Our Mission: Appalachian Stories, in Appalachian Voices

You've heard the stories about Appalachia—but you haven't heard our stories.

While headlines focus on what's broken, we celebrate what's thriving: a rich literary tradition that spans generations, voices that capture both struggle and triumph, and storytellers who refuse to be defined by someone else's narrative.

Appalachia Book Company is a nonprofit literary publisher and media company rooted in far eastern Kentucky. We're here to flip the script on how America sees our region—one book, one podcast, one authentic voice at a time.

We don't just publish books; we amplify the writers and storytellers who know Appalachia from the inside out. Through our curated collection and literary programs, we're building bridges between our mountain communities and the national conversation, ensuring our stories reach the audiences they deserve.

This is Appalachia, unfiltered and unapologetic.

This is where you discover who we really are.

Our Writers

Robert Long Foreman

“Beaver Fever”
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

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.