Manuscript Submission

Follow guidelines exactly. Following these guidelines is a test. 
Failing means an automatic rejection. We want high quality work submitted.

We recommend using Grammarly prior to submitting your manuscript to any publisher.

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   We expect first rights, including digital rights. We do not accept anything which has been published previously in any format, anywhere, in any language.For manuscripts, we prefer not receiving simultaneous submissions.
   We accept  most genres - except none with graphic sexual and/or violence material (violence must not be used for shock value, and language must not be overly profane or vulgar - must be appropriate to character and a sample rather than constant, no form of the "f" word, no use of God's name or Jesus' name or any form thereof) and no poetry. 
   We do not accept stories about bodily functions (bathroom humor) or writings that degrade people. We reserve the right to reject subject matter that doesn't meet our needs or standards.

   We accept authors from the U.S.A., the UK, and Australia because the company that prints our books has plants in those countries. Shipping costs to other countries is too great for us to pay. Until such time as our printer has a facility in Canada, we can NOT accept authors from Canada UNLESS they have relatives in the U.S. where books could be shipped without paying Canada's huge import fees.

NOTE: We cannot accept authors from Canada unless the author finds a solution to the shipping problem. Cost of shipping books, due to Canadian fees, is extremely expensive.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Submissions must be thoroughly edited, proofed, and revised. We suggest authors run manuscripts through grammarly.com, at least the free or trial version, before final revision for submission. Grammarly is not 100% correct at all times, but it does find most problems, including passive voice. Critique groups, English teachers, and authors known by submitter are all good sources of editing help.

NOTE:  Manuscript submissions for Children's Books are closed UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

​Submissions are OPEN for: Tweens & Teens, Young Adult,  Fiction,  Nonfiction, Biblical Based. Submissions are wanted especially for Science Fiction, Fantasy, New Adult, Fiction, Romance (NO EROTICA), and Nonfiction.

General Information
(read first because this is part of guidelines)

Please note in any manuscript submission which imprint the work would better fit: 

• 4RV Children's Corner is for any aged reader below 5th grade
• 4RV Tweens & Teens is for grades 5 - 8
• 4RV Young Adult is for ages 14 - 18
• 4RV Fiction is for novels for adults or young people with high reading abilities
• 4RV Nonfiction is for all nonfiction works above Young Adult
• 4RV Biblical Based is for all fiction and nonfiction based on the Bible, including Christian works

NOTE: U.S. English grammar, spelling, mechanics, etc. are to be used.

1. Authors are paid in royalties. Authors do NOT pay for publishing, editing, or art work unless they break their contract.
2. We do not accept anything previously published in any format, anywhere, in any language.
3. Any material quoted in a manuscript from another source MUST be cited and, if used, must have written permission from the owner of that intellectual property; and a copy of the permission must be included with the manuscript. The only exception is the use of material in the public domain.
4. Any submission must be first thoroughly edited and written to publishing standards, including correct spelling and grammar (spell check will help with spelling to some extent, but making sure words are spelled and used correctly is part of writer's responsibility). 4RV editors will work with authors, who are offered a contract, to meet 4RV standards and to improve work, but not to do editing and proofreading that should have been finished, with revision, before submission. We want polished material submitted, not drafts. One suggestion: run manuscript through grammarly.com, as stated above.
5. All material must be in MS Word.
6. Acceptance is not guaranteed. It may take 3 months before a submission can be thoroughly evaluated. IF submitter does NOT hear back before or by three (3) months, please contact us or submit elsewhere. If we received the submission, we will contact you one way or the other.
7. Electronic submissions are the ONLY type accepted, and all components must be sent with email as individual attachments in MS Word, and guidelines must be followed. 
8. Send e-submissions for manuscripts to President@4rvpublishingllc.com with a Cc to vp_operations@4rvpublishingllc.com and to art_director@4rvpublishingllc.com   (Submissions for art/design are to be sent to email addresses given in those guidelines.)
9. Special note: IF 4RV requests a full manuscript or any other interest in a submission, the company takes a 3 month option on the work, meaning it cannot be submitted elsewhere unless rejected by 4RV during that time. If the company sends an email voicing further interest (after a full manuscript has been evaluated) in the work, 4RV has 30 days to send a contract or notice of revisions needed before a contract is offered. Until then, submissions should not be offered or a contract accepted anywhere else. The author has the option not to submit.
10. IF we accept the manuscript, when we send a contract, we will expect the author to send us a professional level photo to use for publicity (.jpg, 300 dpi at least 5x7), a short biography, a W-9 tax form, and a valid, workable marketing plan. A contract will not be honored until we receive the needed information.  NOTE: Any photos/images that require adjusting because the wrong resolution or size is sent, the cost for adjusting or touch ups will be $50 per photo.
11. NOTE: All authors offered a contract are required to have a website, blog, and some sort of social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, etc). Contracted authors are expected to promote their book or books. If an author does not promote and help sell his/her books, they will have to repay 4RV for publication costs. 
12. We publish in both paperback and hardback. Later if manuscript is suitable, we release the book in eBook formats. 
13. For any book to have text on its spine, it must contain at least 48 pages. A book, even children's books, with fewer than 48 pages will not have text on the spine: requirement of the printer, not of 4RV. Therefore, authors wanting text on the spine may need to add such things as discussion questions, background information, glossaries, etc. No back-matter will be illustrated by a 4RV artist.

Guidelines for Manuscripts
[For lengths (number of words expected per genre) read THIS.]

• E-mail submissions only: Provide a short introduction in the body of your email. Include each of the following as separate attachments: 
• Cover letter: include genre, possible imprint, audience age, and content level (rating), marketing/ promotion plan / platform, also note if artist needed (if manuscript is picture book). Need to include legal name, name used for writing, address, phone number, and preferred email address. 2 page limit
• Synopsis of complete book: 4 page limit (not needed for picture book submissions)
• Manuscript: first 3 chapters: Note: for picture books send complete manuscript
• Title attachments as follows, using the title of your work: # title of manuscript - cover letter # title of manuscript -synopsis # title of manuscript -submission
• Format your manuscript as follows:
  • Double spaced with paragraphs indented (using tab for indention) per correct manuscript format in MS Word.
  • Only one (1) space after periods. Do NOT use two (2) spaces after periods - to be used for all manuscript material submitted.
  • Font such as Times New Roman, easily read, and with correct grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
  • Font size 12
  • One inch margins all around.
  • Use tab to indent paragraphs.

Headers must contain the following:

• First page:Top right corner: first page only 
  1. Name 
  2. Address 
  3. City, State Zip 
  4. Email address

​           5. Phone number

• Other pages: Upper right corner, include on one (1) line: author last name, title of book, page number Example: Jones Together Again 6
• For illustrated books ...         If the author provides professional-level artwork, all must be correct resolution and quality or will not be accepted. Art director will make decision. If an illustrator is needed, please note in cover letter. Sizes of illustrations depend on size of book selected by publisher.
• If we require or request additional material, we ask for an electronic file with material in .doc or .docx format.
• Again, ONLY electronic submissions are accepted. Anything snail-mailed will not be returned or evaluated.​

​NOTE:
To avoid your manuscript
being rejected ​and/or unread,
be sure to follow the content
and formatting guidelines
​on this entire page. 

NOTE: For 4RV Style Manual and other publishing information, see the 4RV Style Guidelines & Process page.