Appalachian stories, well told.

Appalachia has a special place in the American imagination, but too often the national narrative focuses only on the socioeconomic problems and stereotypes of the region.

The Appalachia Book Company is a nonprofit literary publisher and media company based in far eastern Kentucky. Our goal is to promote a more nuanced understanding of our region, and challenge stereotypes through our curated collection of books and literary programs. We showcase our community’s distinctive cultural capital by promoting the work of our region’s writers and storytellers and connecting them to the national media and arts ecosystem.

The Appalachia Book Company is a place to discover and connect with the real Appalachia through its writers and storytellers.

What we do

Made In Appalachia

Our signature chapbook series for writers with a connection to central or rural Appalachia.

Award-winning newsletter

Providing a place to discover Appalachia and its literature. Join us on a tour of cultural places of the (mostly) rural mountain South.

Podcasts

We currently have two podcasts in development.

Our Writers

Chris Helvey

"Another Way of Coming Home"
Larry D. Thacker

"Lemon Street's Angel of Death"
Elizabeth Burton

"Of Love and Water"
Emily Unwin

"Five Little Fatalities"
Kelly Ward

"Rapture"

Who we are

Editorial

Natalie Axton, Director of Programs and EIC

Brian Sperger, Co-Founder

Ellie Craft, Editorial Assistant

Jacob Stump, Contributing Editor

Payton May, Web Development Advisor

Jess Shadrick, Art Advisor

Contributing Scholars

Michael McNulty, University of Virginia’s College at Wise

Trevor McKenzie, Appalachian State University

Ted Olson, East Tennessee State University

Founders List

Keller Doss

Linda Gibson

Shawn Hopkins

First Kentucky Trust

William Samuels

Kaitlin Ward

FAQs

We work primarily within central Appalachia, the Appalachia subregion as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission. This subregion includes parts of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. The area is remote, mountainous, and traditionally associated with the coal mining industry.
We get approached by a lot of people who have stories to share. Please understand that we are not a vanity press. We do not accept payment in exchange for publishing your project. Check our calls for submission and see if your story is a fit.
Yes, we pay writer’s a small honorarium and send them free copies of their books. Every writer gets a contract.
We’re happy to add the news of your Appalachian literary endeavor to our monthly digest, if you notify us two months prior. Send the information to hello@appalachiabook.co.
We partner with area MFA and cultural programs and have built internship opportunities there. If you have a proposal for a collaboration, please reach us at hello@appalachiabook.co.