I explained why I established Stonecurrent Press and why literary value, reader appeal and commercial positioning should not be treated as the same test.
That leads to another question: what kind of book belongs on the Stonecurrent Press list?
Since the press launched, the catalogue has grown from four books to seven. Submissions are open until 14 November 2026, but simply saying that we want “good books” does not tell writers enough about what I am looking for.
Stonecurrent Press is interested in work concerned with history, memory and the ways political, social and philosophical questions enter ordinary lives. That may take the form of adult non-fiction, literary fiction or writing that crosses conventional boundaries. What matters is that the writing and its central purpose are clear.
A recognisable thread
The seven books currently published by Stonecurrent Press cover different subjects and forms, but they share certain concerns: how people make sense of experience, how inherited ideas influence the present and how larger events affect individual lives.
I am particularly interested in writers who reconsider something familiar from an unexpected but well-supported position. That might be an historical event, a political argument, a public figure, an influential writer or an idea that has been repeated so often that its assumptions are rarely examined.
This does not mean that every book must be academic or argumentative. A novel can explore these questions through character and story. A work of non-fiction can be serious without becoming inaccessible. What matters is that the book knows what it is trying to do and gives its intended reader a reason to continue.
A clear reason for the book to exist
When considering a submission, I am likely to return to three questions:
- What is this book trying to do?
- Who is it written for?
- Why does it need to be this particular book?
Those questions are not another way of demanding an obvious commercial formula. Part of the reason I established Stonecurrent Press was to create room for worthwhile books that may not fit comfortably into a familiar publishing category.
But a manuscript still needs direction. Distinctive does not mean obscure, and complexity does not remove the need for clarity.
A submission should help me understand both the book and the reader it hopes to reach. If its value can only be explained by saying that it is unlike anything else, there may not yet be enough of a proposition. Equally, if it resembles dozens of books already available, I need to understand what this one adds.
What Stonecurrent Press is not seeking
The current window is not open to general commercial fiction, poetry collections, children’s books, unfinished manuscripts or academic theses that have not been rewritten for a general readership.
These exclusions are not judgements about the value of those forms. They reflect the identity and present resources of a very small independent press.
The window is deliberately limited. Stonecurrent Press expects to publish no more than one or two works from this initial round and may decide that none is right for the list. I would rather develop the catalogue carefully than acquire manuscripts simply to make it appear larger.
Publishing and editorial services
Stonecurrent Press also offers editorial services, but these are entirely separate from the publishing submission process.
Writers do not need to purchase editorial support before submitting. Paying for editorial work does not provide preferential consideration, influence an acquisition decision or improve the prospect of publication.
Stonecurrent Press is not a vanity press. Authors whose manuscripts are accepted are not charged to publish their books.
That separation matters to me, both as a publisher and as a writer who understands how uncertain the submission process can be.
How to submit
The current submission window remains open until 14 November 2026, although it will close earlier if 50 submissions are received.
At the first stage, writers should not send a complete manuscript. The required material includes a covering letter, synopsis, opening extract, brief biography, intended readership, completion status and total word count.
Please read the full Stonecurrent Press submission guidelines before sending anything.
The intention is not to find books that imitate those already on the list. It is to find work that can extend the list while still belonging to it.