Medill announces partnership with Agate Publishing
The collaboration will publish nonfiction books written by journalists
EVANSTON, ILL. -- Agate Publishing and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, both based in Evanston, Ill., are embarking on a new collaboration to publish nonfiction books written by journalists. The project’s specific aim is to develop a new outlet for journalists to produce ambitious longform work in a media climate where it’s increasingly challenging to find opportunities to do so.
The partnership, publishing under the imprint Medill Books, will launch with a pilot title tentatively set to appear in late 2026.
“I’ve published dozens of journalists during my career in book publishing, and before that I spent a decade working as a magazine editor and freelance writer myself,” said Agate Founder and President Doug Seibold. “My hope is that this new imprint might become another sustainable channel for journalists to publish longform work of all kinds.”
Over its 23-year history, Agate has published book-length work by multiple Pulitzer Prize winners, including Nick Chiles (Justice While Black) and Leonard Pitts, Jr., (Forward from This Moment and Becoming Dad.) A partnership with the Chicago Tribune has produced close to 20 print titles and 80 brief ebooks that featured not only numerous Tribune-derived works but also work by many other newspaper and magazine journalists from Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and elsewhere, treating an enormous variety of topics.
Journalists interested in submitting proposals should send them to submissions@agatepublishing.com, with the subject line “Medill Books proposal.“
Agate is now open to proposals for reported nonfiction works of roughly 10,000-30,000 words in length.
"We are excited that our partnership with Agate will provide us with another important avenue to support journalism and journalists by seeking out and publishing ambitious nonfiction work in book form," said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker.
Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications has been educating students since 1921 and is the only top 10 university to offer an undergraduate degree in journalism. Medill offers programs in journalism and integrated marketing communications across its undergraduate and graduate programs, with locations in Evanston and Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
Agate Publishing is an independent publisher based in Evanston, Ill., that encompasses four distinct trade imprints, an educational content development division, and a training and certification program for publishing professionals.