Introduction
She Writes Press is an independent hybrid publisher dedicated to helping women authors publish professionally produced and widely distributed books. Founded in 2012, the press offers a publishing model that combines elements of traditional publishing with the creative control and higher royalty participation commonly associated with independent publishing.
She Writes Press describes its model as a “third way” between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Authors invest financially in the publication of their books, while the press provides professional manuscript evaluation, proofreading, cover design, interior design, production, distribution, metadata management, and continuing project support.
Unlike an unrestricted self-publishing platform, She Writes Press evaluates submissions and accepts manuscripts based on writing quality, storytelling, structure, and readiness for publication. Its central objective is to reduce barriers faced by women writers while maintaining professional editorial and production standards.
Its primary activities include:
- Evaluating manuscripts by women writers
- Publishing fiction, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, and books for younger readers
- Providing professional book design and production services
- Distributing books to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers
- Supporting authors throughout the publishing process
- Promoting equality and diversity in publishing
- Offering publishing support through the STEP initiative
History and Background
She Writes Press was established in 2012 by publisher and editor Brooke Warner and author and entrepreneur Kamy Wicoff.
The press developed from the wider She Writes community, which Wicoff founded in 2009 to connect, educate, and support women writers. The online community provided established and emerging writers with access to professional knowledge, encouragement, networking, and practical information about writing and publishing.
Before co-founding She Writes Press, Brooke Warner worked in traditional publishing for approximately 13 years, including nine years as Executive Editor at Seal Press. During that period, she observed that publishers frequently rejected strong manuscripts because authors lacked a large public platform, established audience, or commercial profile.
Warner and Wicoff created She Writes Press in response to these barriers. Their aim was to establish a publishing company that evaluated books primarily on the merit of the writing and gave women authors a credible route to professional publication.
Important milestones in the organization’s development include:
- 2012: She Writes Press was founded and began operating as a hybrid publishing company.
- 2013: The press secured traditional trade distribution through Ingram Publisher Services.
- 2014: She Writes Press joined forces with SparkPoint Studio, and She Writes Press and SparkPress became sister imprints.
- 2018: She Writes Press and SparkPress launched the She Writes Press Toward Equality in Publishing initiative.
- 2019: She Writes Press became the first hybrid imprint to receive Independent Publisher of the Year recognition from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group.
- August 2024: Trade distribution transitioned to Simon & Schuster.
Over time, She Writes Press has established a substantial catalog of fiction, memoir, nonfiction, self-help, business, lifestyle, poetry, young-adult, and middle-grade books.
Mission and Purpose
She Writes Press was founded to provide women writers with greater access to professional publishing. Its mission responds to an industry in which strong manuscripts may be rejected because an author does not already possess a large audience, extensive media visibility, or a commercially attractive platform.
The organization seeks to create a more accessible publishing environment in which women authors can retain control over their work while benefiting from professional publishing expertise.
Its principal objectives include:
- Publishing books based on literary quality and readiness
- Giving women writers greater access to the publishing industry
- Helping authors retain ownership and creative control
- Producing books that meet professional publishing standards
- Providing a curated alternative to conventional self-publishing
- Helping independently financed books reach the trade market
- Increasing the visibility of women authors
- Promoting racial and cultural diversity within its publishing list
- Building an author-centered publishing community
She Writes Press is mission-driven, but it is also a commercial publishing business. It is not a charitable foundation or conventional grant-making organization. Most accepted authors pay for the publishing services they receive.
Governance and Structure
She Writes Press identifies itself as a female-run, mission-driven independent publishing company. Its organizational structure brings together publishing leadership, editorial specialists, project managers, designers, proofreaders, production professionals, sales representatives, and distribution partners.
Publisher and co-founder Brooke Warner leads the press. She has extensive experience in traditional and hybrid publishing and is involved in manuscript acquisition, editorial direction, publishing strategy, author education, and industry advocacy.
The press’s working structure includes:
- Publisher and senior publishing leadership
- Manuscript evaluators and professional readers
- Editorial and project managers
- Proofreaders and copy editors
- Cover and interior designers
- Production and metadata specialists
- Sales and distribution partners
- Publicity and marketing professionals
- External reviewers and judges for special initiatives
Each accepted author works with publishing professionals who help guide the manuscript through evaluation, proofreading, design, production, distribution, and post-publication management.
She Writes Press also works with Simon & Schuster for trade distribution. This relationship allows its titles to be presented to bookstores, libraries, national accounts, online retailers, and specialty markets through an established commercial distribution network.
The press emphasizes transparency as a central feature of professional hybrid publishing. Its website publicly explains its author-funded model, publishing package, submission procedures, royalty structure, editorial expectations, and distribution arrangements.
Funding and Publishing Support
She Writes Press does not operate like a traditional publisher that pays an author an advance and covers all publication expenses. It uses a hybrid publishing model in which authors invest in a professional publishing package.
As of January 2026, the standard all-inclusive She Writes Press Publishing Package is priced at $12,000. Applicants should verify the current price before submitting because publishing costs and included services may change.
The package includes:
- High-quality custom cover design
- Custom interior design for manuscripts of up to 100,000 words
- Final-manuscript proofreading
- Ebook conversion and retailer uploads
- Trade distribution through Simon & Schuster
- Copyright registration support
- A Library of Congress Control Number
- Inventory warehousing without storage fees
- Fulfilment of orders for short-run printed books
- Book metadata preparation and management
- Preselling to bookstores, libraries, and other trade accounts
- Continuing project management throughout the commercial life of the book
Authors may incur additional expenses for services outside the core package. These could include substantial developmental editing, copy editing, sensitivity reading, printing, shipping, marketing, publicity, audiobook production, or revisions exceeding the package’s standard scope.
Author Ownership and Royalties
Authors retain ownership and creative control over their projects. According to the press’s published model, authors receive:
- 60% of net proceeds from print-book sales
- 70% of net proceeds from ebook sales, minus an applicable distribution charge
Authors should carefully review the publishing agreement to understand how net proceeds are calculated, which expenses may be deducted, how rights are managed, and when royalties are paid.
Submission Fee
She Writes Press uses a paid manuscript assessment process. As of 2026, the standard submission fee is $40. The fee covers the initial evaluation and does not guarantee acceptance or a publishing contract.
Applicants generally submit:
- The first 50 manuscript pages
- A short synopsis
- Chapter-by-chapter summaries
- Other supporting information requested through the submission platform
Is She Writes Press a Grant-Making Organization?
She Writes Press is not primarily a funding agency, foundation, or free publishing program. Under its standard business model, authors finance the publishing package themselves.
However, the press operates a targeted inclusion initiative that provides selected authors with publishing support without charging the standard package cost.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Hybrid Publishing Program
The core She Writes Press program provides accepted authors with professional publishing, production, and distribution support. The model is designed for authors who want more control than traditional publishing generally offers but require more professional assistance and market access than basic self-publishing platforms typically provide.
Books published through the program are released under the She Writes Press imprint and assigned the press’s ISBNs. Titles are professionally produced and made available through trade and retail distribution channels.
Manuscript Evaluation
She Writes Press operates a curated submission process. Professional readers examine each submission for:
- Quality of writing
- Strength of voice
- Storytelling effectiveness
- Structure and organization
- Narrative cohesion
- Readiness for publication
Authors receive an evaluation that places the manuscript on one of three tracks.
- Green Light: The manuscript is considered ready for publication, although some editorial work may still be recommended.
- Yellow Light: The press is interested, but the manuscript requires revision, restructuring, sensitivity review, or another specific improvement.
- Red Light: The manuscript is not currently considered suitable or ready for publication by She Writes Press.
Authors whose work requires additional development may revise and resubmit. Working with an approved coach or editor does not guarantee future acceptance.
Editorial and Production Program
Every accepted manuscript receives proofreading before interior layout. Authors requiring more extensive editing may be advised to obtain copy editing, developmental editing, coaching, or other editorial services.
Production support includes:
- Collaborative cover development
- Title and subtitle guidance where necessary
- Back-cover copy review
- Custom interior layout
- Print and ebook file preparation
- Advance reader copies
- Print-on-demand or short-run printing preparation
- Final file management
The objective is to produce books that can compete visually and editorially with titles released by conventional publishing houses.
Trade Distribution
She Writes Press titles are distributed to the book trade by Simon & Schuster. Distribution is one of the most significant differences between its hybrid model and basic self-publishing.
The distribution system helps make titles available to:
- Independent bookstores
- National bookselling chains
- Libraries
- Online retailers
- Specialty retailers
- Institutional purchasers
- International and digital retail partners
Distribution makes a book available to retailers, but it does not guarantee that every bookstore will stock it or that a title will achieve a specific level of sales.
She Writes Press Toward Equality in Publishing
The She Writes Press Toward Equality in Publishing initiative, commonly known as STEP, was launched in 2018 to increase racial and cultural diversity within the press’s publishing list.
Each year, the initiative selects two women authors to receive:
- A complete She Writes Press publishing package
- Professional cover and interior design
- Proofreading and production support
- Ebook production and distribution
- Trade distribution through Simon & Schuster
- Copyright and cataloging assistance
- An initial print run of 500 copies
- Warehousing and order fulfilment
- Ongoing publishing project support
Each publishing package is valued at $12,000, excluding the additional value of the 500-copy print run. The initiative is therefore the closest equivalent to a funded publishing opportunity offered by She Writes Press.
Eligibility generally includes:
- Applicants aged 18 or older
- Writers identifying as women, including eligible trans, non-binary, and genderqueer writers under the program’s stated definition
- Women writers of color from eligible racial or cultural backgrounds
- Applicants from any country or region
- Agented and unagented writers
The STEP initiative has no entry fee. Eligibility requirements and submission dates should be checked for each annual cycle.
Genres and Types of Books Published
She Writes Press considers manuscripts in areas such as:
- Literary fiction
- Contemporary fiction
- Women’s fiction
- Genre fiction
- Memoir
- General nonfiction
- Business and leadership
- Health, fitness, and lifestyle
- Self-help and personal development
- Young-adult fiction
- Middle-grade fiction
- Poetry
Publication schedules are arranged well in advance. Authors should review current acquisition dates because the press may be accepting manuscripts for seasons more than a year in the future.
Impact and Examples of Work Published
She Writes Press has helped expand the visibility of women writers and contributed to the development of hybrid publishing as a recognized professional model.
According to the press, its books and authors have achieved:
- More than 2,200 medals and finalist distinctions
- More than 200 bestselling authors
- Endorsements from more than 300 award-winning and bestselling authors
- Starred and professional reviews from established trade publications
Its books have received coverage and reviews from outlets such as Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, Foreword Reviews, Manhattan Book Review, and San Francisco Book Review.
The company’s impact can be considered across several areas.
Creating Opportunities for Women Writers
She Writes Press enables women writers to enter professional publishing without depending entirely on the traditional acquisition system. Manuscripts are evaluated for their quality rather than solely for an author’s existing audience or commercial reach.
Advancing Hybrid Publishing Standards
The press has promoted a hybrid model built around manuscript vetting, transparent fees, professional production, higher royalty participation, author ownership, and trade distribution. It has also participated in broader industry discussions about the standards that distinguish professional hybrid publishers from vanity presses or uncurated publishing services.
Improving Diversity in Publishing
The STEP initiative provides tangible support to women writers of color who may face additional structural barriers. By covering the publishing package and providing a 500-copy print run, the initiative enables selected authors to access professional publishing without the normal upfront package cost.
Professional Recognition for Published Books
Books released by She Writes Press have received medals, finalist placements, starred reviews, media coverage, and endorsements. These outcomes can strengthen an author’s professional profile and help independently financed books compete in the wider publishing market.
Building Long-Term Author Support
The press provides continuing project management for the lifespan of a title. This extended relationship distinguishes the model from short-term service providers that end their involvement once files are uploaded or printed.
Conclusion
She Writes Press is an independent hybrid publisher created to give women authors a professional and more accessible route to publication. Founded by Kamy Wicoff and Brooke Warner in 2012, it combines selective manuscript acquisition, professional editing and production, author ownership, higher royalty participation, and established trade distribution.
Its standard program is author-funded and should not be confused with a traditional publishing contract or an unrestricted grant. Authors accepted through the regular submission process pay for the publishing package and should assess the financial commitment, contract terms, marketing responsibilities, expected timeline, and commercial risks before proceeding.
The STEP initiative provides a notable exception by offering funded publishing packages and an initial print run to two eligible women writers each year. This program supports the press’s wider mission of increasing equality, inclusion, and representation in publishing.
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