New Hampshire Book Publishing Services for Authors Who Keep the Final Say

For a small state, New Hampshire packs in a lot of literary life, much of it rooted in the poets who worked here.

• New Hampshire Center for the Book. Set up in 2003 at the New Hampshire State Library in Concord, it is the Library of Congress affiliate for the state. It promotes the state's literary heritage through programs such as Book Notes NH and the Ladybug Picture Book Award.
• 603 Writers' Conference. Run by the New Hampshire Writers' Project, a member-funded nonprofit for writers of every genre, published or not. The state's largest writing conference is held in Concord and sells out every year.
• New Hampshire Literary Awards. Every two years the Writers' Project honors books by New Hampshire natives or residents. Self-published print books are eligible, self-nomination is allowed, and each entry needs three copies; the 2025 round took nominations from February 15 to June 6.
• Frost Farm Poetry, Derry. The Hyla Brook Reading Series brings free Thursday-evening readings with an open mic, May through September. Its poetry conference (August 14–16 in 2026, at the Audubon Massabesic Center in Auburn) adds workshops and individual critiques.
• MacDowell, Peterborough. The artists' residency founded in 1907 awards about 300 fellowships a year across seven disciplines, including literature. There are no residency fees, and need-based stipends and travel grants are available.

Where we fit in: conferences and readings sharpen the writing; we handle what comes after, so the book you nominate for an award or sell after a reading is edited, designed and printed to a professional standard.

There are three ways in. A traditional publisher takes on the cost and the risk for a handful of books. A hybrid publisher shares costs with you and also shares your income. A self-publishing service does paid work for you, and the finished book stays yours.

One New Hampshire traditional house with an open door is Bauhan Publishing in the Monadnock region, whose roots go back to William L. Bauhan's purchase of a Rindge publishing company in 1959. It runs the May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize and the Monadnock Essay Collection Prize; the poetry winner receives $1,000, publication and 50 copies. Self-published books are not eligible, and entries go through Submittable.

Whoever you talk to, check who will own the ISBN and store accounts, whether royalties come straight to you, and whether every service is priced in writing. We offer the third route.

Robert Frost owned the farm in Derry from 1900 to 1911, farming and teaching at nearby Pinkerton Academy while he developed the voice that later won him four Pulitzer Prizes. He then lived at The Frost Place in Franconia from 1915 to 1920; the house is now a museum and home for poets and poetry.