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THE DOs:
THE DON'Ts:
* First, read our Sunpenny web site and information thoroughly.
* Be sure you understand the guidelines and the way we work before you send your query.
* Send a query letter with short description of your book, short bio of yourself, and 1 to 2 page synopsis - not chapters or m/s. We prefer queries by email but if that's not possible you can send by post.
* Supply an email address if you have one.
* Supply a properly stamped self addressed envelope if you want your material returned.
* If you have no email address, and you want to know your work arrived, include a stamped self addressed post card for us to pop into the post.
Writing the Christian Romance
by Gail Gaymer Martin
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Specific guidelines for Rose & Crown manuscript submissions:
Study the genre! A great book for aspiring authors: Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin.
THEMES: Please be sure that you understand the Christian Inspirational Romance genre and its various styles. Your theme may be historic, military, western, contemporary, travel, suspense, literary, or any other fiction (except sci-fi, gothic or horror), as long as it's been woven around a romance. The romance must be pivotal to the story. Make yourself famililar with the genre, so that your submissions are written with the right flow and input.
MUST-HAVES: Although book submissions need not be overtly Christian, or on Christian topics as such, at least one of the main characters must actively be a Christian, the second should make a commitment before the end, and the book should portray a Christian worldview. Your book can tackle just about any real-to-life situation, but with an inspirational Christian message. This can be quite subtle, or a strong thread (which we favour), or even the main content, but it must be a positive - not a neutral, or a negtative. Your book can range from just one Christian character to start with, to the whole bookload, and with as much Christian content as you wish, as long as the minimum rule above is observed.
DON'TS: Please avoid blasphemy, euphemisms for blasphemy, foul language, gratuitous sex/sensuality, violence, racism, and hate speech – even if by a non-Christian character. Christian characters should definitely not be involved in inappropriate activities. No matter what the topic, your manuscript should imply a Christian viewpoint of life, and of course the hub of the story should be romantic.
ALWAYS SEND A QUERY FIRST. We like our queries to come by email if possible. Partly because we're secretly tree-huggers, and partly because it's much quicker to deal with an email than to produce a letter.
To find out how to write a professional query letter, click here. A proper query is always much more likely to get a proper response. Find out who we are and whether your manuscript does actually fit our requirements, use my name, tell us who you are, tell us about your achievements to date and your future dreams, tell us about your book, and include a synopsis of 1-2 pages.
MANUSCRIPTS: If we like your query we'll invite you to submit the full manuscript. Please present your manuscript as professionally as you can manage. This really does have an effect; a manuscript that is immediately easy to read and pleasing on the eye has a better impact than one incorrectly formatted, or sloppily presented, or that needs polishing.
To find out how to professionally format and present a manuscript to a publisher, click here.
HARD COPY (PAPER MANUSCRIPTS) BY POST is the preferred format. If you really can't manage this, ask if you can send a file by email instead. Paper copies are definitely read sooner, simply because they are easier to read at any time when we aren't at the computer. We really do prefer hard copy. No, really.
TO QUERY BY EMAIL please click below to open an email message. You will need to replace "-AT-" with "@" in the address - apologies; a necessary anti-spam measure:
query-AT-roseandcrownbooks.com
TO QUERY BY POST or SEND A MANUSCRIPT:
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
Rose & Crown Books
Staithe View
Womack Staithe
Horsefen Road
Ludham NR29 5QG
UNITED KINGDOM
Please include an email address unless you don't have one, and if you want a postal response, or the return of your material please include a properly stamped, self-addressed envelope that is adequate for its purpose. Please ensure you put enough postage on both the outer and inner envelopes; we will refuse mail for which we have to pay a surcharge.
Thank you. :-)
* Don't use staples!
* Don't under-stamp your envelopes!
* Don't send chapters or your full manuscript until we ask for them!
* Don't neglect to read all our guidelines before you contact us.
* Don't send us romance manuscripts that are clearly secular; this imprint is aimed at Christian based works - even if the Christian references are only slight, the tone should satisfy a Christian audience.
* Don't submit to us unless you genuinely know and love this genre, please.
