September 19, 2026 · Written by the Editorial Team
Submitting a manuscript is a significant step for any author. It takes courage to place your work in someone else’s hands and allow it to be evaluated. At Solé Publishing House, we do not approach submissions with the expectation that every manuscript must already be perfect. We know that many authors, particularly first-time and emerging writers, may have a strong story, a meaningful message, and a distinctive voice while still needing editorial development.
What matters to us is not only what the manuscript is today, but also what it has the potential to become. There is also an important distinction between a manuscript that interests us and a manuscript we are ready to acquire. A promising submission may capture our attention quickly, but offering a publishing agreement requires a deeper level of confidence in both the book and the author behind it.
Does the manuscript align with our mission?
The first thing we consider is whether the book fits the mission of Solé Publishing House. We publish Christ-centered fiction and non-fiction, which means we look for books that are grounded in Christian faith and that point readers toward truth, hope, restoration, purpose, growth, or a deeper understanding of life with Christ.
Not every book needs to read like a sermon. A children’s story may communicate faith gently through courage, prayer, kindness, identity, or trust in God. A memoir may explore brokenness, healing, calling, or transformation. A novel may portray flawed characters struggling with difficult realities while still carrying a recognizably Christian foundation. What matters is that the Christian element is meaningful to the work rather than simply added as an afterthought.
Is there a clear purpose?
We ask ourselves what the book is trying to give the reader. Why does this story need to be told? Who is it for? What should the reader understand, feel, question, or carry with them after finishing it?
A manuscript does not need to have a complicated message, but it should have a clear heart. When we can identify the purpose of a book and understand why a particular reader may need it, the manuscript becomes much easier to develop, position, and eventually present to the market.
Is there a distinctive voice?
Strong writing does not always mean technically perfect writing. We pay close attention to voice because we want to understand whether the author sounds like themselves, whether there is sincerity on the page, and whether there is something emotionally, spiritually, or creatively distinctive about the way the story is being told.
Grammar, structure, pacing, and presentation can often be improved through editing. A genuine voice is much harder to manufacture. We are particularly interested in manuscripts that make us feel there is a real person behind the words.
Is the manuscript emotionally or spiritually meaningful?
A book may be beautifully written and still leave very little behind. We therefore look for substance as well as style.
In memoir and testimony, that may mean vulnerability, honesty, reflection, and spiritual growth. In fiction, it may mean believable emotional stakes, meaningful character development, and themes that extend beyond the plot. In children’s books, it may mean offering reassurance, wisdom, joy, faith, or a lesson that respects the emotional world of the child.
Ultimately, we ask whether the book has the potential to stay with the reader after the final page.
Is there a clear audience?
One of the most important questions in publishing is also one of the simplest: who is this book for?
A manuscript does not have to appeal to everyone. In fact, trying to write for everyone can make a book less focused. We want to understand the intended reader clearly, whether that reader is a young child, an older child, a woman, a new believer, a family, someone navigating grief, someone recovering from addiction, or a Christian seeking encouragement in a particular area.
A clearly defined audience helps guide everything that follows, including editing, design, cover direction, pricing, marketing, and distribution.
Can we position the book clearly?
A good manuscript also needs a clear place in the market. We consider whether we can explain the book easily and honestly. Can we describe it in one or two sentences? Can we identify its genre? Does the title reflect what the reader will actually receive? Does the concept feel distinctive enough to stand beside other books in its category?
Commercial potential is part of publishing, but it is not the same as chasing trends. For us, good positioning means understanding what makes the book valuable and communicating that clearly to the right readers.
How much editorial development does it need?
Some manuscripts arrive relatively polished, while others arrive with considerable potential but need significant development. We may look at structure, repetition, pacing, theology, clarity, character development, chronology, tone, target audience, factual claims, legal concerns, or sensitive subject matter.
A manuscript needing revision is not automatically a weak manuscript. In some cases, the need for revision is exactly why we continue engaging with the author. The more important question is whether the problems are realistically fixable and whether the book can become substantially stronger through focused editorial work.
If we believe the answer is yes, we may provide editorial guidance or request revision before moving further.
How does the manuscript handle Christian teaching?
For books dealing directly with theology, spiritual warfare, healing, prayer, identity, trauma, mental health, or other sensitive areas, we pay close attention to how claims are presented. We want Christian books to be encouraging without making promises Scripture does not make, and we want to avoid presenting personal experiences as universal doctrine.
Where appropriate, manuscripts may require theological review, factual verification, sensitivity review, or additional sourcing. This does not mean every Christian author must express secondary theological issues in exactly the same way. It means we take seriously the responsibility of publishing material under a Christian imprint.
Are there legal or ethical concerns?
Publishing involves responsibilities that extend beyond writing quality. Depending on the manuscript, we may need to consider privacy, permissions, quotations, real people, medical claims, allegations, copyrighted material, photographs, song lyrics, Bible translations, or other third-party content.
For memoir in particular, authors may write about painful experiences involving real people and institutions. Those stories may be important, but they still need to be handled responsibly. A strong manuscript must also be publishable in a legally and ethically responsible way.
Is the author open to the editorial process?
This matters enormously because publishing is collaborative. An author does not lose ownership of their voice simply because an editor becomes involved, but professional publication requires openness to feedback.
We look for authors who can listen, consider suggestions, ask questions, revise thoughtfully, and understand that editing is intended to strengthen the book rather than erase the person who wrote it. An author does not have to agree with every suggestion automatically. What matters is the ability to engage constructively with the process.
Can we work well together?
When Solé signs an author, we are not simply acquiring a document. We are entering into a professional working relationship that may involve months of revision, editing, design discussions, proofs, marketing preparation, launch planning, royalty statements, and communication after publication.
For that reason, trust, professionalism, reliability, and communication matter. We consider whether the author responds respectfully, follows agreed processes, meets deadlines where possible, and communicates when difficulties arise.
A strong book matters, but a workable author-publisher relationship matters too.
Do we have the capacity to publish the book properly?
Sometimes a manuscript may be good and still not be right for a particular publication window. We consider our editorial calendar, production capacity, illustration needs, specialist review requirements, marketing schedule, and the other books already planned for the year.
We would rather publish fewer books properly than acquire more titles than we can responsibly support. Timing therefore forms part of every acquisition decision.
What moves a manuscript from promising to signable?
A manuscript usually becomes a serious acquisition candidate when several things come together. We can see a strong foundation, understand the reader, believe in the purpose of the book, and see clear alignment with our mission. We also need to believe that the necessary revisions are achievable, that the author is willing to work through the editorial process, and that the book can be positioned, produced, and presented professionally.
Most importantly, we need to believe that the finished book could become something we would be proud to place under the Solé Publishing House name.
An editorial revision request is not always a rejection
Authors sometimes assume that being asked to revise means a publisher is not interested. That is not necessarily the case. Sometimes the opposite is true.
If we see meaningful potential in a manuscript, we may be willing to spend time identifying what is preventing it from being ready for publication. A revision request can mean that we see something worth developing, that we believe the book could become stronger, and that we want to know whether the author is willing to take that next step with us.
Of course, editorial guidance does not automatically guarantee publication. A revised manuscript still needs to meet the standard required for acquisition and production. However, revision can be an important step between submission and signing.
We do not expect first-time authors to know everything
Solé Publishing House has a particular heart for first-time and emerging authors. We do not expect every writer to arrive knowing how publishing works, nor do we expect every manuscript to be perfectly structured, professionally formatted, or market-ready from the first submission.
What we do look for is potential, sincerity, teachability, purpose, and a manuscript with something meaningful at its core. Publishing is not simply about correcting a document. At its best, it is about helping a strong idea become the strongest version of itself while protecting the author’s individual voice.
Before we sign
Offering a publishing agreement is ultimately a decision to invest. It means committing editorial time, production resources, design work, publication planning, distribution, and marketing support to a book. That is why we consider manuscripts carefully.
We are not only asking, Is this a good manuscript?
We are also asking, Is this a book we believe in, a message that fits our mission, an author we can work with, and a project we are prepared to invest in?
When those answers come together, that is when a submission can begin its journey from manuscript to published book.
Original voices. Christ-centered stories. Words written for the Kingdom.
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