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List of children's publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts
To anyone who submits children's fiction, I have put a list of publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts up on my blog at
http://loutreleaven.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/childrens-publishers-accepting-unsolicited-manuscripts/
with links to their submissions guidelines and notes on what each publisher requires.
I am hoping to keep this as an ongoing resource, so if anyone knows of any publishers I have missed out, please do tell me (note: fiction only, excluding picture books).
http://loutreleaven.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/childrens-publishers-accepting-unsolicited-manuscripts/
with links to their submissions guidelines and notes on what each publisher requires.
I am hoping to keep this as an ongoing resource, so if anyone knows of any publishers I have missed out, please do tell me (note: fiction only, excluding picture books).
Comments
I read the Robinswood one though, and for a publisher, their copy is amazingly badly laid out. Makes you wonder about the quality of their work...
Practically all one paragraph of dense information.
A valuable resource.
[quote=Liz!]I read the Robinswood one though, and for a publisher, their copy is amazingly badly laid out. Makes you wonder about the quality of their work...
Practically all one paragraph of dense information. [/quote]
I agree that doesn't do them justice at all. Goodness knows why they've allowed that! But from personal experience (they published two of my children's books a few years ago) it doesn't reflect the quality of their work. Look at their actual website for a better idea.
They are a very small publisher who sell almost entirely directly to schools. I've been in touch with them recently and I'm pretty sure they aren't looking for new authors at the moment.
Even as I put together the list, I had to delete Usborne and Orion as they've both stopped accepting unsolicited stuff since the last time I checked their submissions procedures.
Things can change quite quickly with any publisher!
Thanks for sharing your list, you may like to add Frances Lincoln books to it, http://www.franceslincoln.co.uk/en-gb/Page/104/Childrens_Submissions.html - they also run the Diverse Voices competition - 2011 deadline is in February.
Do you mind me asking how long before you got a response from Meadowside Books? A lot of publishers now say they will only respond if interested, do you think three months is a reasonable time to wait?
Jenny
http://talltalesandshortstories.blogspot.com/
from our very own TBer Tracy
Thanks Beck
Your first stop is the bookshop where you look for books written in rhyme, note the publishers, and then go check out their websites and guidelines. Then, you find out how to set it out so it fits their guidelines, and send it off. chicken? we all hate sending something out when we start, it's that fear of rejection. Unfortunately it's part of the writing life, being rejected (been there many, many times before gaining success) and all writers need a thick, thick skin. It is the writing being rejected, not the writer. And that is rejected because it may not be right for them at that moment.
Go do some market research with actual books, see who is putting out what, follow through with website research and then go send. Best of luck!
It's very hard to get rhyming fiction published, even experienced poets find it difficult to maintain for an entire book and difficult to publish.
Long poems aren't published much either, it's mainly 20 lines or shorter.
Rhyming picture books are around but not the norm as they have to be translatable, the Gruffalo ones are an exception which spring to mind. You have to write a picture book with picture books in mind as there are so many rules to stick to regarding number of layouts, number of words, cliffhangers at each page turn, comedy for both adult and child, most of the story in the pictures not the text etc. etc. It looks easy but it's an enormous skill and it's actually the hardest genre to write in and get published. It costs the publishers so much they have to get a co-publisher and that is someone abroad and that means not only the words but the feel of the story and the subject etc have to be translatable. It's one of the main reasons that picture books tend to be animals.
The easiest way to get rhyming stuff published for children is by getting a poem published in an anthology and going from there, that would entail looking at the anthologies on the market now (I didn't say this in my message to becky, but there is a new one just out, 'A Million Brilliant Poems (part one)' which I just happen to have 2 in!). See what sort of thing sells and try and emulate them. When you are sure you have a small collection of really good, short (short is important!) poems, you can look at who edits anthologies and send 6 poems off to the anthologiser, c/o the publisher, asking if they would consider you when they are asking for contributions to an anthology. If the editor (and most of them are poets themselves) like your work they'll answer and you will be put on their list.
It's a small world, most people know, or have heard of, everyone else.
Edit to say perhaps i should also mention that there is hardly anything being published at the moment in poetry as most of the publishers have shut their lists as they say it doesn't sell. Macmillan are the only ones really keeping it up and they have gone down from about 20 a year to 4. But it's still possible, Paul on here, a new children's poet has managed it recently!
I was told two years ago historical fiction was finished. Now it is booming, with Wolf Hall etc out there as well as Philippa Gregory, not to mention my ongoing series. Sometimes you have to go for it, regardless, knowing that the trends will change as publishers look for something different. Don't give up!
And, oddly, the rhymes were accepted without any problem, regardless of what they were about (apart from Festivals which they had checked by experts, as I covered all faiths) whereas the novel ... that went through the PC mill!
I just happened to write a book for children which rhymed and having been given a 'direction' I went with it but was prepared to send it 'mainstream' if they rejected it.
Oh, another pointer, the editor, who travelled from the Midlands to meet up with me, told me it was the covering letter which sold the first rhyming book more than the book itself, she loved the letter and the subtle humour I put in it.
I can only give advice as to what is the state in the here and now though - having spoken to publishers and been in the children's world for 10 years or so. Most of what I write is rhyming and the info above comes from letters from publishers and agents over the last few years.
No it doesn't, Lou ;)
Becky - looks like you've had lots of good advice from others already. You could check out the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, (SCBWI), consider joining and go to some of their events if you can.
Thanks again for the advice.
I was just thinking the same thing myself, Jenny!
I submitted some manuscripts to Meadowside too.
Mine came back after four weeks with some helpful feedback. Let's hope no news is good news if you're still waiting then. ;)
Also, Lou, I found another children's publisher accepting submissions, Templar (http://www.templarco.co.uk/contact.html) they do those fabulous 'ology' books but also children's fiction.
I'm getting quite a few hits on that list now.
So, we've got to comply, get the politics right and avoid dreadful unpopular subject matter, eh! (In spite of the hero Jamie weeing in his pants in the story!) Rotten old scientists writing for children (young teens) is an utter dead-duck?
Jixatron ([email protected])
Regards to all........
But what was it you said about schools and the state? Was that in your accompanying letter?
You've been going in writing for a long time - great stuff (1983 eh!). I fully admit the 'alternative' approach I support - might put bottlenecks into the 'path' and reduce chances. But where would Richard Dawkins, or Alex Comfort, or even Kropotkin have got if they'd cow-towed to the PC brigade. It's just what the status quo wants - shut up and toe the line for us to stay in control and power....
So yes, my support of the rapidly growing Home Education movement and the opposition to the 'tending to fascism' central State - makes things a rocky climb, but Capitalism must crash into the wall at some stage , as our poor Planet hits its crunch. We've got to write about it - so PC out! (Okay Kateyanne, you see why now, but there are some 'radical publishers' out there, I hope one or two read our blogs. I've had one e-mail - asking for a few details!?) Seasons Greetings. From jix.