book submissions are currently closed

Do you have a pure, lovely, and noble book to share with the world? Once our submission window opens again, please feel welcome to query us! We remain open to solicited queries during the year.

What do we publish?

When are you open for submissions?

At Calla Press Publishing, we are committed to publishing books that radiate truth, beauty, and goodness. As a small but mighty book publishing team, we take every book seriously and desire to dedicate the allotted time to each book. Therefore, our submissions window will remain closed to unsolicited manuscripts as we currently have our 2026 calendar full.

Please subscribe to know when we reopen for submissions as subscribers have first access to that information. Due to the influx of submissions received during our open window, please wait 1-2 months to hear back about the status of your query if interested. Otherwise, we kindly ask that you do not inquire about your submission if you have not heard back from us within that time frame.

What do you publish?

At our publishing house, we hold a very special place for books in the children’s market, including chapter books, board books, picture books, middle grade, and even curriculum-based books. While we remain open for adult titles, we are not currently seeking memoirs, trauma-woven stories, devotionals, poetry, or Christian self-help. At this time, we prefer pre-illustrated children’s books.

Can illustrators get in contact with us?

If you are an illustrator with a reputable portfolio, please email callapresspublishing@gmail.com with Portfolio Submission in the subject line so we can keep your work on file for future opportunities should something arise. We will not respond to portfolio submissions, but please know we’ve received it on file.

LITERARY AGENTS

If you’re a literary agent, please put agented query in the subject line. We remain open to solicited manuscripts throughout the year. 

Illustration by Codi Bear

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR BOOK QUERY

Please include the following—BOOK Query—Genre—in the subject line of your email when submitting your query to madison.callapresspublishing@gmail.com

Your query letter must include:

  • A working title/sub-title

  • Genre, i.e. (Children’s Book: Picture Book)

  • A brief description of the proposed book/word count

  • Why do you think it’s valuable to publish?

  • Your intended audience

  • Your curriculum vita in a bio statement form (3-5 sent.)

  • The table of contents (if applicable)

  • One sample chapter (no attachments)

  • If it’s a children’s picture book, please send the full manuscript along with complete illustrations in a PDF. We currently ONLY accept pre-illustrated books at this time.)

Please include all of this in the body of your email, failure to do so will result in an overlooked submission.

Background Illustration by Angela Knox of Harriot Hare

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.”

Beatrix Potter

FAQs

  • The response time varies from 1-3 months if interested in your book idea. If you do not hear from us within that window, you should assume that we’ve passed on your submission. We do not respond to status inquiries about a submission.

  • The entire staff at Calla Press Publishng LLC works together to make sure your book makes the long journey from acquisitions to editing to finally being held in your hands. You will hear directly from our wonderful Executive Director, Madison, from start to finish. The design of your book is created by Samantha Cabrera.

  • Calla Press Publishing LLC is a small independent publisher that cares about quality books. Your book will be made available on Amazon.com and our store website. For books that are not kid's literature, we use Ingram, and make your book available worldwide via Amazon.com, B&N, and other online retailers. We hope to expand in the future.

  • Though small, we are mighty! Yes, we are a traditional publishing house and enjoy following the traditional model. We are a royalty publisher, send out author copies, and work hard to share your book with the world.

  • Manuscript format:

    • Google Docs with editing permission

    • Document name: Author - Title - Year

    • 1-inch margins all around

    • Left justified

    • No spaces between paragraphs; only indentations at the start of each paragraph

    • 1.5 line spacing

    • Page breaks (not spaces) between chapters/essays/poems

    • Size 12 font, Cormorant Garamond font

    • Completed footnotes (not endnotes) in Chicago Manual of Style standards (see this guide on plagiarism) 

    • When a quote exceeds four lines, use a block quote; block quotes are indented 0.5 inches on both sides with a space below and above them in size 10 font

    • Bold and use title capitalization on chapter/essays titles and headings throughout

    • For section breaks within a chapter/essay, use three stars (***) centered in the document

    • Avoid bulleted lists; try to write in paragraphs whenever possible

    Grammar:

    • American spelling

    • One space after periods

    • Use the Oxford comma

    • Jesus’s NOT Jesus’

    • Whenever you cite Scripture, abbreviate the Bible names and include the translation you are using (reference this guide, using the most commonly used option). See this guide on how to write a Bible reference.

    • Take note that you are using the proper dashes in the right places (if you’re unsure, please reference this guide) 

    • Capitalization:

      • names that refer to God (e.g., King, Savior, Lord, Father), but not pronouns that refer to God (e.g., he, him, his)

      • Scripture and Bible, not scriptural or biblical

      • Gospel is only capitalized when referring to the canonical Gospels (e.g.,. the Gospel of Matthew, Mark)

    • Use active voice whenever possible, avoiding passive voice