What We Consider
Fiction and Nonfiction Across a Wide Range
Books may explore personal experiences, imagination, relationships, difficult subjects, controversial ideas, mature themes, spirituality, politics, religion, sexuality or sexual subject matter, social issues, or other aspects of life and the human experience.
The presence of difficult, mature, controversial, or sensitive subject matter does not automatically make a book inappropriate for Making Sense Press.
A book may address, depict, examine, or discuss difficult subjects without promoting them.
An Important Distinction
Addressing a Subject Is Not the Same as Promoting It
A memoir may discuss abuse. A novel may portray racism or violence. A nonfiction book may examine controversial political, religious, sexual, or social subjects. What matters is how the subject is handled and what purpose it serves — not simply that it appears.
Purpose
What is the book trying to accomplish? Does it explore, examine, or illuminate — or does it exist primarily to promote harmful conduct?
Context
How is the subject matter handled within the work? Difficult material treated with craft and intentionality is different from material presented without purpose.
Overall nature
Making Sense Press evaluates the work as a whole — not individual passages, themes, or subject matter in isolation.
Limits
What We Will Not Publish
Making Sense Press will not publish works whose primary purpose is any of the following:
Pornography or material created primarily for sexual gratification.
Promoting hatred, racism, discrimination, dehumanization, or targeted hostility toward people or groups.
Promoting, encouraging, or providing meaningful instruction intended to facilitate serious violence, abuse, dangerous criminal activity, or similarly harmful conduct.
Other material that Making Sense Press determines is fundamentally inconsistent with its professional, ethical, or brand standards.
All proposed books remain subject to individual review and approval by Making Sense Press before they are accepted to move forward. These guidelines describe the general scope of what Making Sense Press considers — they do not guarantee that any particular book will be accepted.
Ready to Apply?
If your book falls within these guidelines and you believe it may be a fit for Making Sense Press, we'd like to hear about it. There is no fee to apply.
Apply for Publication