In the modern world, there are more books being published than at any other point in history, most of them are being self-published; even some by using AI to write the text. We thus find ourselves in a situation whereby, instead of an author spending years fine-tuning a magnum opus, then working with a professional publishing team to ensure that the publication is the best work that can be crafted, titles are produced in haste, without any proofreading, external critique or peer review, and using wizards or AI models to produce unoriginal and generic covers.
You’ll find books like this appearing in almost all areas of human endeavour, in particular within hobbies and clubs where enthusiasts seek speed over distinction.
Once a book is published it's permanent. It will be read in perpetuity even long beyond the life of the author. Should we not therefore make every effort to ensure this work is the best it can be?
Founded in the early-eighteenth century, Lewis Masonic is one of the world’s oldest and largest Masonic publishers, and a place where you will find the greatest Masonic authors and scholars; where the focus remains firmly on quality rather than speed or quantity.
If you view our range, you will notice that every year our authors, designers and publishing team receive awards for what we do. Our books stand as works of literary art, but also as objects of aesthetic quality and dedicated workmanship.
But what does it take to become a Lewis Masonic author, and what is the process once you are approved?
Almost all professional publishing companies plan which titles they are going to publish a year to a year and a half in advance, and as a publisher who prints our titles using traditional methods, this is a timeline that we also follow. Whilst producing the physical book, we also work closely with our marketing team to plan various pieces of promotion and publicity, maximising visibility for books upon their launch and spotlighting new titles for our readers to enjoy.
We are primarily interested in books about Freemasonry and its related fields, which includes: masonic ritual, history, symbolism, philosophy, and biography. We also welcome submissions on philosophical subjects, provided they are well-researched and clearly written.
If you have ever considered writing a book on or about Freemasonry, or publishing a title that you have already written, but weren't sure how to get started, then this article should give you all of the necessary information you need to get started.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
To submit your manuscript, please follow these steps:
Prepare your Submission: We require a detailed outline before you submit a full manuscript. The proposal should include:
An overview of the book, including the main themes and your target audience.
A table of contents or outline of the chapters.
A sample chapter.
Information about yourself, including your masonic background and any previous writing experience.
Submit Your Proposal: Please send your proposal as a single PDF or Word document to Nick McCluskey via [email protected].
Review Process: Our Publishing Committee meets once per month to review all of our outstanding new proposals, at which point your title will be reviewed. Given the high volume of proposals we receive all throughout the year, it may not be possible for us to respond in detail to every one of them.
Full Manuscript Request: If your proposal is accepted, we will inform you and request the full manuscript. Please note that at this stage, if you haven’t yet written the book that is okay too. This is the point at which we would advise you to make a start on the title.
What to Expect Next
As a small publishing house, Lewis Masonic aims to publish one new title per month. Once your title is approved, it will be added to our publishing control system and go onto a publishing queue, where you will receive automatic updates as the title progresses further up the list. Depending on what is agreed, we will usually work with an author through the entire publication process, including, proofreading, editing, design, printing, and distribution. We are committed to producing high-quality books that contribute meaningfully to the masonic and esoteric literary world.
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