Submissions

Writer Submissions

Writer's Guidelines
Group Publishing, Inc.
1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538
[phone]

Submission Contact

[e-mail]

Church Resource and Curriculum Writer's Guidelines

Group Publishing's mission is: To equip churches to help children's, youth, and adults grow in their relationship with Jesus. To that end, Group publishes more than 30 titles each year…

Group Publishing, Inc.

Resources for Christian education in local churches, including youth, childrens, adult, and pastoral ministry. Both single-author royalty books and multiple-author compilations assigned on a work-for-hire basis.

Church Resources

Resources for Christian pastors and leaders, including family ministry. Both single-author royalty books and multiple-author compilations assigned on a work-for-hire basis.

Submitting a Church or Curriculum Resource Proposal

If you have a submission that meets the criteria just listed, we'd like to know about it. You're welcome to submit a resource proposal that includes:

A cover letter briefly summarizing your resource idea and telling about your background.

An outline of how you' d structure the resource.

An introduction to the resource explaining how it can be used easily in a ministry setting and why people need or want your resource (write this as if the buyer were reading it while he or she browses in a bookstore).

A sample which could include any of the following:

1. two sample chapters (written and formatted in such a way that any average church leader could read, understand, and implement your ideas with his or her group);
2. two sample sessions or studies (if it's a resource Bible Study, events, meeting ideas, and so on);
3. about a dozen sample experiences/ideas (if it's a resource of short ideas, worship, devotions, skits, or the like);
4. a CD/DVD clearly labeled to match a manuscript with a Web link, if applicable (for media proposals). If you send in a media piece without the other bulleted items listed above, it will likely be rejected.

If you would like your submission returned, please include a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope. Anything not returned will be recycled 30 days from the date on your response letter.

What We're Looking For

We ARE NOT acquiring young adult or romantic fiction, fantasy or science fiction novels, general Bible studies, autobiographies, or poetry. Our resources are often leader/teacher-oriented, though we do also publish family- and adult-oriented resources. The DNA of all Group’s resources are that they’re R.E.A.L.—relational, experiential, applicable, and learner-centered.

Children's Ministry
• sermons & worship ideas
• service project ideas
• Bible lessons & Bible-based activities
• crafts
• object lessons
• creative Bible story presentations (NO FICTION)
• devotions
• game ideas or books (not puzzles, R-bits, board games, or coloring books)
• plays & skits (as a book, not individually)
• leadership
• family ministry
• volunteer management

Youth & Young Adult Ministry
• administration/leadership (includes spiritual growth)
• Bible studies/lessons (includes Bible study programs)
• Bibles
• counseling
• devotions
• electronic/media
• events
• foundational
• games
• high-profile
• ideas (includes discussion starters)
• messages
• music/songbook
• retreats
• skits
• small groups
• teenage
• worship

Adult and Pastoral Ministry
• practical ideas for pastors, speakers or church leaders regarding everyday church ministries
• foundational books on adult ministry
• relationship-building ideas
• family ministry ideas
• small group studies or other programs
• out front thinkers with a mind & heart for ministry, tell us something we don't already know
• men's ministry ideas
• volunteer management

Women's Ministry
• Bible studies
• ideas & short articles on women's ministry
• ideas for engaging younger women
• mentoring

Writing Group Books

Group Publishing, Inc. receives hundreds of resource proposals each year. These questions are designed to help you evaluate your own idea the way our editors would.

Is it original? Is the idea for the resource yours alone? What makes you the best person to provide this resource for ministry leaders?

Is it practical? Group publishes resources that our readers—youth workers, parents, Sunday school teachers, and Christian education directors—can pull off the shelf and use immediately.

Would its sales benefit from your ministry influence or special efforts? How are you uniquely positioned to market this resource? What kind of platform do you have that would help its sales?

Is it need-oriented? People buy ministry resources that meet their needs. What needs does your proposal address? Why would people feel compelled to buy and use it?

Does it reflect biblical principles? Group is an interdenominational Christian publisher and everything we produce reflects that perspective.

Is there anything else out there like it? Is there any competition for this resource? What else has been published that is similar to your idea, and how will yours be superior and unique enough that people will buy it over anything else? Tell our readers something they don't already know in a way that they've not seen before.

Is it clear and easy to use? Does it make its point concisely? Are instructions easy to follow?

Writing Group Curriculum

We're always looking for good writers who know kids, understand active learning, and have the ability to write lessons that help kids apply the Bible to their lives.

Check out and read Why Nobody Learns Much of Anything at Church: And How to Fix It and The Dirt on Learning by Thom and Joani Schultz. These will give you the best example of our philosophy.

Check out our various curriculum lines at your local Christian bookstore.

Your submission will be logged and forwarded for review. We will try to respond to your inquiry or submission as quickly as possible (based on current project/editor deadlines and the number of submissions which were received ahead of yours), but the turn-around can take six months plus.

DON'T FORGET TO SEND A POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SUBMISSION RETURNED. ANYTHING NOT RETURNED 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE ON YOUR RESPONSE LETTER WILL BE RECYCLED.

Mail your submission to:

Church/Curriculum Resource Proposal
Group Publishing, Inc.
ATTN: Submissions
1515 Cascade Avenue
Loveland, CO 80538

E-mail your submission to: [e-mail]

Children's Ministry Magazine Submission Guidelines

Purpose: Children's Ministry is the premiere magazine for those who serve children in the church. Each bimonthly issue is packed with dozens of ideas and inspirational articles to help leaders encourage children to grow spiritually. Each issue also contains helpful pages to photocopy and send to parents and teachers to give them new ideas and insights into today's kids.

Needs: CHILDREN'S MINISTRY needs practical articles covering topics such as working with volunteers; discipline; and communicating with children about faith, morals, money, friends, grades and choices. Articles on understanding children are also regularly featured. Each issue features regular columns on age-level development, outreach, family ministry, leading volunteers, special needs, and discipline. CHILDREN'S MINISTRY publishes ideas, activities, crafts and tips for different ages. No fiction, prose, or poetry. Payment is on acceptance. We buy all rights.

Word Length and Payment:

Feature articles (1000-2200 words) - payment $75 to $400

Teacher and Parent Tips (200 words) - payment $40

Games, crafts, and activities (200-500 words) - payment $40

Preparation of copy: Please include a brief cover letter with information about the author and article. Your name, address, phone number, email address, and word count should appear on the cover letter in the upper right corner of each page. Include an SASE for return of unaccepted manuscript. Our normal response time to magazine submissions is eight to ten weeks. We work nine to ten months ahead of distribution. Please keep that in mind if you are submitting dated or seasonal material. Children's Ministry is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Guidelines for submissions:

1. Format - Articles should be typewritten and double-spaced, on one side of the paper

2. Sources - Complete and return a source list, including the names and pertinent information of every person you quote or refer to.

3. Facts - Include photocopies of every printed source you quote or refer to. Highlight the information used. If the source is a page in a book, include photocopies of the book title page.

4. Submission - You may send your submission to Children's Ministry Magazine, 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538 or e-mail it to [e-mail].

GROUP Magazine Submission Guidelines

Important Notice:
Effective with our Winter 2016/2017 issue, we will no longer be publishing GROUP Magazine. The “voice” of GROUP will be shifting to our digital platform, YouthMinistry.com. If you would like to submit short pieces (300 to 1,000 words) for publishing consideration on YouthMinistry.com, please do.

Needs:
YouthMinistry.com needs short articles on successful youth ministry strategies, including youth-led ministry ideas; understanding kids and youth culture; recruiting/training/keeping adult leaders; family ministry; staff issues; serving and training parents; professionalism; self-nurture; how-to articles on personal spiritual growth, time management, issues vital to working with young people, leadership skills (listening, discussion-leading), worship ideas, handling specific group problems, fun and experiential programming ideas, and active-learning meeting plans and retreats. We pay $80.00 for accepted submissions.

Preparation of Copy:
We accept only emailed submissions. Please send to: [e-mail]. Your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address should appear with the piece. No fiction, prose, or poetry. Payment is only upon acceptance of submission and receipt of signed contract. We buy all rights.