Submission Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in writing for Warner Press.

At Warner Press, our goal is to equip the Church for ministry. We strive to help churches and Christian organizations communicate better within their walls, encourage spiritual growth and biblical literacy, and share the hope of Christ and the good news of the gospel with a broken world.

Warner Press publishes and distributes non-denominational Christian products worldwide, including ministry resources, church supplies, kids’ teaching resource books, and greeting cards. We also own and produce artwork by the artist Warner Sallman, which includes some of the most recognizable images of Christ known throughout the world.

Warner Press is located in Anderson, Indiana and is a not-for-profit organization. We are affiliated with the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and have been the publishing house for the church for over 100 years.

Writer’s Guidelines

General Information:

Warner Press purchases freelance material for the following products:

• Everyday and Christmas boxed greeting cards
• Children’s coloring and activity books
• Bible studies
• Small group teaching resources
• Children’s teaching resources
• Writers of Bible study resources should be committed Christians who are active in a local church, who love to read God’s Word, who are able to properly understand and apply the biblical text, and write with the understanding that Warner Press publishes material that is theologically unbiased.
• Submissions may be based on KJV, NIV, ESV, or NKJV translations of the Bible.
• The market for Bible studies is very competitive so it would be wise to research what studies are already in publication.
• Materials may be submitted for consideration at any time. Payment varies.

Before submitting your work, take a moment to answer these three questions:

• Do I have a personal relationship with God and knowledge of the Bible?
• Have I received an honest appraisal of my work from a qualified writer or editor, confirming that I am ready to enter the freelance field?
• Have I prayed about submitting my material to Warner Press?

Visit our website to review the products we offer to determine if your submission would be a likely fit for us. We are open to new product ideas; however, keep in mind that everything we produce has a Christ-centered, biblical focus. Material that falls outside these parameters will not be considered.

Formatting:

• All manuscripts should be sent as Microsoft Word files.
• Lengthy documents should be double-spaced.
• Include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address on each page. (For book manuscripts, it is only necessary to have this on your title page.)

The Review Process:

After your work is received, it will be sent to the appropriate editor or art director for consideration. Allow 6-8 weeks for a response. If you have not heard from someone by that time, you may send an e-mail to determine the status of your submission. Our goal is to respond to everyone who submits work, whether the response is affirmative or not.

The Purchase Process:

If we find your material meets our needs, we will send a copyright release form or a contract for your signature. The release states that you are relinquishing full rights for product usage. Writers may publish their work elsewhere, but not on another company’s bulletins, greeting cards, or other competing products. Once we receive this signed release, payment is made with 60 days. Payment amount varies according to product.

Send All Submissions to:

editors@warnerpress.org

Submission Guidelines by Product

Everyday and Christmas Boxed Greeting Cards

We only produce boxed greeting cards—no personal, counter-line style cards.

What boxed greeting cards should do:

• Inspire, encourage, uplift and say “I care.”
• Present a message in a new, creative, and pleasant way.
• Be specific enough to sound sincere, but general enough that a group could send them.
• Use conversational tone—no lofty poetic language such as thee, thou, art, o’er, etc.
• Convey a clear, concise message.
• Don’t preach or use a negative tone. Strive to share God’s love and provide a Christian witness.

We rarely purchase long copy or rhyming verse anymore. Most accepted verses average 4 lines in length. Themes include: birthday, anniversary, baby congratulations, sympathy, get well, kid’s birthday, thinking of you, friendship, praying for you, encouragement, Christmas.

Submitting your verses:

• Identify each of your verses with a code number that you create.
• Keep copies of your work.
• Keep a record of purchased verses. Warner Press purchases full rights to greeting card material, as do most companies. You will want to make sure your purchased verses are removed from circulation.
• Be sure your name and address are on each card or printout. If you send e-mail, please add your e-mail address to each page.
• Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with all submissions unless you submit by e-mail. If you do not enclose a SASE, your work will not be returned.

Submission deadline: Everyday verses—July 31

Christmas verses—October 1

Children’s Coloring and Activity Books

We produce 15-page coloring and activity books written in an easy-to-read style. Most books focus on a Bible story or biblical theme such as love, forgiveness, etc. Ages range from pre-school (2-5 years old) to upper elementary (8-10). We include activities and puzzles in all of our upper elementary books.

Coloring book manuscripts should present a picture idea and a portion of the story for each page. General guidelines for art and copy are in the table below.

Submission deadlines: October 1 and May 1

Bible Studies

Small Group Resources

• Writers for Small Group Resources should be committed Christians who are active in a local church, experienced in teaching the Bible, and able to properly understand and apply the biblical text.
• Submissions may include small group studies or “how-to” materials that address the nuts and bolts of administering a Small Group program.
• Most submissions should be based on the NIV Bible.
• The market for Small Group Resources is highly competitive and is flooded with many options. Your submission will have a better chance of being accepted for publication if it addresses a topic that is rarely addressed by others in a fashion that is rarely used by others.
• Materials may be submitted for consideration at any time. Payment varies.

Children’s Teaching Resources

These books range from 48-144-pages. We have some that focus on teaching stories from the Old and New Testaments. We also have books with skits, storytelling techniques, science experiments, and crafts. Some books focus on teaching fundamentals of the Christian faith such as prayer, servanthood, and more. The most important things to consider are that the activities are interesting for kids, teach important biblical lessons, and are easy for teachers to implement in a classroom setting.

Books are written for anyone who works with kids:

• Sunday school teachers
• Children’s church directors
• Children’s ministry volunteers
• Homeschool teachers.

These book manuscripts may be submitted for consideration anytime.

Payment varies.

Adult and Children’s Sunday School Curriculum

Writers for Bridges Adult Curriculum should be committed Christians who are active in a Church of God congregation, experienced in teaching the Bible at the adult level, and able to properly understand and apply the biblical text.

The size and frequency of curriculum assignments vary. Curriculum writers are generally approached first by the Warner Press editorial staff, although potential writers may initiate contact and send writing samples.

At this time, we are not seeking freelance writers for LifeMosaic Adult Curriculum or Inspire! Children's Curriculum.

Pathways to God Devotional Booklet

We produce a quarterly devotional magazine that follows a schedule of daily Scripture readings. Devotions are between 140–150 words and should give readers living examples of what the Bible passage is about and how it can apply to life.

We are not currently accepting submissions for Pathways.