: Alternative publishers like Dover I have a manuscript that is a derivative of a mathematical work in the public domain. It is a diamond in the rough which was unpalatable due to its prose.

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I found publishersglobal.com is useful for searching publishers by category. I don't know if that will help or not. You can probably search on academic publishers.

Also, Createspace has been merged into Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) so just look at KDP if you are contemplating print-on-demand and ebooks. The benefit of KDP is that your books are available on Amazon, so that makes people more comfortable that they are legitimate.

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Although it's based on a public domain work, your derivative work isn't in the public domain itself unless you want it to be. From the sounds of it you've made significant changes and additions, so your edition of the manuscript in question is copyrightable.

You quite often see this in modern editions of classical music, for example, where the music has been in the public domain for centuries, but the typesetting, fingering, introductory notes and annotations make the edition copyrightable.

As for publishers, if you think there might be academic interest you could try academic imprints or university presses. If the manuscript has a connection to a modern research topic you could try contacting academics working in that area. If the original author is notable, even in a small way, you might find a small press with a local connection to them, or even a museum or historical society.

If you don't have any luck finding a publisher, or if you just want a copy for yourself, then there are always print-on-demand services like Lulu and Createspace. Good luck!

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That's a very interesting question. Can you publish 'public domain' works? Yes you can - so long as you follow the rules. The main ones seem to be: the work must really, really be in public domain and it must be differentiated.

One specific publisher for you: StreetLib. Read their very helpful page about publishing Public Domain material here: Publishing Public Domain Books.

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If you don't care not seeing your book in libraries, if your goal is only to have a paper print and an electronic version and the availability of your work in online store, you may give an chance to online auto-editing services like Lulu. Well, the print version is not cheap, but you may distribute the e-book for free.

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