I have found that many publishers do not accept unsolicited proposals or manuscripts, especially the larger publishing houses like Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, and Bethany House.  So, what is an aspiring Christian author to do? In most cases these publishing houses use a third party submission forum. I found a couple, (both of which “submit” to these three publishers and many more).

First up is The Writer’s Edge. Their statement is: “The only publishers who receive this service are those who have requested it–those who plan to use it to simplify their process of reviewing and selecting new manuscripts. These decision makers welcome these information sheets that give them a concise, organized view of your work.”

While they do not submit your work directly to publishers, they do provide a summary of your work that available for publishers to review. With The Writer’s Edge, you submit three chapters, a one page synopsis, and a fee of $95. They review your work and if they deem it “publishable” they will submit it to the list of over 75 publishers that they work with (here is their list). If any are interested, they will contact you directly.

Another option is Christian Manuscript Submissions. Their process is similar to The Writer’s Edge, but the cost is $98 for it to be available for six months. They have a tool on their website for creating the proposal, and thei list of publishers (found here) is just over 80 long. There is some duplication with The Writer’s Edge, so you would want to look closely at both options before choosing one.

They also offer other services such as editing, critiquing, as well as information on self publishing and finding an agent.

Well, good luck, and let me know if you have any other suggestions or ideas.  Check out my list of Christian publishers and their submission guidelines.

- chris mooney