astronaut publishing
exploring the universe,
one story at a time
See how we set ourselves apart...
Astronaut Publishing is a full-service independent hybrid publishing company. We specialise in speculative fiction (fantasy, sci fi, dystopia, fairytales, and anything 'otherwordly') but have a keen interest in romance, horror, thriller, YA, MG, Kids, and we very much welcome stories from LGBTQIA+ authors and those from under-represented minorities.
We want to publish stand-out stories with new takes and new ideas (although we do love a trope or two!) Above all, what we look for is a captivating, well-written story that demonstrates the ability to hold the reader and leave them breathless.
Astronaut Publishing is headquartered in Berkshire, UK, and our team consists of editors and designers from across the globe.
While it's true that we're the 'new kids on the block', we're far from new in our knowledge and experience in publishing. We've been operating successful pre-publishing company Stardust Book Services since 2020, and all of our team at Astronaut are one in the same as Stardust. We use our experienced designers and editors in our book creation process, plus we're vetted members of the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) where we adhere to the high expectations of operating a publishing company and also have access to industry training, guidance, and contacts.
Check out our sister company to see the level of high quality you can expect from Astronaut. Stardust Book Services.
*Please note that while we will be operating our hybrid model in 2025, we are currently accepting submissions to our anthology, which is a traditional publication (no cost to the author).
But how do we set ourselves apart?
- Unprecedented royalty rates. With Astronaut, authors receive 75% of net for print books and 85% of net for eBooks. The average hybrid model offers between 45% - 60%
- Full-scale editing in all publishing packages. Most hybrids will only accept an already highly polished manuscript and then offer proofreading only. We take you from start to finish, offering manuscript critique, line and copy editing, and proofreading. (Although we would still expect the manuscript to be in a highly self-polished condition.)
- Designers specialising in the genres we publish and a firm stance against AI art so you can rest safe in the knowledge your cover and interior artwork are unique.
​
- Traditional distribution. We offer a global distribution method to wholesalers, bookstores (such as Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, Foyles, Books-A-Million, etc) and retailers, and offer POD and warehousing options to all our authors.
​
- Access to traditional review outlets inaccessible by self publishing and vanity houses.
​
- Stringent vetting process. All submissions are carefully reviewed. We're looking for authors who excel in the art of storytelling, and we only publish a small handful of titles each year.
​
