AUTHOR GUIDELINES
Mission
The goal of Discovery House Publishers is to publish books that feed the soul
with the Word of God, fostering growth and godliness in the lives of God’s
people.
Kinds of books published
We publish books of general interest to evangelical Christian lay readers that
are written at a junior high/high school reading level. Our list includes
devotional books, Bible study materials and reference books, books about the
spiritual life, commentaries, personal growth books, and books that address
contemporary issues that believers face. We do not publish children’s books,
curriculum, plays, skits, poetry, sermons, short stories, cartoons, cookbooks,
autobiographies, dissertations, games, novels, or textbooks. We only use
internal resources for greeting cards.
How to submit a book proposal to Discovery House
We prefer that you submit your manuscript to one of two writing services: The
Writer’s Edge, available both online and in print, or
ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com, an online service of the Evangelical
Christian Publishers Association. We subscribe to both of these services and
regularly review the proposals that appear there, as do many other Christian
publishers. These organizations can be reached at the following addresses:
ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com
On the web: www.ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com
E-mail: info@christianmanuscriptsubmissions.com
Writer’s Edge Manuscript Service
On the web: www.writersedgeservice.com
E-mail: info@writersedgeservice.com
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1266, Wheaton, IL 60189
If you wish to submit your work for our review, send a query letter to
Manuscript Review Editor, Discovery House Publishers, P.O. Box 3566, Grand
Rapids, MI 49501. Your query letter should include information about you
(contact information, present position, educational background, your
qualifications for writing on the topic); manuscript title; a list of previous
publications; anticipated manuscript length (number of words); anticipated
manuscript completion date; a summary description; and a detailed table of
contents or outline of the material.
If we find your proposal to be of interest for our publishing program, we will
then invite you to submit your manuscript for our further review.
It is possible to submit your proposal electronically as a Word document to
dhptc@rbc.org. Type “Attention:
manuscript review editor” in the subject line.
If we invite you to submit
Your manuscript should be neatly typed, double spaced on white 8 ½" by
11" paper printed on one side only. Photocopies are acceptable. Be sure to
keep a copy of the manuscript for your files. You may also submit your material
electronically as a Word document.
Discovery House’s response to your work
Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for a response from our manuscript review editor. If
our evaluation of your proposal is favorable, we will invite you to submit your
manuscript. Other qualified readers will then evaluate your manuscript and
determine whether to recommend it to our publishing committee. The committee
will make a final decision based on the reviewers’ reports; whether the
manuscript contributes to Discovery House’s publishing goals; its biblical
accuracy; its power to instruct and encourage God’s people; the quality of the
writing; and the manuscript’s relevance to today’s world. If we decide to
publish your book, we will issue a contract that clearly defines the publishing
arrangements. We will agree to cover costs of publishing and promoting the book
as well as paying you royalties on copies sold.
We welcome your inquiry about publishing with Discovery House Publishers. If we
can be of further assistance, please call or write us.
Discovery House Publishers
P.O. Box 3566
Grand Rapids,
MI 49501
616-942-9218
dhptc@rbc.org
Affiliated with RBC Ministries