Anistemi (ἀνίστημι): to raise up
Anistemi Publishing
We don't just publish young voices. We raise them up.
As a small, independent publisher, we support young creatives who want their writing to worship Christ in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
What's that mean?
Christ gives a great explanation of worshipping in spirit and truth when he answers the Pharisee's question about which commandment was most important. Luke, in 22:37-40 says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
How does writing help us do this?
Our words reveal our heart (Luke 6:45). And writing gives us the unique ability to see where our heart lies (in both senses of that word! See also Jeremiah 17:9).
How does Anistemi approach this work?
We help authors slow down and examine their words in the mirror of scripture while they read carefully chosen, high quality examples that help them see the principles and techniques at work within fiction and creative nonfiction.
So, we (1) support them in thinking about writing through the lens of Christ's word and (2) teach them to read complex, high-level works like writers do—with eyes keenly observing the apologetic elements of fiction and the arts—while (3) allowing them to place their learning into immediate application with supportive publishing of their polished works... because, as editors, our writing mentors know that the best way to learn advanced writing is to do it!
What ages do you serve?
The events shared in our newsletters, and the products in our store are open to all creatives in the body of Christ! We even encourage whole families to write and submit stories together!
Anistemi Authors Academy is for advanced and mature writers ages 14 and up. It's intended for high school writers who love to write and are eager to "take captive every thought captive to Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5).
click below to see what we're about
*exceprt from our summer publishing challenge
At this time, we do not have the resources to publish full-length novels by authors who have not been through our program that carefully prepares young authors for success in the traditional publishing industry.
What We Publish
SHORT WORKS BY YOUNG CHRISTIAN AUTHORS
Currently, we primarily publish short works since that allows us to serve more writers. Our contests and free events are a great way to connect. To hear about these, sign up for our newsletter.
FULL-LENGTH BOOKS BY VETTED ANISTEMI AUTHORS
We also publish full-length novels written by authors who have been through Anistemi Author's Academy, a program designed to help young Christian writers ensure their literary works align with their beliefs and edify Christian readers. To learn about our arts program, visit Anistemi.Academy.
Be encouraged & inspired by other YA Christian authors:
Read new fiction stories that use elements of storytelling to pursue creative call as worship and discover each author's unique voice. Our YA authors believe the Bible is true—and are exploring how that understanding can help write stories that awakens the imagination, stirs the heart, and encourages love for God and others.
All stories are vetted by Anistemi's editorial team. We select only titles that assert biblically sound perspectives. Titles are labeled by topic to assist parents of young children in finding the best reads for the specific souls they nurture. Story influences the readers heart by encouraging us to love the characters, behaviors, and values that are presented as good. We are careful to select only those that—even when processing heavy topics—lift up the values taught and modeled by Christ through his Word.
Read creative nonfiction that examines the biblical mindsets, skills, and techniques that allow Christian authors to write more meaningful (thus more deeply enjoyed and widely read) books—and advice from publishing and editorial staff intended to help demystify the realities of writing as a career and publishing as an industry.
Destroying Deception: The Discerning Author
Good writers are also good readers—but not every great book points toward what is good, true, and beautiful. How do we, as Christian writers. learn from the masters of craft while also guarding our he... ...more
Mindset
November 27, 2025•6 min read
The Formidable Power We Wield
In this blogpost, author Katherine Ballard explores the formidable power of words. Christian writers are edified by consideration of such depth. ...more
The Nature of Words
November 17, 2025•8 min read
Escape Perfectionism: How to Write Your Best by Letting Go
Many Christian writers are know that familiar ache for perfection—the longing to get it just right, to find words worthy of the message of our call. But somewhere between the edits and the doubts, we ... ...more
Escapism
November 13, 2025•9 min read
I cannot imagine my writing improving as it did without the aid, guidance, and editorial feedback provided through the Workshop. Yes, there was work I had to do, but support from those who can see both the big picture and the minute details is indispensable in navigating the great ocean of content and stylistic choices.
I've always enjoyed writing, but somewhere in the back of mind, I've had the wish to see some of my work published. The Summer Publishing Workshop was the first time I ever got to see a bit of my goal accomplished.
The Art of Meaningful Story was thoughtful and encouraging and challenged me to grow as a writer while thinking more deeply about faith, purpose, and storytelling. The assignments were manageable and meaningful, with a great variety from poetry to analysis. Sharing work with supportive feedback made the experience especially encouraging. This course was very rewarding, and I gained more confidence in writing, stronger craft skills, and a deeper appreciation for creativity. I would highly recommend it to any Christian writer seeking growth in a Christ-centered environment.
The process of starting with an idea and finishing a complete, published story was enjoyable, including watching ideas come together, getting feedback from other authors, and putting together a meaningful final product.
This book is so thorough and was easy to understand and follow as a person completely new to coding. It walks you step by step on how to start your coding journey while also keeping a Christian worldview in mind. Mr. Partridge encourages you, the reader, to challenge yourself with what you're learning and look further into to topics on your own while also giving you a sturdy base to start with. The text is interactive and encouraging, textbooks aren't always fun to read, but this one definitely is! If the book didn't deep dive on certain topics, Mr. Partridge offers other resources (websites or other books) to look into should the reader want to know more. Some of the code blocks got tricky to follow when altering just sections and parts, especially in the final chapters, but overall this book is fantastic, I will 100% be recommending it to anyone wanting to learn to code!
The Art of Meaningful Story really stretched me as a writer and reader in ways I haven't been before. It is challenging but rewarding. I feel as if I'm truly learning how to find the deeper meanings and themes in stories, so I can implement them into my own writing! If you're looking to make your writing more meaningful and powerful, I couldn't recommend this course enough!
Explore Our Offerings
Who We Are
We invest in young authors, artists, & storytellers because we know their content is not the treasure: they are, the individual created in the image of God to declare good news!
Here's How We Invest:
We host the Anistemi Open Access Library as a source of family-friendly content to nurture young creatives. Please visit anytime and share freely!
Our newsletter (sign up here) is how we connect families and YA readers with new content that is engaging & edifying! We feature everything from new blogposts to new novels by our featured authors.
Through Anistemi Authors Academy, we scaffold young authors with the benefits of a traditional publishing model built on relationship and designed for ongoing support. Anistemi Authors Academy is also a excellent alternative to traditional English courses for advanced, motivated writers because it provides them real-world experience in the work professional writers do. For more information on our courses, visit Anistemi Authors Academy site.
What We Believe
Our distinctives are upheld by our certainty that the Bible is inerrant (2 Timothy 3:16-17), that Christ is who the Bible says He is (John 14:9), and that Christ accomplished what countless eye witnesses testified to through scripture, many at the cost of their lives: Jesus Christ lived a sinless life (1 John 3:5), "gave himself for our sins to deliver us according to the will of God the Father (Galatians 1:4), defeated death (2 Timothy 1:10), rising from the grave (Romans 8:11), and ascended to heaven (Mark 16:19) where He currently intercedes for all those who believe in His name, accept His offer of salvation, and follow Him (John 17 & Romans 8:31-39). Thus, we confidently affirm:
+ Every person was designed in God's image, and that our call to sub-create is a good gift from God (Genesis 1:26-27).
+ As with all things, all our stories (those we are living) and those we write have their being in Christ's story (Colossians 1:15-17).
+ Christ-followers have exceptional creative insight because they regularly communicate with the source of creativity in whom all things have their
being: Christ the living Word (1 Thessalonians 5:16-21 & John 1:1-5).
+ The Holy Spirit is The Teacher, and every believer who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit has all they need to be equipped for every good work (2
Timothy 3:16-17).
+ Collaborating on creative projects that uphold Christian values offers creatives in the body of Christ the opportunity to love God and love others
(Galatians 5:22-26).
+ Young creatives benefit from mentorship opportunities with older creators who are experienced in discerning how artistic choices and fiction
messages help believers fulfill the scriptural call to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3-5).
+ Manmade tools and machines (from primitive charcoal to modern AI) are only tools, are innately flawed by the shortcomings of their makers, and
can never be truly creative or generative since they are not made in the image of God.
+ Despite our best and most faithful attempts, all our works are manmade and cannot be equivocated with the works of God (Romans 3:23, James
3:2, etc.).
+ Christian creatives can rest in the Holy Spirit to accomplish what they cannot and boldly seek to proclaim Christ with the voice, gifts, and
perspectives God has given them (Matthew 5:13-16, Philippians 3:12-16, etc.).
Got questions?
That's cool. We love your curiosity & interest!
And we'd love to hear from you! Email anytime! Or give us a call at (509) 560-8360 during business hours. We're open Monday through Friday, from 9am to 5pm, PST.