About the Pitch Sessions
Pitch Sessions are February 14-17.
Specific publishers/times/dates to be announced
As with every CWCO, we are offering you the chance to pitch your ready manuscripts to publishers of both secular and Catholic fiction and non-fiction.
Please read! In order to make the pitch sessions a productive experience for everyone, we ask the following of our writers:
DO NOT register to pitch a book that has been published in the past (including self-published).
- Pitch session opportunities are free for registered attendees – but we limit you to one title per publisher. (i.e., you cannot pitch the same book to multiple publishers)
- If you cannot attend the conference, we may take people on an alternate list. Contact cwgonlinecon@catholicwritersguild.com if you are interested. There will be a $10 pitch fee. You must still attend the pitch session itself.
- All pitched fiction must be complete and submission ready.
- All pitched non-fiction should have a book proposal prepared.
- You MUST read and FOLLOW publisher guidelines. The #1 reason for being rejected is that you are not pitching the kind of book they are interested in. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
- Pitch sessions are held in webinar or chat format, as the publisher prefers. Please have a 150-word pitch ready for pasting. You may also want to write short (100-word or less) answers to common questions like qualifications, character, theme, marketing, etc.
Publishers and Guidelines
Stay tuned! We'll have information on publishers and guidelines as they sign up. In the meantime, polish those manuscripts and book proposals.
To pitch, you need to have registered for the conference.
Chrism Press: Chrism Press is an imprint of WhiteFire Publishing dedicated to stories informed by Catholic and Orthodox Christianity that may not be able to find a home in either mainstream secular or Christian (Evangelical) presses. These two ancient faiths share a sacramental and incarnational vision that illuminates the imagination, as well as a centuries-old literary tradition spanning from Dante to Dostoevsky and beyond. Whether Christian themes are presented overtly, subtly, or symbolically, Chrism Press seeks Spirit-filled fiction in all genres. We are not afraid of darkness; we enjoy the strange and the weird, as well as humor, romance, adventure, and fun. We strongly believe that fiction should never be boring. We invite readers to “Anoint Your Imagination” with a wide array of stories that enlighten while they entertain. https://chrismpress.com/submissions/
Elk Lake Publishing: Seeking most genres of clean fiction and Christian living books. Guidelines at https://elklakepublishinginc.com/#
Marian Press: We'd be open to manuscripts that serve the Church where the need is greatest, pursuing the New Evangelization by incarnating the Good News of God's Mercy. The Marian Fathers' charism includes spreading the Divine Mercy message and devotion, devotion to Mary Immaculate, and prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. We're open to fiction and non-fiction, approaching the world through a Catholic lens. The faith can have an overt or an implicit influence on the text. Generally no poetry, plays, or screenplays. Children's book manuscripts, if they're going to be illustrated, need to come with at a minimum a sample illustration. https://www.marian.org/marianpress/guidelines.php
Our Sunday Visitor: Find our guidelines under https://osv.submittable.com/submit (guidelines listed under "Submit a query letter to OSV Books")
Pauline Books & Media: Pauline Books & Media is happy to consider your manuscripts according to our writers' guidelines at https://pauline.org/submissions