Manuscript Information

How can I submit my manuscript to Thomas Nelson or Zondervan to be published?

We currently accept unsolicited book proposals for the following imprints only:

  • Zondervan Reflective: Topics for such books include leadership, ministry, the intersection of faith and culture, and biblical and theological perspectives on contemporary issues.  The authors of such books are expected to have demonstrable expertise on the subject being addressed.
  • Zondervan Academic: College and seminary textbooks, Bible commentaries, reference books, and scholarly monographs in the biblical, theological, and related disciplines.

Please include the appropriate imprint—Zondervan Reflective or Zondervan Academic—in the subject line when submitting your proposal to [email protected].

Your proposal must include:

  • A brief description of the proposed book
  • The unique contribution of the book and why you feel it must be published
  • The table of contents, including a two or three sentence description of each chapter
  • Your intended reader
  • Your curriculum vita including your qualifications to write the book

The proposal should be no more than five pages. If we are interested, we will respond within six weeks. Otherwise, you should assume that the proposal does not work for us.

All other unsolicited submissions including fiction, poetry, devotionals, or illustrations are not accepted by Thomas Nelson or Zondervan publishers.

How do I begin the path to becoming a published author?

There are two common paths to publishing a book: traditional publishing through a commercial book publisher or self-publishing.

Authors who feel the traditional path to publishing best meets their needs should consider developing a book proposal and finding a literary agent they believe can best represent their work and leverage their platform. Literary agents act as a mediator between an author and a publisher.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing operates a self-publishing imprint, WestBow Press, in alliance with Author Solutions, LLC, a third-party provider.. See below for more information on how to self-publish your book.

Does HarperCollins Christian Publishing offer any resources to help authors?

There are three resources we suggest you consider to help you on your publishing journey.

The Author Learning Center (ALC) is a one-of-a-kind online author education community developed by Author Solutions, LLC, the company HarperCollins Christian Publishing works with on our WestBow Press self-publishing services imprint. The ALC is designed to help educate, motivate, and support you as you pursue your calling to publish, and it offers nearly 700 experts sharing their experience and wisdom through live and recorded webinars, video interviews, and articles. In addition, the unique author-inspired Book Launch and Author Circle tools allow you to plan your journey and create a private online writing group. Click here for more information and use reference code WBM to start your free trial.

Author Gateway exists to help authors develop a book proposal and platform. Through the information and courses Author Gateway offers, authors can learn how traditional book contracts are earned. Click here for information on what Author Gateway offers and for answers to your publishing questions.

In addition, The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style by former Zondervan editor, Robert Hudson, can be a helpful resource as you write and edit your manuscript.

What is self-publishing?

Self-publishing is a strong option for authors with more flexible goals.   Self-publishing can foster commercial success or help one to create a book for family and friends.

Through an established alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Authors Solutions, LLC., WestBow Press offers publishing packages that have enabled thousands of authors to self-publish all genres of books that focus on Christian morals, inspirational themes, and family values. WestBow also offers a broad range of services including illustrations, editorial and marketing options.

Visit WestBow Press for more information.

Is there is a web location that I could monitor for updates regarding manuscript submissions?

No, there is not.