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Editorial
Policy |
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Unlike large,
mainstream publishers, Sheaf
House gives member authors
the final say as to what
genre and style they write
in, what themes they address
and how, how much time they
need between projects, and
how they go about marketing
their work. Although
individual projects must
undergo an approval process
to ensure quality, authors
are encouraged to write the
kinds of stories they feel
called to write. As long as
the work fits into one of
the genres Sheaf House
publishes, there are no
restrictions on what genre
an author can write in.
Sheaf house also works
closely with authors to
ensure that the final cover
of their book is not only
marketable, but one they can
be proud of. |
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Submission Guidelines |
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At this time Sheaf
House is not accepting any
additional proposals until
FALL 2010, with the
exception of those
previously invited to submit
at a specific time. |
 Sheaf
House publishes exclusively
fiction. Although Sheaf
House has no formal
affiliation with the
Christian Booksellers
Association, we publish only
fiction that has a Christian
worldview. Stories that are
preachy and present a
simplistic doctrinal
viewpoint are not material
for Sheaf House. Neither are
stories that exist in a
moral vacuum.
Stories that are right for
Sheaf House will be
gritty, edgy,
true-to-life, and address
issues readers face in their
own lives with fearless
honesty, but without the
language and graphic
violence and sex readers too
often encounter in secular
fiction. They will include a
message of hope,
assurance that there is a
better way, and will point
readers in the right
direction, even if the
author never explicitly
mentions God.
Sheaf House is particularly
looking for excellent
projects from unpublished
authors and published
authors who have not had the
volume of sales that
mainstream publishing houses
require, but who can appeal
to a viable niche audience.
We accept proposals in the
following genres.
* Historicals
* Westerns
* Sci-fi/fantasy
* Contemporary fiction
* Young adult fiction
* Mystery/suspense/thrillers
* Literary and speculative fiction
* Multicultural fiction
Sheaf House does not accept
unsolicited proposals.
Proposals must be submitted
through a literary agent or
be requested in response to
a query letter or an e-mail
or through personal contact
at a writers conference. All
unsolicited submissions will
be returned.
Query letters must be no
longer than 2 pages. They
should begin with an
appealing hook, describe the
story in one paragraph,
state briefly the theme of
the work, and include the
author’s bio, with any
specific qualifications for
writing this particular
project.
A full proposal must contain
the following elements.
* Theme
* Spiritual theme, if appropriate
* 3-5 page synopsis
* Manuscript status
* Intended audience
* Competition assessment
* Proposed marketing and promotion
* Author’s biography
* Contact information
* First 3 chapters of project
The proposal must be both as
concise and as detailed as
possible. Spend time on
this. Devote intense thought
and effort to it. If you
have never written a
proposal before, learn to do
it superlatively. This is
what will solicit a request
to submit the full
manuscript.
Before you submit, be sure
your proposal and your
project are the best you can
make them. The editorial
director wishes to be
thrilled and utterly
compelled to publish your
work. Deprive us of any
reason to turn you down.
When your proposal meets all
of these qualifications,
please e-mail it in an
attachment to
jmshoup@sheafhouse.com or
send it to:
Editorial Director
Sheaf House
3641 Hwy 47 N
Charlotte, TN 37036
We will attempt to respond
within 6 months. We will
make every effort to do so
sooner. |
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