Manuscript Submissions - Books
Thanks for your interest in The Foundry Publishing. Please know that we publish a very limited number of unsolicited manuscripts. Following are answers to the most commonly asked questions about our submission requirements.
Does The Foundry Publishing accept manuscript submissions?
The Foundry considers unsolicited submission. Because we are a denominational publisher of holiness literature, our books reflect an evangelical Wesleyan stance in accord with the Church of the Nazarene. We seek practical as well as serious treatments of issues of faith consistent with the Wesleyan tradition. We do NOT publish Christian fiction, juvenile fiction, books of poetry, or children’s literature. Nearly all of our titles come through acquisitions, and the number of freelance submissions we accept has declined dramatically.
What should I include in my proposal?
The query or cover letter should answer four important questions:
- What is your subject matter and approach? (Two or three specific paragraphs are usually sufficient.)
- For whom is it written? (It is helpful to have an idea of the market niche you envision.)
- What distinguishes your material from what is currently available on the subject? (It is wise to check your local Christian bookstore.)
- What are your qualifications to write on this subject? (Please include a vita.)
Your proposal should include the table of contents, the introduction, and at least three sample chapters, as well as a short synopsis of each chapter. It is important that you tell us the anticipated word count of your finished manuscript, which should be between 45,000 and 60,000 words.
In what form should I submit my proposal or manuscript?
Please send your submission electronically as a Word attachment to rmcfarland@thefoundrypublishing.com.
The manuscript should be in 12 point Courier New, double spaced, with one-inch margins.
When can I expect an answer?
We try to update you on the status of your submission within eight weeks of its arrival. If your submission passes the initial screening, the complete reviewing process often takes several months as your manuscript is circulated for evaluation.
What are the financial arrangements if The Foundry publishes my manuscript?
Most of our publishing is on a royalty basis: the author receives a percentage of the net receipts. In some instances authors are paid a flat fee for their work. We publish and market the book at our expense for as long as its sales warrant keeping it in print. One-time fees for permissions and rights to photographs are the author’s responsibility. These arrangements are detailed in the legal contract we make with the author.
Can I obtain editorial advice from you about my manuscript?
The volume of manuscripts we receive makes it impossible for us to give editorial advice on unpublished manuscripts.