The Crossroad Publishing Company ::: Enriching the Tradition


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Submissions Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in publishing with The Crossroad Publishing Company.

We receive proposals from various channels--current authors and people recommended from current authors, book agents, current readers of our books, and people we meet at conferences and religious functions, as well as authors approaching us for the first time through unsolicited manuscripts. The following are basic guidelines for submitting your proposal.

The ideal proposal offers the following elements:

  • Proposal title
  • Two- to three-sentence short description of the project
  • Longer description of the project -- no longer than 2 pages
  • Table of contents (for works not yet written, a prospective TOC)
  • Approximate length (must be word length, not page length)
  • Estimated time for completion of manuscript, if still in progress
  • Evaluation of what is unique about the book (e.g., takes a unique stand on a particular issue, introduces material not readily available, explains in accessible language material that has previously been discussed in technical language). Please also include a discussion of other published books in the field and the way your work relates to them.
  • Intended Audience. Discussion of who you think will read, discuss, and buy the book. Examples include professors, adult education groups, individuals interested in spiritual reading, senior undergraduates, deacons, priests and ministers, and so forth.
  • Resume or c.v. with cover letter. This should explain why you are the best person to write on this topic. Examples: you have years of experience working with small group faith formation; you hold a Ph.D. in your field and have excellent recommendations from your peers; you enjoy speaking to groups to generate interest in your message; you are an unusually skilled writer with several articles to your name.
  • Writing sample: no more than 2 chapters.
  • Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

Please do not send an entire manuscript unsolicited; we cannot return manuscripts sent unsolicited. Similarly, we cannot guarantee the return of original art, recordings, and photographs.

Please keep in mind that while the review of manuscripts is an assessment of the value of the ideas and writing, we must also, in fairness to you and your work, evaluate if we are the most suitable house for your manuscript's intended audience, given our current publishing plans.

Frequently asked questions:

1.   “Do I need an agent?”
No.  Many of our bestselling and best-reviewed titles have come to us without agents.
2.  “May I email my submission?”
Yes, if the submission follows the guidelines outlined above and is specifically addressed to the editors at Crossroad.  Email submissions can be sent to editor@crossroadpublishing.com with the word "submission" in the subject line. Email submissions not specifically addressed to Crossroad will be deleted.
3.  “May I fax my submission?” 
No.
4.  “Whom do I call to talk about my manuscript idea before submitting a proposal?”
As a nearly universal rule, don’t call unless you have been in conversation with us in the past regarding your manuscript. It’s difficult to get a strong sense of your project over the phone, and only when we see something on paper that we can assess whether your specific approach to a topic is viable for our market and readership.
5.  “May I submit to more than one publisher simultaneously?”
Emphatically, yes.  Crossroad has been an industry leader in fighting the presumption against multiple submissions. If, however, we begin serious discussion with you about publishing your book, we will ask that you put any other discussions on hold.
6.   “Are any book topics off-limits at Crossroad?”
As a publisher deeply rooted in 200 years of independent family publishing, we are able to evaluate each manuscript on its own terms. No religious, theological, spiritual, or wellness topics are in principle off-limits, though market considerations may make some topics more or less attractive from season to season.  Much more relevant is the question of genres of books.  We virtually never publish poetry or all-art books, and we rarely publish fiction.
7.  “Do you release CDs or DVDs?”
We do release a select number of CDs and DVDs in conjunction with our books, usually as part of the book package itself.  We do not release CDs or DVDs that are not directly tied to our books.
8.   “My book was declined by Great Big Famous House.  Should I feel bad?”
GBFH sometimes declines terrific books that go on to sell well and bring prestige to their authors.  Take all declines (including ours, if that should happen) with a grain of salt, and press ahead with your message.
9.  “What is the Herder Young Theologians program, and how may I join?”
The Herder Young Theologian program, the most successful initiative of its kind in the U.S. today, is designed to foster the writing of early-career Catholic constructive theologians. The goal is to use Herder & Herder’s identity as an international and independent house to let theologians do what they do best – think, write, and teach--without having to worry about where they will find a publisher for their next book. Participants in the program are drawn from authors whose manuscripts have been accepted for publication in the Herder & Herder academic imprint--there is no separate application process.
10.   “Just between you and me, what’s the Next Big Thing in religious publishing?”
A glance at our new titles list will always give a good indication of where we believe publishing is going and what we believe are the strongest growth fields.