An exciting announcement for writers and readers who are Catholic or Orthodox! WhiteFire Publishing is acquiring titles for a brand new imprint ~ Chrism Press!
Chrism Press is a brand-new 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 evangelical presses. Karen Ullo and Rhonda Franklin Ortiz are the imprint’s new lead editors and as such have become part of the WhiteFire editorial board. We are thrilled (!) to announce that we are open to queries to adult and young adult fiction in all genres.
What is Chrism Press looking for? To quote our mission statement:
“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.”
WhiteFire Publishing was founded in 2005 by me and my husband, David. In 2018 we launched a juvenile fiction line, WhiteSpark, and acquired Ashberry Lane, which is now our dedicated romance imprint. Between these three divisions, our growing company boasts a list of about 150 titles, including books by respected and well-known Christian market authors such as Melody Carlson, Susie Finkbeiner, Camille Eide, Christy Barritt, and of course, me. 😉
How Chrism Press came about is a long story, full of surprises and the working of the Holy Spirit. It actually began with conversations between us and Rhonda (a college friend who I reconnected with thanks to our shared love of writing Christian fiction) and Karen thanks to the #BeBetter group. Rhonda and Karen had been discussing the idea of publishing for a while, and a random mention of it to us had David and I both thinking independently that it would make a great addition to the WhiteFire family. So we mentioned the possibility of an imprint, and it just took off from there. We believe that Catholic and Orthodox fiction will enrich not only our company’s offerings, but the Christian market at large. I personally know after publishing The Number of Love, with its Catholic main characters, that this is a niche that needs filling, and which readers are hungry for. It’s such a privilege and honor to get to work with these talented editors and authors to bring the vision to life!
We encourage everyone to check out the website and follow Chrism Press on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re a writer with a manuscript that’s ready to submit, we encourage you to consider Chrism Press. And if you’re one of the Catholic readers I heard from last year who is eager for more fiction that represents YOU, be sure to sign up for the WhiteFire/Chrism newsletter, where news about our Chrism acquisitions and releases will be shared first, along with other stuff relevant to all the imprints!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.