🌿 Submit Your Manuscript to Sheltering Tree Earth Media

A traditional, spiritually‑focused publisher of uplifting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Welcome, Writers

We’re honored you’re considering Sheltering Tree Earth Media. We are a traditional publisher

—on our way from small to mid‑size—

committed to books that are positive, uplifting, supportive, or spiritual in nature.

Our goal is to make the submission process clear, respectful, and encouraging.

Take the 2‑Minute Publishing Path Quiz

Which Publishing Path Fits You Best?

Answer a few quick questions to discover whether you're ready for traditional publishing with ShelteringTree.Earth or if a supportive hybrid partner is your best next step.

If your results encouraged you to use a traditional publisher, please continue below.

If your results encouraged you to use a hybrid publisher, please consider August Isley Books. You can publish with them or come back and publish with us.

Before You Submit

Please prepare your manuscript by reviewing standard formatting guidelines: spelling, grammar, mechanics, hard tabs, size 12 Times New Roman, double-spaced, no heading triangles.

How to Submit Your Book

Please complete the submission form below. Accuracy matters—spelling, grammar, and clarity count.

You will be asked for:

Your contact information
Why you chose our publishing house (5 sentences or fewer)
Working title
Word count
Genre (choose up to 3)
Hook (2–3 sentences)
Query (150 words or fewer)
Author bio (100 words or fewer)
One sample chapter or up to 5 poems (max 5,000 words)
Illustration details and sample, if applicable
Disclosure of any AI use in writing or art

Our Review Process

Here’s what to expect after you submit:

Response within 15 business days to your query
You will receive either:
- A letter of declination*, or
- A request for the full manuscript with a 6‑week exclusive review period
After the 6‑week review, you will receive either:
- A declination*, or
- A contract offer

Timelines may be shorter depending on workload.

* We are not rejecting you or your book. We are simply declining the opportunity to publish it.

Our Release Scheduling Policy

To ensure fairness, quality, and predictability for all authors, ShelteringTree.Earth uses a structured release calendar with limited monthly slots.

How Release Dates Are Assigned

Release dates are assigned only after:

The manuscript is complete
All required materials (bio, headshot, endorsements, etc.) are submitted
The publishing agreement is signed

Next Available Slot System

Books are scheduled into the next available release slot on our calendar.
Authors may not request or reserve specific dates.

Why We Use This System

Ensures every book receives proper attention
Prevents overcrowding of release weeks
Allows for consistent marketing and production timelines
Reduces delays caused by incomplete manuscripts

Changes to Release Dates

ShelteringTree.Earth reserves the right to adjust release dates if:

production delays occur
the author misses deadlines
seasonal timing would significantly benefit the book

Authors will be notified promptly of any changes.

"Put it before them briefly so they will read it,

clearly so they will appreciate it,

picturesquely so they will remember it,

and above all,

accurately so they will be guided by its light."

- Joseph Pulitzer

Languages We Accept

If your manuscript is originally written in one of the following languages, please submit both the original and an English translation:

Dutch, Indonesian, Gaelic, Lakota, Catalan, Romani, Thai, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Cree, Icelander, Malagasy, Gujarati, Tagalog/Filipino, Queretaro Otomi, Yucatec Maya, Samoan, Tongan, Norwegian, Maltese, Hindi, Navajo

Due to current international policies outside of our control, you may not be able to purchase paperback or hardback copies of your books if you live in countries designated by the US as "unfriendly." This also applies to countries which the US has placed under, or countries which have placed the US under "full travel ban or restrictions." This may prevent us from mailing copies and/or royalty checks to you without an excessive amount of red tape. These political designations are subject to change. If you live outside of the US, please check your country's status before submitting the form below.

ALSO

If you do not live in the US or are not a US citizen, please make sure you understand you will need to pay US taxes on any royalties earned from this publishing house. According to the W-8BEN tax form, "Foreign persons are subject to U.S. tax at a 30% rate on income they receive from U.S. sources that consists of ... royalties..." see https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw8ben.pdf for more information.

**What We Do Not Accept**

🚫 Submission Restrictions

We will not consider manuscripts that include:

Graphic violence — verbal, physical, or sexual
AI‑generated illustrations in children’s books (illustrated picture books, beginning readers, middle grade, YA)
AI‑generated writing without disclosure
Previously published books unless you are willing to unpublish them if offered a contract

Note: AI‑assisted images may be accepted for adult books and poetry with proper citation

Capitalization General Rule for Titles

Capitalize all major words in a title. Lowercase short function words unless they are the first word of the title or subtitle.

This system aligns with Turabian/Chicago grammar‑based rules unless they appear as the first word.

Words That Are Capitalized

The following words are always capitalized, regardless of length:

Nouns

Pronouns (including short pronouns such as he, she, it, we, you)

Verbs (including short verbs such as is, be, do)

Adjectives

Adverbs

Subordinating conjunctions of four or more letters (because, while, since, although, that)

Any word of four or more letters, regardless of part of speech

These categories follow Turabian/Chicago guidelines.

Words That Are Lowercase

The following words remain lowercase unless they are the first word of the title or subtitle:

Articles (a, an, the)

Short Prepositions (three letters or fewer - in, on, of, to, for, by, up, off, out

Short Coordinating Conjunctions (and, or, nor, but)

Other Short Function Words (three letters or fewer - yet, per)

This section reflects Turabian/Chicago rules.

Special Notes

Length Rule: Words of three letters or fewer are generally lowercase unless they are pronouns or verbs.

First Word Rule: The first word of a title or subtitle is always capitalized, regardless of part of speech.

Hyphenated Words: Capitalize the first element. Capitalize the second element if it is a major word (noun, verb, adjective, adverb). Lowercase the second element if it is a short function word.

Examples

The Light in the Forest

As We Go Forth Together

What He Is Able To Do

Walking by Faith and Not by Sight

Up and Away: A Guide for New Readers

Re‑Creating the World: A Study in Renewal

Summary Statement

ShelteringTreeMedia uses a Turabian/Chicago title‑case system unless they begin the title. This refinement provides a consistent, intuitive, and teachable approach to title capitalization across our catalog.

Ready to Submit?

Please complete the form below to send us your manuscript. You will receive a confirmation notice on this page once you have submitted it.

We look forward to reading your work and discovering whether we’re the right home for your book.

All Submissions Must Be Sent Through This Form.

* are required

Full Name *

Email address *

Phone Number

In 5 sentences or less, in your own words, why did you choose our publishing house? *

Working Title of your Book *

Word Count of the entire manuscript (not page count) *

Please make sure you understand how to write a hook, a query, and an author bio before filling in the next three boxes. There are many articles available online explaining these. And yes, spelling, punctuation, and grammar do count.

Specifically, we are looking for:

Hook: Can you grab our attention in 2-3 sentences and make us want to know more about your book?

Query: Can you, in 150 words or less, without repeating the hook, convince us to ask you to submit the entire manuscript?

Author Bio: Can you, in no more than 100 words, explain to us why you are the best person to write this book? We are looking for solid examples of experience, academic certification, and expertise.

Hook *

Query *

Author Bio *

Upload the best chapter of your book or 5 of your best poems (no more than 5,000 words). PDF or Word doc *

If illustrated, please upload one jpg or png of your book's pictures.

If illustrated, give full (legal) name and contact information of illustrator. If you want your book to be illustrated but don't yet have an illustrator, tell us this.

Did you use AI-gen or AI-assistance to illustrate or write this book? If you do not know the difference, you must research this before answering this question. *

Yes - AI-gen for illustrations
Yes - AI-assistance for illustrations
The illustrations are completely created by a human.
Yes - AI-gen for writing
Yes - AI-assistance for writing
The manuscript was completely created by a human.

If this book is already available in any way (website, audio, self-published, etc.), this means it is already published and will have to be unpublished before we could offer you a contract.

It is not available in any way.
It is published elsewhere, and I am willing to unpublish it should I be offered a contract.

Send me a copy

You may also consider our imprint August Isley Books.

It is a hybrid publisher.