Monarch Educational Services: Promoting Clean Literature

Introduction

Since I signed with Monarch Educational Services in November 2023, I’ve been blessed to be a part of a publishing house that is dedicated to clean-reads for children and young adults. Led by the indefatigable Jennifer Lowry, this independent North Carolina press is growing! As Jen says, “At Monarch, we believe books can be powerful without being profane, meaningful without being explicit, and emotionally honest without relying on shock value. Our promise is simple and clear: Clean, Value-Based Stories That Inspire. This show exists for readers, authors, educators, librarians, homeschool families, and publishing professionals who care about literary excellence and content standards.” If you write clean books, listen to Jen’s podcast or read on.

Nectar – Nonfiction for Adults

Nonfiction that is:

• Practical, encouraging, and values-forward
• Clearly positioned for a specific audience by an expert in the field (credentials required)
• Built for real-world impact. For families, educators, community leaders, readers seeking growth, Early Christian history, Orthodox Christianity, etc. – surprise us!

Please follow the submission guidelines on this page. Submissions close on May 1, 2026.

Bloom – Clean Fiction for Adults

• Romance: sweet/wholesome, emotionally rich, strong relationship arc, integrity
• Fantasy: clean, imaginative, wonder-filled, adventurous, series-work, no explicit graphic content or extreme violence, if romance is involved – sweet/wholesome only.
• Science Fiction: clean, compelling, high-concept or character-driven, no explicit graphic content or extreme violence, if romance is involved – sweet/wholesome only.

Please follow the submission guidelines on this page. Submissions close on May 1, 2026.

Educational Resources

Make sure you check out this page with all of Monarch’s current editable educational guides, including the one for Half-Truths! More books coming soon.

Compass Awards

BRAND NEW!! “In a world overflowing with reading options, families, educators, librarians, and homeschool communities are asking one essential question: Can we trust the contents are clean and age-appropriate? Many literary awards celebrate craft, trend, or popularity, but far fewer create a credible space to honor books that are both excellent and clean, stories that protect innocence, uphold integrity, and still deliver literary power. The Monarch Compass Awards exist because that space is needed. We are here to champion Clean Reads authors, strengthen reader communities who want a safe place to land, and elevate literature that truly shines with excellence. When a title earns Safe Shelf Certified approval and wins a Monarch Compass Award, it becomes a marker of trust. It has been vetted for the shelf and recognized for outstanding storytelling in Clean Reads literature. Our mission is simple: to honor Clean Reads that deserve award-winning backing, and to use that recognition to amplify the work, promote the author, and guide readers toward stories they can welcome home with confidence. This is a space for all of us who love clean reads for all ages, and a place where we can celebrate authors who are building safe shelves with excellence.” Jen Lowry

See this page for deadlines and requirements.

Boot Camp

Jen is returning to hosting her monthly Boot Camps. The next one is March 14–you don’t want to miss this opportunity! Here is Jen’s invitation to you: “If you would like a guided, faith-centered writing space with coaching, prayer, reflection, and a next-step plan, I would love to have you join me for our next event.”

What Brings Jen Lowry to Tears and Joy

In her latest blog post, Jen shared how she felt when she watched Monarch reach a goal: her business showed up. I hope you’ll leave a comment on Jen’s post and answer her question- what matters the most to you about clean reads?

I hope there are writers out there who might join me as a Monarch author!