As part of our mission to promote authors and Christian publishing, this Manuscript Monday, we're continuing our series on Small Christian Presses. Today: Marcher Lord Press.Jeff Gerke graciously agreed to share the following information. Thanks, Jeff!
Marcher Lord Press (www.marcherlordpress.com) is a small indie publishing company dedicated to publishing the finest in Christian speculative fiction. Christian speculative fiction is an umbrella term that includes science fiction, fantasy, time travel, superhero, vampire, end times, supernatural thriller, alternate history, spiritual warfare, paranormal, and anything else that is weird fiction from the Evangelical worldview.
MLP launched in 2008 and is about to release its fifth lineup of original, full-length novels for adults and older teens. MLP novels have won or been finalists for several awards, including the Christy Award (win), ACFW Carol Award (we currently have 5 finalists in this year's competition), the EPIC Award (2 wins), the Indie Awards, and more. MLP books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and USA Today.
Marcher Lord Press considers completed full-length (65,000+ words) manuscripts, for adults and older teens (no YA), in the speculative genres and from the Evangelical worldview. Authors need not be agented to submit proposals to MLP. They may do so through the acquisitions portal on the MLP site. That page, plus writer's guidelines, can be found here.
MLP is an advance-paying, royalty-paying publisher. Authors who are invited to publish with MLP do not put up any money for the publication of their books, nor are they required or "encouraged" to buy a minimum number of copies of their books.
Publisher Jeff Gerke attends many Christian writers conferences across the country. In 2010 he has taught at or will teach at the following: Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, the Florida Christian Writers Conference, the ACFW conference, the Oregon Christian Writers Conference, the Orange County Christian Writers Conference, and more. He accepts appointments at every conference he attends.
Proposals that have the best chance with Marcher Lord Press are those that 1) adhere to the writer's guidelines, 2) exhibit a high level of fiction craftsmanship, and 3) tell an incredible speculative story that exalts Christ.
Jeff Gerke has been called the de facto gatekeeper of Christian speculative fiction.
He is the author (under the pen name Jefferson Scott) of six published novels and three co-written nonfiction works. He is also the sole author (under the name Jeff Gerke) of The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction and the forthcoming Writers Digest book Plot Versus Character (October). He has worked on staff for three Christian publishing companies. Novels he has acquired or edited have won the Christy Award, the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Foreword magazine Book of the Year Award, the EPIC Award, the Indie Award, and more. He is one of three finalists for the ACFW Editor of the Year for 2010. He is the founder of the popular Web page www.WhereTheMapEnds.com, which is dedicated to Christian speculative fiction. And in 2008, Gerke launched Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. He and his wife of 20 years live in Colorado Springs with their three children. Jeff makes his living as a freelance editor, writer, book doctor, typesetter, and cover designer.Contact information:
www.marcherlordpress.com
jeff@marcherlordpress.com
