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 $99. 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
The Christian Writer's Corner 
I have a book called “Letters to Jesus” that I would like to be published. Thank You
By: sharon jacobs on August 19, 2009
at 9:36 pm
Hi Sharon!
Thanks for stopping by. While I am not a publisher, there are plenty or resources here to get you going. What I would suggest is that you begin by finding which publishers publish the type of book that you wrote. The best way is to think of an author that your work is similar to, and look at who published them, this way you know they are looking for similar content.
Then you find out how to submit work to them. You can click on the “List of Christian Publishers” for a starting point.
Let me know how it goes.
– mooney
By: baddogmooney on August 21, 2009
at 10:15 am
This book is a marriage of the Scriptures and education, this new reflection and insight, seen from the eyes of the teacher, invites readers to fully explore the meaning of the one hundred and eighteen words of the six verses of Psalm 23, the pearl of Psalms. The book fills a gap in the current literature on the Psalm and examines each word of the Psalm against the backdrop of the possible origins and the explanations for David’s choice of those words. Readers are led to follow the LORD as the Shepherd into the culmination of a life characterised by victory over the most challenging of odds to everyone who turns to the faithful Shepherd who will never abandon His flock. Each of the chapters concludes with a brief section on the application of the lessons learnt from the Psalm to the reader, identification of some questions, and suggestion of a relevant Bible passage for further meditation.
By: Michael on October 19, 2010
at 11:38 am
I am a new writer who has a message in form of a novel to share to the world.can any one give me tips on how to submit my unsolicited manuscript to a christian publishing company that accepts same?
you may be saving thousands indirectly.God bless you.
By: henry festus on January 8, 2010
at 5:05 am
I have a short children’s book and think the services you discuss sound perfect. Should I have the illustrations complete first and send with the manuscript?
By: James Ezell on February 9, 2010
at 12:51 pm
Thanks for stopping by James! From the little bit of research I have done on this, I have found that most children’s publishers have their own illustrators they work with. Unless you are both a writer an illustrator, I would submit it as is to avoid paying an illustrator that the publisher may later reject.
One thing I might do is find out who illustrated books that you enjoy, and submit to those publishers, or mention them in your query letter.
I hope this is helpful,
– mooney
By: baddogmooney on February 10, 2010
at 11:21 am
Hi Chris!
I’m writing from Sweden where my wife and I run a translation service – mainly Swedish to English, but the other way about too, if required. We specialise in Christian books & writing.
I have the permission of an author to translate his work(s) into English. Right now I’m looking for any kind of help, not least financial, to launch one book in particular. It’s called “Andens folk” – “People of the Spirit” and is a truly inspired study in the Book of Acts.
Can you help me in any way, please?
By: Geoff Hawkes on June 22, 2010
at 12:07 pm
Hello, I am a publisher of the Lighthouse Literary Journal and would like to know how to get on the list. I will appreciate the respeonce. Thank you. Yelena Krupnik.
By: Yelena Krupnik on June 4, 2011
at 12:41 pm
I want to publish a children’s book that tells about salvation in children’s terms. Who is a good publisher for this type of book?
Cathy
By: Cathy on July 12, 2011
at 11:21 pm
Hi,
Just wondering if there is any information on how many authors have published books (who they are and what they published) by using Writer’s Edge or Christian Manuscript Submissions?
thank you,
Jill
By: jill on August 10, 2011
at 11:08 pm
Great question!
This is from Writer’s Edge have some basic information on this at the bottom of their FAQ page (http://www.writersedgeservice.com/faqwe.htm). In summary, they do not list the number of submissions a month, but of those their list includes 30-60 titles a month. They have reported 12-18 a year getting published. (This is the number that notified Writer’s Edge that they had received a contract because of the service, there may be more that did not report back to them.) So based on these numbers the chances, if you make the list, are 1:45ish so around 3%. Is that worth $95? that’s up to you.
For CMS, I could find no such numbers, though the testimonials page did list major publishers picking up their books.
By: C.R. Mooney on August 15, 2011
at 8:17 pm
Hi, I am appreciating how informative this site is. I developed a mid-week Bible club for kids 14 years ago. I have been in the process of trying to get all of my lessons together to submit the idea of this club to a publisher. Do you have any suggestions where I might look for information about this type of writing?
By: Tammy on March 13, 2012
at 11:19 pm
I have heard that publishers are looking for book proposals rather than manuscripts. Is this true?
By: jennifer.roos@yahoo.com on July 21, 2012
at 4:11 pm
Thanks for your question Jennifer. Each publisher has their own requirements. They are usually found on the publisher’s website under Manuscript Guidelines, FAQ pages and the like. I would also suggest this if you are looking for a literary agent.
By: C.R. Mooney on July 21, 2012
at 10:57 pm
Hi,
I am nearing completion of a “true crime” story written from a Christian perspective. The book is about a friend of mine’s daughter who was killed at a home daycare and all the struggles and sorrow that they went through during this tragedy. I am including extensive coverage of their legal battle too. Because this is an unusual genre in Christian writing, is there anything specific that I need to do when summarizing the book for potential publishers? I also plan on including a section of black and white photos in the center of the book, similar to secular true crime books. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!
By: Janice on August 21, 2012
at 3:20 pm
Calvary greetings, I am a Christian author, from West Africa (Nigeria) deeply passionate about the true gospel of Christ. I have a 250-pages revelational book, just written / completed. I need a sincere and good publisher to help make the gospel in this book reach the ends of the earth. The excerpt of the book title is “THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS HERE”. Can I have couple of International Publishing house that I can work with, regardless the distance? A kind reply from you will be indeed be appreciated!
By: Apostle Wale Israel O on July 23, 2013
at 2:00 pm
Hi, I’m about to submit my manuscript to TATE PUBLISHING dis week. Do you know much about them?
By: Theophilus Chris on July 8, 2014
at 7:25 am
You might want to check on this website before you go any further
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/misc/tate_publishing.html
By: bvillareal on July 8, 2014
at 10:12 am
You asked for feedback on broken links and I found one. when explaining Writers edge your link to the list of publishers they work with is out of date. It’s the link on ‘here is their list’ in this sentence: (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.)
Might want to check up on it.
By: joanne gilchrist on October 20, 2014
at 6:31 am
Thanks for the heads up. It is updated now.
By: C.R. Mooney on October 20, 2014
at 7:37 pm
Thank you for your helpful information. My only remaining problem relates to the formatting requirements when submitting my proposal. Here are some typical instructions:
“The publishing industry prefers to review a manuscript proposal instead of the unsolicited submission of your entire manuscript (book). This allows the editors viewing your submission to see the important items they desire at a glance … and if they remain interested they will read the entirety of your proposal … The publishers are focused on the content of your proposal and not on the presentation … No images may be attached to the proposal … etc.”
However, my book is an historical/spiritual overview from Jacob to Messiah and the text is intrinsically linked to a timeline, placed at the bottom of each page. It is in the form of a continuous graphic diagram, and, as I say in the preface; “Please take time to study the charts and diagrams as you read. There is more research in these pages than what first meets the eye, because I have tried to say more in fewer words. The diagrams I have provided contain key dates and computations which are critical to the rest of the book.”
Also, I have ‘desktop published’ my book to special dimensions that accommodate its over-wide nature, and prepared it in pdf format for printing so that the story line does not run ahead of (or behind) its appropriate diagram.
So, do some publishers allow an exception to the usual submission criteria and, if so, would they permit me to send a completed book to a postal address?
Sincerely,
Christian Gedge
By: christiangedge on January 4, 2015
at 10:27 pm
My apologies Christian, I thought I had replied to this. Most publishers hold to their submission guidelines and toss anything that doesn’t meet their standards. I would find publishers of similar types of books and ask them directly.
By: C.R. Mooney on January 22, 2015
at 12:21 am
Afternoon,
My name’s Kelly Latta and I’m Senior Publisher for Pulse Publishing’s Christian Fiction imprint, Exalt. I was wondering what the criteria is exactly for having Exalt listed. Thank you so much and have a great day!
Kelly Latta
Senior Publisher, Exalt
Pulse
By: Kelly Latta on April 6, 2015
at 12:43 pm
We are Christian publishers based in Northern Ireland Uk
By: Maurice wylie on July 29, 2015
at 11:23 am
I am interested in “proofreading” for Christian publishers. Am willing to work free during training period, as I have been a homemaker now for many years.
English was my major in college, and I seem to be a natural proofreader, because I proofread everything I read! I am a young 71, and I need to earn extra income. Any advice for me?
Carol Spink
Auburn, CA
By: Carol Spink on February 17, 2016
at 2:08 pm
I want to publish christian poem book or a chapbook with self-written collection of poems. Please advise.
By: Ruby Pearl Nathan on March 30, 2016
at 12:12 am
Greetings from India.
I am Paul Rajaratnam.
I find your site very informative and useful for aspiring authors and publishers as well.
I was teaching art in schools early in my career. I then joined the Christian Literature Society and served for nearly three decades.
I have brought out a couple of paintings including large ones on the Lives of Jesus Christ, Paul, Joseph, Moses and David with the sequences selected from the Bible portions all in oil on canvas in panaptic view.
I have designed five pictorial books based on these paintings which could be used in Sunday schools for VBS and by Bible study groups and others as quiz programmes.
Each book contains a digital copy of the respective painting followed by the sequences cut and pasted with blank spaces to search and find the relevant Bible verses to the sequences.
I shall be glad to submit the specimen booklets to an international publisher.
Being pictorial the books they could be brought out in any language with ease.
My paintings could be viewed visiting yessy art gallery-Rajaratnam-search.
By: Paul Rajaratnam on May 1, 2016
at 3:43 am
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By: Vollina Adkins on May 17, 2017
at 4:28 am
Thank you so much for the information provided very much needed, appreciate it
By: Claudia Berrios on May 12, 2021
at 7:49 pm
Thank you so much for the information provided very much needed.
I am working on publishing my book hopefully this year so any advice and insight on publishing is very much appreciate it.
By: Claudia Berrios on May 12, 2021
at 7:53 pm