Minnesota Book Publishing Services for Books That Are Actually Ready

Statewide programs, Twin Cities classes and the bookstores that host local authors:

• Minnesota Center for the Book. The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is the Library of Congress-designated Center for the Book in Minnesota. It also runs the Minnesota Writers Directory, where eligible Minnesota writers can apply to be listed so event hosts and librarians can find them.
• Minnesota Book Awards. Self-published books are accepted if they meet the rules: a year-round Minnesota resident author, a 2026 copyright and a valid ISBN. Entries cost $45; check the awards site for the current deadline. The ceremony is held each spring in Saint Paul.
• The Loft Literary Center. Founded in 1974 above a Minneapolis bookstore as a gathering place for poets, it now runs classes, awards and events from 1011 Washington Avenue South.
• Saint Paul Public Library. Hosts West Side Writers, a weekly group for all experience levels at the Riverview branch, and the Central Poetry Collective workshops at George Latimer Central Library.
• SubText Bookstore. Downtown St. Paul's independent, woman-owned bookshop, which promotes local authors and hosts author events.
• Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Describes itself as the largest independent new and used bookstore in the Twin Cities.
• Minnesota State Arts Board. Its Creative Individuals program funds individual artists and culture bearers with grants of $2,000 to $10,000; the FY2027 deadline was March 6, 2026, and the page is updated about eight weeks before the next one.

Where we fit in: Minnesota gives writers classes, critique and an awards program that welcomes self-published books. We supply the professional edit, design and ISBN setup that make a book eligible and ready to compete.

It helps to know what each kind of publisher offers before you query anyone. Traditional presses pay for the book and choose very few; hybrid publishers charge part of the cost; self-publishing companies in Minnesota, ours included, are paid for services while you stay the publisher.

The Minnesota Historical Society Press in Saint Paul invites nonfiction proposals on the history and culture of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Graywolf Press in Minneapolis considers prose only through agents, and Milkweed Editions is not currently open to unsolicited submissions, though both run prizes.

Before you sign with any company, check who owns the ISBN and store accounts, who collects the royalties, and whether the price is set out in writing. Our answer to the first two: you.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul on September 24, 1896, and his first novel, This Side of Paradise , came out in 1920, according to the Minnesota Historical Society's MNopedia. The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library still runs Fitzgerald in Saint Paul programs, including a series marking the 100th anniversary of The Great Gatsby in 2025.