Have you written a book about one of the religions of the world?
Are you now looking for a religious book publisher for your manuscript?
Below we’ve featured 19 top religious publishing companies.
1. Academic Studies Press
Operating out of Brighton, Massachusetts, Academic Studies Press is an independent publisher that primarily produces academic works of nonfiction about a wide variety of topics such as humanities and social sciences, Jewish studies, Slavic studies, and general religious subject matter. Some of their religious titles include books like “New Directions in the History of the Jews in the Polish Lands” by Antony Polonsky, “From Antisemitism to Anti-Zionism: The Past & Present of a Letha Ideology” by Eunice G. Pollack, and “Jewish Faith in a Changing World” by Rafael Shuchat.
Academic Studies Press is currently open to receiving book proposals from both agented and unrepresented authors. If you’re interested in working with Academic Studies Press, it’s highly recommended that you review their submissions guidelines before sending them a proposal. Book proposals can either be sent via email to their editorial team. Be sure to print off their book proposal form to adhere to their submission criteria.
2. Appletree Press
Appletree Press is an independent Irish publishing company that publishes books in a variety of languages, including French, Russian, Japanese, Greek, and Spanish. Based out of Belfast, Appletree Press publishes an array of nonfiction books about arts and crafts all the way to travel and tourism. They even have an expanding catalogue of titles about religion, including books like “Book of Peace” by D.S. Baker and “Saints of the Celtic Church” by Martin Wallace.
They are currently accepting book proposals from authors via email. Submissions sent via regular mail will not be accepted. Be sure to refer to their submissions guidelines before proceeding. They ask that you provide your contact information, a brief synopsis of your book, a table of contents, and two to three chapters of your work for consideration.
3. Ave Maria Press
Ave Maria Press is an independent publishing company based out of Notre Dame, Indiana that primarily publishes books about Catholicism. They’ve been publishing books since 1865, hoping to promote good Catholic writing and spread understanding and a sense of community through their works. Some of their most recent titles include “Called: Becoming an Everyday Disciple in a Post-Christian World” by Kevin Cotter, and “The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture” by Haley Stewart.
They are unfortunately not accepting unsolicited manuscripts at this time. However, if you’re an author with literary representation, you can have your literary agent reach out on your behalf with a query letter or book proposal. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, Ave Maria Press asks that you allow up to three to four weeks to hear back from them. For more information, click here.
4. Behrman House
Based out of Springfield, New Jersey, Behrman House is an independent publishing company that primarily focuses on publishing books about Jewish culture and religion. Some of their titles include “Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism” by Harry Gersh, and “As A Driven Leaf” by Milton Steinberg.
They are currently accepting submissions via email and regular mail. Be sure to include a cover letter with a description of your book, a little information about your intended audience, a brief author bio, a table of contents, and at minimum two sample chapters for their consideration. For more information, you can refer to Behrman House’s submissions guidelines.
5. Encounter Books
Encounter Books is a non-profit publishing company that hopes to publish books that will help educate its readers and help initiate deep and engaging discourse. The specialize in publishing nonfiction books about art, science, politics, economics, society, and religion. Some of their most recent titles include “The Challenge of Modernizing Islam” by Christine Douglass-Williams, and “The Idol of Our Age: How the Religion of Humanity Subverts Christianity” by Daniel J. Mahoney.
They are unfortunately not accepting unsolicited submissions. However, if you’re an author with literary representation, you can have your agent reach out on your behalf with either a book proposal or query letter. Due to the high level of submissions that they receive, they cannot spare the extra time to sort through unsolicited material.
6. Fons Vitae
Fons Vitae is an academic press that publishes works about Arabic and Persian subject matter. They hope that by publishing these types of books, they can help their readership broaden their understanding about Middle Eastern culture and history. They publish books about Islam and world religions. Some of their titles include “The Sacred Unconscious” by Huston Smith, and “Caesarean Moon Births: Calculations, Moon Sighting and the Prophetic Way” by Hamza Yusuf.
They are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts, but highly encourage you to review their submission guidelines before proceeding. Submissions can be sent via email or regular mail. Be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to have your materials returned to you after consideration.
7. Fortress Press
Based out of Minneapolis, Montana, Fortress press is an independent publishing company with nearly 50 years of publishing experience. They’ve dedicated themselves to publishing books about religion and theology. Founded in 1962, they’ve produced over one hundred new titles every year. Some of their titles include “Engage! Tools for Ministry in the Community” by Dana Horrell, and “Big Questions, Worthy Dreams” by Sharon Daloz Parks. They are currently accepting submissions for new books. For more information on their submission guidelines, click here. Be sure to contact the correct member of the editorial staff, as each member has a specific specialty.
8. The Golden Elixir Press
The Golden Elixir Press publishes works about Eastern religion and culture, specifically about Taoism and Taoist alchemy. Based out of Stanford, California, The Golden Elixir Press is able to publish books in both print and ebook formats to help their authors expand their global readership. Some of their titles include “Manual of Zen Buddhism” by D.T. Suzuki, “Cultivating the Tao” by Liu Yiming, and “The Seal of the Unity of the Three” by Fabrizio Pregadio.
While they are not actively seeking new submissions, you can still send a query letter though their online contact form. Be sure to specify your particular field of interest, as well as provide a brief synopsis of your book and your contact information. If you have literary representation, you can also have your agent send a book proposal or query letter on your behalf. If your project is of interest, a member of their editorial team will contact you promptly.
9. Gorgias Press
Based out of Piscataway, New Jersey, Gorgias Press is an independent academic publisher that publishes books about a wide variety of topics like early Christianity, Judaism, ancient western Asia, and religious studies. Some of their new releases include “Hal of My Heart” by Christopher Paul Clohessy, and “The God of Thunder and War in Micah, Habakkuk, and Zechariah” by Jamie A. Banister.
They are currently accepting submissions from both represented and independent authors via email. For more information, you can refer to their submission guidelines. If you’re interested in publishing with Gorgias Press, be sure to include a cover letter, an abstract of your book, a detailed table of contents, a few sample chapters (or entire manuscript if available), your author bio and relevant experience, and three references who are familiar with your field of interest.
10. Greg Kofford Books
Located in Sandy, Utah, Greg Kofford Books is an independent publishing company that specializes in producing books about Mormon studies and thought. Some of their titles include “In the Shadow of a Prophet” by Kyle R. Walker, “Mormon and Maori” by Marjorie Newton, and “The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901-1968” by Shinji Takagi.
Greg Kofford Books is a full-service publishing company, so they like to help their authors with everything, from editing, cover design, production, distribution, and marketing. They are currently accepting manuscript submissions, and are especially interested in books about Mormon history, theology, culture, and personal memoirs. Submissions can be sent via email or regular mail.
11. Hendrickson Publishers
Hendrickson Publishers is a publishing company based out of Peabody, Massachusetts that is known for publishing strongly written and thoroughly investigated academic titles about religious studies around the world. They’ve published books about the Hebrew Bible, Judaism, Christianity, church history, and more. Some of their titles includes “101 Tips for Evangelism” by R. Larry Moyer, “Sermons on Men of the New Testament” by Charles H. Spurgeon, and “The Third Force in Missions” by Paul A. Pomerville.
They are unfortunately not accepting unsolicited manuscripts at this time. However, if you hav a literary agent, you can still have them send a query letter or book proposal on your behalf. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, the editorial team at Hendrickson Publishers cannot spend time reviewing all unsolicited material. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
12. Hohm Press
Hohm Press is a small independent publishing company located in Chino Valley, Arizona. They publish books mainly about natural health, parenting, women’s issues, and religious studies. Some of their religious titles include “Acting God” by Lee Lozowick, and “Father and Son” by V.J. Fedorschak. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, but are willing to consider submissions that were sent through a literary agent or in response to a query letter that interests them. All query letters and book proposals can be sent via mail.
13. Lantern Books
Lantern Books is a publishing company that specializes in producing books about animal advocacy, veganism, social justice, family therapy, and religion. Founded in 1999 by Gene Gollogly and Martin Rowe in Herndon, Virginia, Lantern Books loves to work with first-time authors who write with a clear voice and expertise. Some of their religion titles include “Authenticity: Clearing the Junk – A Buddhist Perspective” by the Venerable Yifa, “And the World Was Made Flesh” by Thomas Keating, and “God’s Harp String” by William Skudlarek.
They are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts, but note that they do not publish works of fiction, poetry, or children’s stories. They ask that you only submit a completed manuscript and make sure that the topic of your project fits with Lantern Books’ existing catalogue. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines. Submissions can be sent either via email or through regular mail.
14. Llewellyn Worldwide
Llewellyn Worldwide is a publishing company that focuses on spirituality and alternative religions that aren’t typically mentioned in everyday conversation. Based out of Woodbury, Minnesota, Llewellyn Worldwide publishes books about astrology, tarot cards, paganism, alternative health and healing, magick, and paranormal studies. Some of their titles include “Shamanic Qabalah: A Mystical Path to Uniting the Tree of Life & the Great Work” by Daniel Moler, “Hawaiian Shamanistic Healing” by Wayne Kealohi Powell and Patricia Lynn Miller, and “The Kuan Yin Transmission Book” by Alana Fairchild.
They are actively seeking new projects from undiscovered and talented authors. They ask that you review their submission guidelines before sending them a query letter or manuscript to consider. They note that they do not publish poetry books, children’s books, cookbooks, picture books, or spiritual and new age fiction titles. Submissions can be sent via regular mail. Be sure to include an SASE if you would like your materials returned to you.
15. Markus Wiener Publishers
Located and operated in Princeton, New Jersey, Markus Wiener Publishers is an independent company that produces academic and trade texts about a wide variety of topics, including world history, Latin American history, religion, music, Jewish history, and more. Some of their religion books include “Age of the Caliphs: A History of the Muslim World” by Bertold Spuler, “Al-Narshakhi’s The History of Bukhara” edited by Richard N. Frye, and “Women in the Islamic World: From Earliest Times to the Arab Spring” by Irene Schneider.
They are currently accepting book proposals from authors, both previously published and new to the literary world. They ask that you include the title of your proposed book, a one-page description of your project, and a brief author biography. All book proposals can be sent via email. If they are interested in your project, they will contact you with a request for a complete table of contents and a sample chapter for consideration.
16. MSI Press
MSI Press is a small, independent publisher that was established in 2003 in Hollister, California. They are a full-service publisher, meaning that they work closely with their authors to assist with editing, book cover design, marketing, and distribution. They primarily publish books about foreign culture, religion and spirituality, and self-help titles. Some of their religion titles include “A Believer-in-Waiting’s First Encounters with God” by Elizabeth Mahlou, “A Guide to Bliss” by Shai Tubali, and “Everybody’s Little Book of Everyday Prayers” by Cynthia MacGregor.
They are currently open to accepting book proposals, and are especially interested in working with first-time authors. If you’re interested in working with MSI Press, you can review their submission guidelines before sending a book proposal or query letter to their editorial team via email.
17. Open Court Publishing
Open Court Publishing is an independent scholarly publishing company based out of Chicago, Illinois. They publish nonfiction titles about philosophy, education, history, music, social issues, religion, and more. Some of their books about religion include titles like “Atheism Explained” by David Ramsay Steele, “Comparative Religion: A History” by Eric J. Sharpe, and “The Divine Trinity” by David Brown.
They are unfortunately closed to unsolicited submissions for the foreseeable future, but do have a few exceptions. If you’re an author with literary representation, you can have your agent submit a book proposal or query letter on your behalf. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines.
18. Paragon House
Based out of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Paragon House specializes in publishing academic titles about history, philosophy, religion, spiritual health, and more. They’ve published books like “Jesus’ Copernican Revolution: The Revelation of Divine Mercy” by James P. Danaher, and “Alive in Krishna” by G.D. Birla.
The editorial team at Paragon House are actively seeking new titles and welcome unsolicited submissions via email. They ask that you include a synopsis of your project, a table of contents, include a sample chapter for their consideration, your resume, a few illustrations or diagrams (if any), a tentative schedule for completion, and a list of books you believe your project is comparable to. For more information, you can refer to their submission guidelines page.
19. Three Hands Press
Three Hands Press is an independent publishing company based out of Richmond Vista, California that was founded in 2003. They are a sister publishing company to Xoanon Publishing. They publish books about world religion, as well as alternative spirituality topics and healing methods. Some of their titles include “By Moonlight and Spirit Flight: The Praxis of the Otherwordly Journey to the Witches Sabbath” by Michael Howard, “Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition” by William Kiesel, and “Wisht Waters: Aqueous Magica and the Cult of Holy Wells” by Gemma Gary.
They unfortunately do not accept unsolicited material at this time, but encourage you to check back at a later date. In the meantime, the highly recommend that you review their submission guidelines and peruse through their existing catalogue to see if your project would be a good fit with Three Hands Press.
Have you had a book published by any other religious publishing companies? Please tell us about your experiences in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.