Bound Hare Press is a small independent press publishing fiction and poetry that refuses comfort, clarity, and commercial constraint. This page is for writers who want to understand how we work, what we publish, and whether their work belongs here.
Our Publishing Philosophy
We publish literature that challenges rather than reassures. Our focus is on voice, craft, and necessity—not trends or market formulas.
Why we’re not a traditional publisher
Bound Hare Press operates outside commercial publishing structures by design. We work with independent authors whose priorities may not align with large-scale corporate publishing.
This includes writers who:
- create fiction and poetry that falls outside commercial expectations, or
- choose to retain the rights to their work while partnering with a small press.
- have a professionally edited manuscript formatted for publishing
- have a professionally designed book cover formatted for publishing
Who we publish
We publish writers who:
- value artistic autonomy
- are comfortable with ambiguity and risk
- prioritize long-term work over quick validation
- trust readers without over-explaining
Publishing Models: A Comparison
Feature
Traditional
Self-Publishing
Vanity
Bound Hare Press
Manuscript Selection
Curated acquisitions
None
Minimal or none
Curated editorial selection
Fees
None
Author pays
Author pays
None
Rights Ownership
Mostly publisher
Author
Varies
Author retains rights
Editorial Support
Provided (varies)
Author-hired
Limited
Author-hired
Design
Publisher-provided
Author-funded
Generic
Author-funded
Distribution
Industry standard
Author-managed
Limited
Website, select book festivals, Amazon, Barnes & Noble Press*
Payments**
Advance + Royalties
Royalties (after fees)
Royalties (after fees)
Author/Publisher Royalty Split (65/35)
Marketing
Provided
Author-managed
Limited
Provided
*Amazon and Barnes & Noble Press distribution based on book availability. For example, if an author already has their book for sale on Amazon, we do not duplicate that title.
**Traditional publishing royalties typically range from 6-25% and are paid out bi-annually. Bound Hare Press royalty payments are similar to Amazon KDP and Barnes & Noble Press and are paid monthly.
More Information
Submission Guidelines
What you need and where to submit
Publishing FAQ
How Bound Hare Press works for authors
Submissions
Submit your book
Blog Resources
The Difference Between Dark Literary Fiction and Horror
What we publish—and what we don’t
Why Some Literature Should Make You Uncomfortable
Our belief in difficulty, ambiguity, and honesty in writing
