The year is coming to an end, and if you’re anything like us, you will be scrambling to tick some things off your 2024 bucket list in the coming weeks. If your goal this year was to submit your manuscript for publication, we have some good news: there’s still time left to try your luck by sending it to the below publishers and agents!
Australia is teeming with opportunities when it comes to getting professionally published. Once you have finished your manuscript – put it away for a couple of weeks/months, re-read it with fresh eyes, edited and proofread the whole thing, and otherwise dotted all your i's and crossed all your t's – it’s time to send it out into the world. While it’s always smart to try your luck with specific competitions and prizes that apply to your proposed book, sometimes it can also be a good idea to just bite the bullet and get your words out there. You never know – there are many exciting success stories of authors getting picked from a ‘slush pile’ and going on to reach great successes.
To make the end-of-year rush a little easier, we have compiled a list of Australian places – publishers and an agency – that are accepting submissions before 2025. Make sure to follow each individual guideline, and good luck!
Hachette
Some publishers, like Hachette Australia, accept manuscript submissions all year round. Unsolicited submissions often die down towards the end of the year, so this could be your chance to shine. Make sure that you adhere to their guidelines and only submit your manuscript if it is a genre they’re looking for. Hachette Australia are not looking for illustrated books, cookbooks, poetry, screenplays or academic works.
Text Publishing
Text Publishing is another publisher that accepts unsolicited manuscripts all year round. Text Publishing don’t accept poetry, play scripts, screenplays, picture books, activity or poster books, individual short stories, technical manuals, cookbooks, how-to guides, travel guides or educational textbooks.
Allen & Unwin
Another similar publisher is Allen & Unwin. Although their submission system is called The Friday Pitch, it is open to submissions all week. Their system breaks down entries into specific subcategories, so make sure you submit your work through the right portal.They are not currently interested in poetry, adult high fantasy, science fiction, short stories, novellas or scripts.
Giramondo Publishing
Giramondo Publishing doesn’t accept submissions all year round, however their submissions are now open between 1 December 2024 and 1 February 2025. This is the perfect opportunity to familiarise yourself with what they publish and if it’s the right fit, to submit your work to them before the end of the year.
A4 Literary
If you’ve had no luck through unsolicited submissions, the next step would be to try and find an agent to represent you and your work. A4 Literary is a new literary agency dedicated to championing stories by Australian authors and creators, and their submissions are currently open. They are looking for smart and original fiction, non-fiction, poetry and writing for the screen and stage.
Need more time?
If you’re not ready just yet – or if you’d like to polish up your writing even further – we recommend checking out any of the below organisations, which all offer to help writers improve their writing skills, assess their work and provide professional development opportunities.
ACT Writers Centre: actwriters.org.au
NSW Writers’ Centre: nswwriterscentre.org.au
Northern Territory Writers’ Centre: ntwriters.com.au
Queensland Writers Centre: queenslandwriters.org.au
SA Writers’ Centre: writerssa.org.au
Tasmanian Writers’ Centre: taswriters.org
Writers Victoria: writersvictoria.org.au
Writing WA: writingwa.org
