It’s been said that finding a publisher for your Christian book can be more difficult than writing the book itself. Things have changed in 2024, thankfully! Gone are the days of having to find a literary agent to represent you and then having that agent pitch your book to large Christian publishers who only accept submissions through those agents. In 2024, that traditional route is antiquated and painfully slow.
Enter Christian publishing companies that follow a hybrid or self-publishing model. With these publishers, you don’t need an agent and you keep your publishing rights. Most of them also provide attractive royalty rates, up to 100%.
Here is my list of the best Christian publishers in the USA:
1. MindStir Media
Endorsed by Gary LeVox from Rascal Flatts, and with offices in Los Angeles and New York City, MindStir is an award-winning publisher that Christian authors can trust with their manuscripts. MindStir handles all aspects of Christian book publishing including book cover design, interior layout and formatting, publishing in paperback, hardcover and audiobook formats, distribution, book marketing and publicity. They offer publishing packages that include all of the above and up to 100% royalties. MindStir titles are distributed to around 39,000+ retailers, booksellers and wholesalers in nearly 200 countries. Authors receive mentoring from a USA Today bestselling author to boot. Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington is one of MindStir’s partners.
2. Xulon Press
The company has helped more than 20,000 authors publish their books. Xulon touts themselves as the largest Christian publisher in North America. Xulon is also owned by Salem Media Group, a faith-based publishing and communications organization. Salem Media Group runs and owns numerous Christian radio stations and magazines.
3. WestBow Press
A division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan, WestBow Press is a well-known Christian publisher that authors can contact directly. WestBow offers what they call supported self-publishing packages consisting of book design, editorial, distribution and marketing. These services are managed by Author Solutions, the world leader in supported self-publishing.
4. Covenant Books
As per their website, Covenant Books is an international Christian owned and operated book publisher based in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina. Their staff includes graphic artists, typeset specialists, publicity agents, staff editors, chief editors, distribution coordinators, wholesale marketers, web designers, social media managers, and customer service specialists. They distribute books to over 30,000 traditional secular channels as well as specialty Christian outlets.
5. MasterPress
For those authors who are cash-strapped, MasterPress might be a good fit. They offer low-budget, a la carte publishing services for Christian authors. The company is located in Knoxville, TN. They do leave a lot to be desired in the book marketing department, though. If you publish with them, you’ll need to handle your own marketing and publicity if you want a chance of selling copies.
What to consider when choosing a Christian book publisher?
As with anything in life, Christian book publishing is full of decisions. Make the wrong choice and you could be in for a world of pain. Make the right choice for publishing and your book could reach millions and change the world.
In my opinion, any good Christian book publisher in the USA should meet the following criteria. They should provide:
- High-quality, custom book designs
- Professional editing
- Complete retention of your publishing rights
- Distribution through a major distributor such as Ingram
- Publishing in multiple formats
- Marketing and publicity programs
- Attractive royalty rates
You should also perform your own due diligence when considering a Christian publishing company. Look at each company’s online reputation – reviews, testimonials, etc. A solid Christian publisher will also list their titles in a bookstore and highlight case studies to show you some of their past publishing successes. Those successes should be verifiable. Don’t just take anyone’s word for it. Look up the titles on Amazon and locate reviews. A successful Christian book should have dozens of positive reviews tied to it.
I also recommend looking to see how long a publisher has been in business. I generally don’t suggest doing business with any Christian publisher that’s been in business for less than 5 years. Many publishers and businesses in general fail within their first 5 years, so you should search for companies that have been in business for over 5 years. This minimizes your risk. There seems to be new Christian publishers popping up each year in the industry. If you go with one of those unproven publishers, you are betting on their ability to stay afloat despite all the statistics that predict their demise.
Finally, it makes sense to research a publisher’s business structure. Who owns the publishing company? Is it part of a larger company? If so, what kind of reputation does that parent company have? If it’s an independently owned Christian publishing company, who is the owner? Does the owner have a background in publishing? Is the owner reputable?
These are all things to consider when searching for a legitimate Christian book publisher. I genuinely wish you the best, and my hope is that this post will help you make the right decision for you and your Christian book.
MindStir Media, Christian Book Publisher | REVIEW
Summary
“There was never any question I’d call on them for my second series. Not only did they offer great service, and expert guidance before the release, but J.J. Hebert and his team were there after publication, helping me with critical details like timing the release for maximum impact, sharing tips on building a fan base, and giving advice on gaining exposure for my books. With MindStir, I got more than a publisher. I got a partner.”