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Writer's Guidelines

1. Not all publishing houses publish all kinds of books. Most houses specialize in particular genres. McDougal Publishing will consider most every type of Christian book for our co-publishing program. We will not, however, consider all genres for our marketing program. Please be advised that the following genres will not be considered for marketing and distribution: children's books, fiction and poetry. We are not against these genres of books, but they do not fit within our marketing capabilities.

2. Please send us a query and/or a proposal before submitting your materials unless you have been instructed otherwise by one of our representatives. We prefer to have information on what your book is about before receiving your complete manuscript. We often find that it saves both you and us time and money when we determine from your query if we are the right publisher for your work. If you are uncertain what information should be included in your proposal, contact one of our acquisitions editors at the phone number listed above or by emailing us at publishing@mcdougal.org.

3. If we have answered your query/proposal with a positive response, your next step is to submit your manuscript. There is a review fee of $35.00 for all manuscript submissions that are unsolicited. You also have the option of having our editors do a full professional evaluation. For this option you will receive a full report on the strengths, weaknesses, and marketability of your manuscript along with recommendations. There is a fee of $100 for this service (in addition to the submission fee). To submit your manuscript, please send the following:

   1. A typewritten copy or computer printout of your entire manuscript.

   2. If you have artwork or photos included in your book, please supply copies of your art. (Original art will be requested if the manuscript is accepted.)

   3. A check for $35.00 for your review (or for $125.00 if you are receiving a full evaluation).

   4. (Optional) A disk containing your manuscript files saved as MS Word or .RTF text file or ASCII text files. Please save each chapter as a separate file.

   5. A self-addressed stamped envelope with the proper amount of postage to return your manuscript to you if you would like it returned. (Note: if you do not include a SASE with the correct postage, we will not return your manuscript).

   6. (Optional) You may also want to include a prepaid postcard asking for acknowledgment of the receipt of your manuscript. If you enclose this, we will return it to you.

4. Please allow our staff and reviewer 2 months to process and review your manuscript. If you do not receive a response from us in that time, you may follow up with us by phone, mail, or email. You can email us at publishing@mcdougal.org. If you have any questions on our guidelines or on manuscript submission, please use this same email address.

Thank you for your interest in McDougal Publishing.

The Editorial Staff