Share Your Story With Us
Caliana Press welcomes submissions from authors of all backgrounds. You don’t need a publication history or an agent; we evaluate every manuscript on its own merits. We believe great stories come from everywhere.
The reading period is closed at the moment. We received a far greater response than we anticipated, and we owe every author who wrote to us a proper reading and a real answer. Closing the queue is how we make sure that happens. When we reopen it will be a defined window in specific categories, not a general open call.
What follows is what we publish, what we don’t, and what a submission needs to contain. Read it now and the next window won’t catch you unprepared. Everything we publish has to meet the Caliana A+ standard.
What We Publish
These are the ones we know how to edit, position and sell. A book can be good and still be wrong for us, and a house that says yes to everything is no use to any of its authors.
Fiction
- Technothrillers & Espionage — techno-thrillers, spy fiction, military thrillers
- Crime & Detective Fiction — international crime action, noir, cozy mysteries, procedurals
- Thrillers & Suspense — psychological, legal, domestic
- Historical Fiction — all eras, including African and African American history
- Devotional & Spiritual Writing — faith-based reflections, prayer guides, devotional collections
- Literary Fiction — character-driven narratives
What makes a Caliana A+ novel: Strong storytelling, authentic characters, and a commitment to craft. We value authors who bring unique perspectives and genuine passion to their work.
Non-Fiction
- Educational textbooks and professional guides
- Test preparation and certification study guides
- Technical training materials
- Comprehensive reference works
- How-to guides and instructional content
- White papers and professional research
- Career development resources
- Memoir and biography
- History and current affairs
- Science and nature
- Business and entrepreneurship
- Health and wellness
- Parenting and family
- Arts and culture
What We Don’t Publish
- Poetry collections — we publish poetry in-house only and don’t acquire it from submitters
- Short story collections from previously unpublished authors
- Screenplays, stage plays, and graphic novel scripts
- Fan fiction, or work using characters we don’t have the rights to
- Erotica
- Manuscripts under 25,000 words
If you’re not sure whether your project fits, send a brief query before preparing a full submission.
Target Word Counts
| Category | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Adult fiction (most genres) | 80,000–110,000 |
| Thriller / suspense | 90,000–110,000 |
| Historical fiction | 90,000–130,000 |
| Devotional | 30,000–60,000 |
| Non-fiction | 50,000–90,000 |
Guidelines, not hard limits. A manuscript well outside its range should explain why in the query letter.
What to Send
Fiction
Your manuscript must be complete before you submit. We only request full manuscripts we intend to read closely, so send the materials below rather than the whole book.
- Query letter — one page: a two-to-three paragraph synopsis, your word count and genre, your background and what led you to this story, and two or three comparison titles.
- Synopsis — two to three pages covering the entire plot, including the ending.
- Sample chapters — the first three chapters, or approximately 10,000 words.
- Author bio — one or two paragraphs.
Non-Fiction
- Proposal — an overview of the book and its purpose, target audience, competitive analysis, a detailed table of contents with chapter summaries, and your qualifications to write it.
- Sample content — two or three complete chapters.
- Market analysis — who will buy this book, and why.
- Author bio.
AI and Authorship
Caliana Press publishes human-authored books. The creative and intellectual work in your manuscript — the ideas, the structure, the prose, the voice — must be your own.
Disclose any use of AI tools in your query letter, including where and how they were used. Ordinary assistive uses are fine and will not disqualify a submission: spelling and grammar checking, research lookup, formatting, or brainstorming that you then wrote yourself. Manuscripts generated or substantially drafted by AI are not eligible.
Disclosure is not a penalty. Undisclosed use discovered during editorial review ends consideration, and voids any offer already made.
See our full Content Authenticity policy.
How to Submit
Email: submissions@calianapress.com
Subject line: SUBMISSION: [Title] - [Genre] - [Your Name]
Example: SUBMISSION: The Quiet Hour - Historical Fiction - Jane Smith
File formats: Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or PDF. Standard manuscript format — 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1" margins.
Attach your materials as separate files. Don’t paste them into the email body, and don’t send links to cloud storage — our filters block them. Keep total attachments under 10 MB.
What to Expect
| Stage | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Initial review — we confirm receipt and tell you if we’d like to see more | 2–4 weeks |
| Full manuscript review, if requested | 4–8 weeks |
| Decision and response | 2–4 weeks |
If You Don’t Hear From Us
We respond to every submission that follows these guidelines. If sixteen weeks have passed with no reply, assume your submission didn’t reach us — resend it, noting the original date.
For status inquiries, email submissions@calianapress.com with your original subject line and submission date. Please wait until the stated window has elapsed before checking in.
- We read every submission, but can’t provide detailed feedback on the ones we decline.
- Simultaneous submissions are fine — just tell us if your work is accepted elsewhere.
- We consider previously self-published work case by case.
Our Commitment to Authors
We never charge authors. Caliana Press is a traditional publisher. No reading fees, no submission fees, no editing fees, no marketing fees, no contributions toward production costs, and no required purchases. Money flows to the author, never from the author.
If anyone claiming to represent Caliana Press asks you for payment, contact us at submissions@calianapress.com.
Beyond that, we commit to:
- Fair contracts — industry-standard terms, transparent royalties, and a defined licence period with clear reversion rather than a life-of-copyright grab.
- Author involvement — meaningful consultation on cover design, marketing copy, and pricing.
- Quality production — professional developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading, design, and distribution.
- Honest communication — a named point of contact, realistic timelines, and the truth about sales, including when it’s disappointing.
- Diverse voices — authors from all backgrounds and experiences.
First-Time Authors Welcome
No publication history required. No agent required. If you have a story worth telling and the dedication to see it through, we’ll want to hear from you when we reopen.
Questions?
Questions are welcome even while we’re closed. If you’d like to check whether your project is a good fit, send a brief query to submissions@calianapress.com.
We look forward to reading your work when the next window opens.
Caliana Press — A Division of Caliana, LLC
Publishing books that meet the Caliana A+ standard