Book submissions
Jennifer Hamilton-Emery
Director, Salt
Welcome to Salt – the home of great writing
Writers are at the heart of Salt, and we’re grateful for your interest in submitting work to us. Before sending anything, we strongly recommend taking a little time to explore our recent books. Reading the kinds of fiction and non-fiction we publish will give you the best sense of our editorial tastes and ambitions – and is invaluable preparation for any author considering submission.
Explore our latest books here: New books 2025 and New Books 2026.
We are currently only able to consider submissions sent via literary agents.
Index
Book submissions
Existing Salt authors
If you are already a Salt author or contributor, please submit new work directly to your editor or via your agent.
Unsolicited submissions from non-Salt authors
Salt does not accept unsolicited submissions directly from authors.
We can only consider work submitted to us by literary agents.
We cannot respond to work sent via our contact form, social media, phone, or personal email addresses. To maximise your chances of publication, we strongly recommend securing representation. You’ll find lists of reputable agents in publications such as Writers’ and Artists’ Year Book, and many literature development agencies run workshops featuring agents and publishers, as do most university-based Creative Writing courses. You can find a list of agents we currently work with below.
If you’re new to Salt, the best preparation is to read what we publish. Understanding our list will help you and your agent judge whether your work is a natural fit for us.
See also our guides and information further down this page.
Notes for agents
Salt is proud to publish distinctive, high-quality literary work. We are particularly well suited to agents looking for an engaged, hands-on publisher with a strong editorial identity and a genuine commitment to its authors.
Working with Salt
Salt is a small, experienced, family-run press, publishing distinctive literary work since 1999. We produce a carefully curated list of around twenty to thirty books each year and work closely and collaboratively with our authors at every stage of the journey.
We place a strong emphasis on author care. Our authors are actively involved in the publishing process, including editorial development, cover design discussions, and the shaping of publicity and marketing campaigns. We believe the best books emerge from open dialogue, trust, and shared ambition.
Authors have direct access to the publishing team, rather than being routed through layers of intermediaries. Communication is personal, responsive, and sustained throughout the life of the book. We pride ourselves on being approachable and attentive – from contract to publication and beyond.
Each book is supported by a tailored publicity and marketing plan, designed around the author, the readership, and the market for the work. This typically includes trade outreach, review coverage, bookseller engagement, digital promotion, and event activity where appropriate.
We also actively submit our books for literary prizes and awards, working in dialogue with authors and agents to identify the most suitable opportunities. Over the past twenty-six years, Salt titles have been widely longlisted and shortlisted, including twice for the Booker Prize, alongside many other national and international awards. Prize submissions are approached strategically and thoughtfully, as part of the wider positioning and life of each book.
Salt has a long track record of building enduring relationships with writers. Many of our authors publish with us repeatedly, and we see publishing not as a transaction, but as a partnership.
Agents we work with
Salt collaborates with a wide network of respected literary agencies. Recent and ongoing partnerships include:
A
B
C
D
G
H
J
M
N
R
S
U
W
This list reflects some of the agencies whose clients we have published across fiction, non-fiction and short stories. We are always pleased to hear from agents who feel their authors would be a strong fit for our list.
Fiction
We are particularly interested in (in alphabetical order):
- Comic fiction and satire
- Crime and mystery
- Dark, eerie or edgy novels
- Folk horror and uncanny fiction
- Gothic fiction
- Historical fiction
- Literary fiction
Non-fiction
We have a particular interest in:
- Life-writing projects (autobiography, biography, diaries, and memoirs)
We welcome clear, confident writing for curious general readers. If the work you are representing falls outside these categories but you believe the author is right for our list, please do get in touch.
How to submit
Length: Novels should preferably be no longer than 80,000 words; we are very happy to consider novellas.
Location: It helps if your author is based in the British Isles and able to participate in publicity and promotion.
Please include:
- A plot summary
- At least the first chapter
- A biographical note
- Two concise, compelling reasons why booksellers might stock the work
- The author’s publication history
- If the author has previously published a book, a brief indication of sales (approximate BookScan figures or publisher-reported numbers) and any notable publicity or prize highlights
Processing your submission
We receive a large volume of work and, though we try, we cannot reply to every submission. If you have not heard from us within one month, please assume your submission has been unsuccessful – though feel free to nudge us if needed.
Format:
We accept digital submissions only.
Please send attachments as Word documents or PDFs.
Email: submissions@saltpublishing.com. Please be aware that we can only process submissions sent to this specific email address. (It’s an admin thing.)
Many thanks for considering Salt.
Salt guides for authors
- For general advice on being published, please read An Author’s Guide to Getting Published.
- For advice on submitting poetry (not to us), please read An Author’s Guide to Making Poetry Submissions.
- For further reading, An Author’s Pre-Publication Route Map offers advice on preparing for publication.
General information for authors
For manuscript assessment and editorial advice, you might also consider services like The Literary Consultancy.
If you are trying to develop your own writing, we recommend:
- The Art of the Novel, edited by Nicholas Royle
- Short Circuit: A Guide to the Art of the Short Story, edited by Vanessa Gebbie
Creative writing courses
If you want to develop your writing and critical skills further, we also recommend the following MA courses:
Additionally, we recommend the writing courses run by Curtis Brown Creative and Faber Academy.
Join us on social media
Stay connected with Salt across the platforms where we’re most active and where our readers, booksellers and writers gather:
Instagram – our main space for new releases, cover reveals, author features, events and behind-the-scenes news.
Bluesky – literary conversation, industry news and publishing chat.
We also maintain a presence on Facebook, Threads and X for wider updates. Follow us for new titles, offers, events and the occasional stray fox from Kensal Green.
Last updated 22 December 2025