Let us share your writing with the world!
Our independent publishing company seeks authors of nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books on nature, homesteading, farming, and sustainable living.
Who We Are
Blue Moose Publishing is the publishing side of Farmer-ish Journal. Named in honor of a blue moose our son drew when he was little, we are dedicated to publishing works that educate through narrative or expository writing. Based in Maine, we are an independent publisher offering authors an opportunity to share their work with a broader audience. We are a small publishing house, but if we choose to publish a work, authors will earn much higher royalty percentages compared to other publishers, and we will do our very best to make an author’s book experience a wonderful experience.
What We Publish
We publish nonfiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books on themes connected to Farmer-ish Journal–nature, farming, homesteading, the environment, etc. We mainly seek to publish works by Maine authors or authors from New England but will consider authors from outside of our area if the fit seems right.
Perks of Independent Publishing
Because we are a small, independent company, authors will not only receive a lot of individual attention but will also be able to provide feedback and be a part of the publishing process for their book. Authors will earn 30 to 40% royalties after publishing and marketing costs. For children’s books, authors and illustrators will split 40% of profits. We know that authors and artists, too often, get so little reward for their efforts, and we want to do something different.
Authors pay no money to us. We are not a hybrid publisher. We take the risk. We bring your book to life. We work together to market your book.
Contracts are issued after agreements are reached. While authors are expected to assist in marketing their book, as they would with traditional publishers, they will benefit from a much higher percentage of royalties.
Submission Process
*Please note we are currently not accepting submissions. Our reading period for 2026-27 will be open April 1-April 20, 2025.
Please send submissions via email to farmerish.journal@gmail.com.
Please attach your full work, and in the body of your email, please include the following information:
- A synopsis of your work in no more than 3 paragraphs.
- A paragraph explaining your target audience and why your work would appeal to that audience.
- A paragraph comparing your book to other books on the market. How can it compete?
- Your name and email address. Please include this information on your manuscript as well.
- A writer’s CV or resume telling us where you have been published before or other experience related to your writing or the content.
- Information on why you think your book will be a good fit for Farmer-ish/Blue Moose and what marketing reach you may have.
- For children’s books, if you are also an artist, please let us know. We plan to supply our own artists for projects, but we are open, depending upon the project.
If your work has been submitted elsewhere, please also note this in your message. If we are interested in publishing your work, we will conduct a short online or phone meeting and then issue a contract if the fit is right.
Our goal is to respond to all submissions within 3 to 4 months. Reading periods will be open for one month at the start of each new year. Check back if you have missed a reading window.
*Please note we do not accept submissions created, even in part, by generative AI. We want your authentic voice. Anything beyond sentence-level AI assistance will not be accepted. We believe that art is meant to be created by humans for humans.