by Ramona Richards @RamonaRichards

As some of you may have heard, Iron Stream Media (parent company of New Hope Publishers) has acquired Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (https://shoplpc.com). That’s good news…but even better, we plan to increase the number of titles produced each year. As a result, we are issuing a special call for submissions from former (or 2020) attendees of the Blue Ridge Conference.

Below is a list of our imprints and what each line is seeking.

If you have an agent, please submit through them. If you have questions about any of the lines, please leave them in a comment below. If don’t have an agent and you’re wondering what we require in a proposal, please check out https://www.ironstreammedia.com/submission-process.

We hope to hear from you soon! 

NON-FICTION

SonRise Devotionals is looking for devotionals that take us back into the scripture—devotionals that will apply to both men and women, no matter what season of life they are in. 60-90 days in length. Think Oswald Chambers or Streams in the Desert. Submit to csproleslpcacquisitions@gmail.com.

Straight Street Books is looking for solid Christian living books that will guide readers to a deeper relationship with Christ. How do you do this? Steps in seeking a deeper relationship. We are not accepting memoirs. Submit to csproleslpcacquisitions@gmail.com.

FICTION

Bling! is looking for edgy, clean m/f romance. Romantic comedies are preferred with a lot of zing but closed bedroom doors. Submissions should be sent to editor@blingromance.com.

Candlelight Fiction is looking for contemporary Christian romances with relatable, modern characters. Submissions should be sent to editor@candlelightfiction.com.

Firefly Southern Fiction is looking for contemporary or historical novels of at least 80,000 words that feature strong Southern themes and are rich in character development and setting. See Julie Cantrell’s Into the Free as an example. Send submissions to FireflySouthernFiction@aol.com.

Guiding Light Women’s Fiction is looking for clean, general market women’s fiction (no gratuitous sex, violence, or swearing)—stories focused on the female character’s journey with a hopeful (not necessarily happy) ending. Please send manuscripts to submissions@guidinglightfiction.com

Harambee Press is looking for writers who want to express the diversity of their culture and who have stories and life lessons. At this time we are acquiring fiction, nonfiction, and YA by ethnic writers. We are not looking for poetry, articles, or children’s books. We are accepting submissions from people we meet at conferences, agents, and referrals. Submit to harambeepresslpcbooks@gmail.com.

Heritage Beacon Fiction is seeking well-edited novels of 60-90,000 words where the historical setting serves as the backdrop to a compelling plot played out through the choices and actions of memorable characters. Clean reads or Christian themes woven into the story—no profanity, on-page sex, or graphic violence, please. All time periods through 1950s. Would love to see colonial eastern frontier or English regency. Author should have strong online presence and be willing to market. Submit to editor@smittenromance.com.

Illuminate YA, the teen fiction imprint of LPC Books, is looking for YA fiction in all subgenres (except LGBTQ+). Our mission at Illuminate is to provide clean yet authentic fiction for teens that inspire and entertain. Please send proposals for consideration to illuminateYAsubmissions@gmail.com.

Lamplighter Mysteries and Suspense is looking for a range of new material from cozy mysteries with a fresh new edge to fast-paced suspense thrillers told from vibrant, unusual angles. A successful manuscript will engage the reader with entertaining characters, a novel setting, a distinct objective for the protagonist and ample twists. Submit manuscripts to lamplighterlpc@gmail.com.

Smitten Historical Romance is always looking for well-written romances in historic settings from medieval through WWII with a word count under 90k. Christian content should be written in a way that the general market can understand. Not accepted will be vulgar language, gratuitous violence, and explicit sexual scenes. A Smitten book should be appropriate for readers from the middle teens on. Submit to smitten@lpcbooks.com.

Trailblazer Western Fiction is looking for well-researched western stories (historical or contemporary) between 20,000 and 90,000 words that portray strong, brave, and spunky characters, believable plotlines, a firm sense of western era/setting, and told in a manner without profanity, graphic sexual content, and gratuitous violence. We seek to keep the spirit of the western tales of old but are also open to updating the genre through fresh new voices, new pairings of the western with other genres, or unusual storytelling styles in hopes we might interest a new generation of western readers. Submit to trailblazerwesterns@gmail.com.

AND FINALLY…

We are launching a new imprint, Iron Herring Books, which will focus on speculative fiction. The goal is to acquire two novels (for adults) to launch Fall 2020. Manuscripts would need to be complete before sending a proposal. We are looking primary for epic fantasy and steampunk but are open to all subgenres. Submit a proposal to proposals@newhopepublishers.com, with Speculative BRMCWC Blog in the subject.

I hope we hear from you soon!

Ramona Richards is the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media, the parent company of New Hope Publishers, Iron Stream Kidz, Ascender Books, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She has been an in-house editor for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Rutledge Hill Press, and Ideals magazine, and has freelanced for a dozen other publishers. She recently received the Joann Sloan National Award for the Encouragement of Writing, a mentoring, editing, and coaching award presented by Vision Press at the Southern Christian Writers Conference. The author of nine novels, three books of devotions, and numerous magazine articles, she is a frequent speaker for women’s and writers’ groups, and has presented at numerous conferences across the country. Her latest book, Murder in the Family, is available now.