Finding publishers accepting submissions

Not every publisher accepts outside submissions, but many do, from major companies to one-person operations. Your first job is building a target list of publishers whose catalog actually fits your game. Start with your own shelf: which published games feel like cousins of yours in weight, play time, and audience? The companies behind those games are your most natural targets.

Several community-maintained resources track which publishers are open to submissions and what they are looking for. Designer communities on Facebook, Discord, and Board Game Geek's design forums regularly share updated submission lists, and Cardboard Edison maintains a well-known directory of publisher submission guidelines. Publisher websites are the ground truth: look for a "submissions" page, and treat its instructions as a test you must pass. Some publishers only take pitches at conventions, some run open submission windows a few weeks per year, and some want a video pitch first.

Conventions compress months of cold emailing into a weekend. Large shows like Gen Con and Essen Spiel host publisher meetings, and dedicated events pair designers and publishers for scheduled speed-pitching sessions. Protospiel events, while focused on playtesting, also attract scouting publishers. A five-minute face-to-face demo builds more trust than any email, and many licensing deals trace back to a convention table.

Qualify your targets before you pitch. Check that the publisher has released games recently, ships to real distribution, and treats designers professionally. Designer communities are candid about which companies pay royalties on time and which do not. A signed contract with a publisher who never prints the game can lock your design in a drawer for years, so a smaller but reliable publisher often beats a bigger name with a bad reputation.