Are you fed up of seeing the same types of book on the shelves? The endless slew of copycat titles? Cosy crime, retellings of Greek myths, psychological thrillers. When did publishing become so safe? And so boring?
WoodPig Press is a new Wales-based micro-press specialising in speculative fiction and non-fiction. We want to break free from the financial algorithm that straitjackets modern publishing, and hunt out those titles that don’t quite fit the commercial mould. We want to focus on quality and originality, and for that to be reflected in the design and production of the book. Let’s make beautiful, quirky things.
We’re also fed up of the way that authors are treated as just a means to someone else’s ends. Not only does your book have to fit a particular type, but you do too. You’re just a commodity. And after everything – sweating over a synopsis, crafting a hook or elevator pitch, a list of competing titles – your submissions are ghosted, or you are given boilerplate rejections. Does that seem fair?
We want to do things differently.
• Submissions are anonymous. We don’t care about who you are, what your background is, your sex, age, political or religious views, your social media follower count, or where you’re from. We just want to read your book.
• We don’t ask for a sample. Just send us your full manuscript. If we like the beginning, we’ll simply continue reading.
• To keep things manageable and accountable, WoodPig Press closes to submissions every 50 entries, and we only re-open once everyone has received at least some meaningful feedback.
• We are against generative AI for creative purposes. We’re fed up of commercial algorithms telling us “what’s hot right now” and dictating what’s published. We want to produce unusual, original, high-quality books that celebrate human creativity. All our titles are edited, designed and illustrated by experienced publishing professionals.
• Publishing profits are tight, but authors can still be paid fairly. At WoodPig Press we split all profits 50-50 with authors, or a minimum of 10% of the retail price (whichever is higher).
So, if you’re an author, you can find out more about our submissions process here: https://woodpigpress.com/submissions/
We open to submissions on 5th January, 2026.
See you there!
———————
To keep up to date with news, and get an insight into how we work, subscribe to Diary of a Micro-Press http://woodpigpress.substack.com/