30 Best Christian Book Publishers (Accepting Manuscripts)

By: Rafal Reyzer
Updated: Oct 10th, 2023

christian book publishers - featured image

Are you an author or a reader who wants to find a great Christian book publisher?

You have a manuscript on a religious theme, and you want to submit it to a publishing house. You’ve come to the right place. Below, you will find an extensive list of publishers who will inspect your work, provide you with feedback, and maybe even sign you up for a book deal. You don’t need a literary agent to qualify for a review, as many publishers look for fresh authors. If you’re a new author, you can simply send your unsolicited manuscript to one of these esteemed Christian publishers and wait for their opinion. Getting a reply may take 3 or 4 months because usually their inboxes are full and they can’t quickly respond to everyone. Once you’ve mastered the content in this guide, continue your journey with my in-depth list of over 3,000 publishing companies.

These publishers specialize in certain genres of books, including:

  • Devotional literature
  • Christian non-fiction
  • Bible stories
  • Christian allegory
  • Christian fiction
  • Children’s literature
  • Spirituality
  • Christian theology
  • Christian worldview
  • Church history
  • Contemporary Christian fiction
  • And more!

Related content:

Top 30 Christian Book Publishers List:

1. Zondervan

zondervan-logo

Zondervan is one of the top Bible publishers in the world. It was founded by Peter and Bernard Zondervan in 1931. Now it’s a part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It also publishes children’s books through an imprint called Zonderkids. The publishing house is mostly known for its New International Version of the Bible, which has been translated into over 200 languages. But it also releases titles related to spiritual growth, memoirs, apologetics, biography, academic titles, church curriculum, and suspense. They publish over 300 books annually and sell books in over 100 countries. If you want to submit your manuscript, currently you can do it under a single in-print “Zondervan Academic” which deals with college and seminary textbooks and ministry resources (books for pastors and ministry professionals).

Contact:

2. Wipf and Stock Publishers

wipf-and-stock

This is a fully independent publishing house that deals with managing and editing, in-house publication, typesetting, printing, binding, and shipping. They are known for publishing great titles in Biblical studies, classic theology, poetry, and history. They don’t care so much about the marketability of your manuscript. Rather, if it’s based on a sound academic foundation, and includes some remarkable new research, they may give you a chance. They are open to new submissions all year long.

The manuscript you will send will be considered for the following imprints:

  • Cascade
  • Pickwick
  • Wipf & Stock
  • and Resource Publications

You’ll have to wait up to 8 weeks for a response due to a large number of proposals.

Contact:

3. Baker Books

baker-publishing

Baker Books it’s a division of the Baker Publishing Group. It was created to publish titles for lay Christians on topics like discipleship, apologetics, spirituality, relationships, marriage, parenting, and the intersection between Christianity and culture. They also publish materials for pastors and church leaders related to leadership, biblical references, worship, and preaching. They very rarely accept unsolicited manuscripts and you will probably need to go through a literary agent if you want to publish with them. They suggest you submit your work to “Christian Manuscript Submissions” which is an online service of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They will help you out and act as an intermediary to Baker Books.

Contact:

4. Dancing With Bear Publishing

dancing-bear-publishing

Dancing With Bear is a small publishing company concentrated only on titles related to Christianity. Its mission is to give new writers a chance by providing them with higher royalties, promotional help, as well as editing and cover design services. They are open to receiving unsolicited manuscripts only during certain times of the year. But their submissions for children’s books remain open all year long. Your book can be written in any genre (fiction and non-fiction, including soft romance), as long as it relates to the Lord and has at least 30,000 words. Make sure you follow the guidelines carefully because your digital file has to be well-formatted. If you get accepted, you can count on a 50% royalty from book sales (which is high as the industry average is around 10%).

Contact:

5. Intervarsity Press

intervarasity-press

This leading Christian publisher has been around for over 70 years. It’s an extension of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA which is one of the most respected Christian publishers in the country. They work closely with universities and educational establishments to ensure high academic rigor in the books they put out. The great thing about them is that they support authors from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and use recycled materials to print their books. Over 100 people work for the company; publishing books, bible studies, booklets, and other materials that help students and others with Christian education. To submit your proposal you will need to write a cover letter, a summary of each chapter, a list of similar books on the topic, biographical information, and two complete sample chapters. You need to send your proposal in hard copy to their mailing address.

Contact:

  • Email: Contact form available on the websites
  • Phone: (630) 734-4000
  • Address: PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515
  • Submission guidelines

6. The Crossroad Publishing Company

crossroad-publishing

This is one of the oldest publishers in the country existing in one form or another since 1798. It has been responsible for releasing such classics as “The Young Jesus”, and “Prayer Book for Citizens and Farmers”. Its mission is to only publish books that will somehow uplift or improve the lives of the readers.

They deal with books in the following categories:

  • Spirituality (classic and contemporary Christian studies)
  • Family life (parenting, family catechesis, marriage)
  • Catholicism
  • Professional and personal development
  • Cross Road (stories about faith and spiritual healing)

They are always open to receiving new manuscripts, even from little-known authors. They will usually get back to you within 6 to 8 weeks. However, due to numerous submissions, they cannot always guarantee a response. You should check their submissions page for more instructions.

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7. Westminster John Knox Press

westminster-publishing

This publishing house has a history dating back to 1838. Since then, it has been releasing books in theology, biblical studies, preaching, worship, ethics, religion, and culture. They print out around 60 new books every year and sell over 1800 titles throughout the world. Their books serve young theologians, college students, seminar attendees, educators, and counselors working in churches. Unfortunately, they don’t publish fiction, memoirs, poetry, and children’s books. But if you have a children’s book manuscript, you can send it over to their partner called “Imprint Flyaway Books.”

The books are published in three main categories:

  • Academic book
  • Professional book
  • Lay book

What’s cool about them is that if they accept you as their author, you’ll get 50% off any book coming from one of their publishing arms.

Contact:

8. Paulist Press

paulist-press

Paulist Press has a long history. It was founded by a society of missionary priests and Americans in 1858. From the very beginning, the mission of the company was to spread the rich Christian tradition across the American continent. Their first publication was called “The Catholic World Magazine” later reconstituted as “The New Catholic World” which was published for over 100 years. In the meantime, the company moved from Manhattan to the new headquarters in New Jersey, where it established its marketing and distribution divisions. Today, they are publishing hardcover and paperback books, audio and video programs, and materials for parish renewal. They offer dozens of great volumes in print touching on many traditions, including Christian, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Islam, and Indian. They also have an array of children’s books, works on spirituality, prayer, and bible study.

You can submit your manuscript under four categories:

  • Academic books
  • Children’s books
  • Popular books
  • Professional or clergy books

Contact:

9. Kregel Publications

kregel-publications

Kregel Has been supplying resources to meet the needs of evangelical leaders, pastors, missionaries, teachers, and Christian leaders ever since 1949. Right now they have a backlist of over 1000 titles in many categories including Christian education, ministry, contemporary issues, fiction, Christian living, biblical studies, and many classical works. They also have another publishing program called “Portavoz” geared especially towards Hispanic readers, with over 500 titles in print. They won’t consider an unsolicited manuscript if you send it directly. But you can get in touch with them through an organization called the “Writers Edge” and the “Christian Manuscript Submissions.” These are manuscript screening services that will share your work with over 40 different Christian publishers (if you cover a moderate fee).

Contact:

10. CKN Christian Publishing

ckn-publishing

This publishing house is an imprint of “Wolfpack Publishing”. It started as a small online platform distributing ebooks but later evolved into something bigger. This publishing company releases mostly novels with a Christian flavor. They accept manuscripts for romances, historical novels, westerns, Amish-related books, science fiction, and mystery. But they also deal with a few non-fiction categories such as Christian living, family resources, marriage, parenting, and theology. As long as your book is related to the Christian Faith you have a chance of getting published. Their contracts are user-friendly, and the company will take care of everything, ranging from printing to marketing and distribution.

Contact:

  • Email: not provided (form available on the website)
  • Phone: not provided
  • Address: not provided
  • Submission guidelines

11. Beaming Books

beaming-books

If you have a children’s book manuscript related to Christianity, Beaming Books is the right publisher to get in touch with. Its mission is to release titles that will help kids thrive by learning to manage their emotions, social situations, and spiritual inclinations. They published books on topics like self-esteem, ethics, kindness, forgiveness, and faith. They belong to “1517 Media” a well-established company that also owns a couple of other imprints, including Augsburg Fortress, Fortress Press, and Spark’s House. They don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, and you will probably need help from an agent who will get in touch with the editors directly.

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12. Paraclete Press

paracletepress

Paraclete Press publishes books, as well as music and videos, spreading Christian wisdom. They come from the Benedictine tradition, but they’re an ecumenical publisher that encompasses all branches of Christianity, whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, or Evangelical. The company started in 1983 in Massachusetts. Since then, it has grown to over 300 members, including church members, families, as well as singles. They publish around 40 books annually, distribute recordings of church music, and produce sheet music and educational videos. You can submit your proposal in electronic form by email. You will need to include a summary, your bio, potential endorsers, a table of contents, and a few sample chapters. The accepted genres are poetry, children’s picture books, sermons, cookbooks, popular psychology, and Bible commentaries.

Contact:

13. Herald Press

herald-press

Herald Press publishes many transformative titles that help the readers to achieve reconciliation, build community, as well as develop spirituality and disciplines related to the Amish and Mennonite faith. They try to address a broad spectrum of readers – Evangelicals, Mainline, and Anabaptists hoping to create more harmony between the competing camps and branches of the faith. Harold Press wants the readers to grow spiritually and increase their knowledge of history, theology, and ethics. They are more than open to considering your manuscript as long as it’s somehow related to the gospel of Jesus Christ from an Anabaptist perspective. Before submitting, make sure you read the official guidelines and the manual of style to better understand what is expected.

Contact:

  • Email: not provided (contact form available on the website)
  • Phone: 1-800-245-7894
  • Address: P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA, 22803
  • Submission guidelines

14. Crosslink Publishing

crosslink-publishing

Here’s another publishing company located in Rapid City. It’s a subsidiary of the Crossing family of Ministries. However, it remains independent and is also a member of the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA). They are known for producing books of excellent quality with beautiful glossy covers and crisp interior pages. Over the years, they have built partnerships with several companies in the publishing industry. Now, they distribute their titles to over 3000 wholesalers, retailers, and booksellers, including big names like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. They’ll work with all authors as long as they are based in the USA. Your manuscript will have to have between 12,000 and 60,000 words. Note: children’s books, poetry, and autobiographies are not accepted.

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15. Crossway Books

crossway-book

Crossway was founded by Clyde Dennis, a young Christian printer, as a not-for-profit ministry in 1938. From the very beginning, their goal was to publish gospel-centered and Bible-centered content that would attract the attention of the faithful. Over the years the organization grew and now its titles affect millions of readers from all around the world. The publishing house is mostly known for releasing the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible in 2001. It now serves as a viable alternative to the King James Version of the scripture. They also invested heavily in digital media and technology since the beginning of the 21st century and now offer books in digital formats. They will be happy to take a look at your manuscript as long as it covers the area of the Christian life and worldview. They are also interested in academic and professional volumes. But before sending over your finished work, please send an email inquiry first to receive the guidelines.

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16. Eerdmans Publishing

eerdmans-publishing

This is one of the most independent publishing houses on this list, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They deal solely with religious texts, including academic titles, Bible studies, religious history, as well as popular books about spirituality and literature. The company has a long history, as it was founded in 1911. They are always interested in spreading their books to a wider audience consisting of academics, lay ministry leaders, as well as general readers. They are known for their quality children’s books, which tell amazing stories of family adventure and friendship, but do not turn a blind eye to important social issues such as divorce, racism, or poverty. They accept book proposals only through email at this point. Give a detailed description of your book and include some additional information, such as your curriculum vitae.

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17. The Upper Room

upperroom-logo

The Upper Room is a devotional guide that started in 1935. Since its inception, it has encompassed numerous publications, programs, and other resources that help readers achieve a deeper level of Christian faith and service. Unfortunately, they are not interested in publishing full-length books at this point. But they would surely like you to contribute to one of their magazines. The first one is called the “Upper Room Magazine” which is curated by its readers. The second one is called “Disciplines” which is a devotional guide for Christians who want to learn more about Christianity, Jesus Christ, and how to apply its lessons in their daily lives. The good part is that the magazines are currently distributed across 100 countries in 35 different languages.

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18. Dove Christian Publishers

dove-christian-publishers

Formerly known as “Conquest Publishers”, this small publishing house releases books in the area of Christian fiction and non-fiction, as well as some interesting video materials. The company started in 1998 as an imprint of a non-profit organization that provided resources and materials for Prison Ministries. In 2006 it grew into something larger. Now with the main office in Bladensburg, Maryland, it focuses on releasing an array of published materials and is a member of the “Christian Small Publishers Association.” If you want to submit your manuscript for their consideration, you will have to do it through an online form. You will need to allow 4 to 6 weeks for a response, but if your book is accepted, you’ll be able to sign a contract detailing the terms of the arrangement.

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19. Abingdon Press

abingdon-press

By any measure, Abingdon Press is among the oldest and most respected publishing houses in the USA. Its tradition stretches back over 200 years. They are an imprint of the United Methodist Publishing House and have been in operation since 1789. They specialize in publishing hi-caliber inspirational, professional, academic, and life-changing literature that affects the lives of millions of readers across the globe. If you have a book idea that would either serve a ministry or individual Christians, you may try to submit it. The accepted categories are Christian living, leadership, academic titles, and church program resources. It’s enough if you have one or two chapters of your work and a summary. You need to submit it online and then wait a couple of weeks for a response.

Contact:

20. Bethany House

bethany-house

Bethany House is an imprint of Baker Publishing, which was already mentioned in this list. They have been publishing books for over 50 years, and are recognized as top producers of Christian fiction. They publish over 75 new fiction and non-fiction titles annually across a wide spectrum of genres, including Christian living, devotional, and family resources as well as theology. Many of their books found their way into the bestseller lists across the US. They follow the same publishing procedures as Baker Publishing, which means you would have to get in touch with them through a literary agent.

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21. Moody Publishers

moody-publishers

Moody is a non-profit Christian publishing house located in Chicago. It was founded by D. L. Moody in 1894. Since these humble beginnings, the company has distributed more than 300 million books worldwide. They are known for their excellent Bible commentaries, books about spiritual growth and renewal, as well as award-winning fiction. The neat thing about the organization is that it donates all the proceeds from the book sales to “The Moody Bible Institute” which was created to supply materials for students in the Christian ministry. If you want to submit a book proposal, you will have to do it through the “Christian Manuscript Submission” website. They will gladly review your work.

Contact:

22. Lighthouse Christian Publishing

lighthouse-publishing

Based in Minnesota, Lighthouse sells books and audio programs online and through affiliate bookstores around the country. Their goal is to make their books more available by lowering the prices and using digital distribution channels. They publish books of many types: children’s books, self-help, as well as business and technical manuals. Not all the titles have a strictly Christian message, but they all aim to improve the lives of their readers. They are open to submissions as long as your book will grab their attention from the very first page to the last. The highest quality, polished prose, and attention to detail are expected.

Contact:

23. Faithwords

faithwords

Faithwords is an imprint of Hachette Book Group, which is a division of Hachette Livre – the third-largest trade and educational book publisher in the world. With headquarters in New York and offices in Boston and many other major cities in the US, the group publishes around 1400 adult books annually. That includes 50 to 100 digital-only titles, 300 books for children and young readers, and over 450 audiobooks. Many of their releases reached top spots on the New York Times bestseller list. Faithwords is responsible for publishing inspirational Christian titles on spiritual growth. In its history, the division sold over 60 million books. At their Author Portal, you can find detailed information about submitting your work and the publishing process.

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24. Christian Faith Publishing

Christian faith publishing logo

The mission of this Christian publisher is to discover and publish authors who desire to make a great spiritual impact on the world (through the written world). It’s a partner of some of the largest book distributors in the US. This allows the published works to be available in all the main bookstores, but the titles are also available as ebooks and sold online. They give authors a lot of flexibility and accept manuscripts in a variety of genres.

Contact:

  • Email: not provided
  • Phone: 800 955 3794
  • Address: 832 Park Avenue, Meadville, PA 16335
  • Submission guidelines

25. Concordia Publishing House

Concordia publishing house logo

This publishing house has been around since 1869 in a small St. Louis printery. Their mission has been to provide doctrinally sound materials for churches and individuals. Nowadays, there are over 10,000 products in the company’s portfolio. They employ over 160 people and sell millions of books related to Christianity. Who knows, perhaps you’ll be their next published author?

Contact:

26. Harvest House Publishers

harvest house logo

It’s a comparatively smaller publisher in the Christian inspirational market, which offers a variety of great stories for children and adults alike. Their mission is to bring healing, comfort, and spiritual awakening to people around the world.

Contact:

  • Email: not provided (check the contact page)
  • Phone: 1-800-547-8979
  • Address: PO Box 41210, Eugene, OR 97404-0322
  • Submission guidelines

27. Thomas Nelson

Thomas nelson logo

This leading publisher gets over 250 new original works to the market each year. Their distribution capabilities are enormous, with books published in more than 100 countries, and translated into 65 different languages. They’ve been around for over 200 years, founded in Scotland. Now the company is based in Nashville, and its mission remains the same: to make texts like the Bible, accessible to the masses.

Contact:

  • Email: not provided
  • Phone: (800) 727-1309.
  • Address: P.O. Box 141000, Nashville TN 37214
  • Submission guidelines

28. Lifeway Christian Resources

Lifeway publishing house logo

This company has been around for over 130 years. It’s a non-profit organization, which provides ministry resources to local churches. Their mission is to spread the gospel around the globe, making it a great place for aspiring writers to send their book proposals.

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29. Baylor University Press

Baylor university press logo

It’s the academic book publishing arm of Baylor University. It was established in 1897 and publishes many academic titles each year (related to the catholic church, Christian history, scripture, and other topics). All their publications go through a rigorous peer review and project development.

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30. Tyndale House

tyndale house logo

The mission of Tyndale House is to create resources for better Bible understanding at every level. Unlike other publishers mentioned above, they’re based in the UK, hosting one of the most sophisticated libraries for biblical scholarship.

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Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this list of Christian publishers and that it will help you secure your next book deal. Remember that publishing is a numbers game. The more companies will receive your manuscript, the higher the chances of your publishing success. Follow the submission guidelines carefully and send out your work to at least a dozen different book publishing companies, and one of them will surely pick up on your talent and get your book published. Next up, you may want to explore a guide to conservative book publishers.

Rafal Reyzer

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here, and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.