2011 Children’s Book Publishers for Unagented Writers
Christine Dixon
Published by Cottage Country Press at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Christine Dixon
ISBN 978-0-9866460-0-3
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tips for Writing Query Letters
Introduction
As a writer and book publishing student, one obstacle continued to pop up. Unagented children’s writers are having an increasingly difficult time finding publishers who will accept unagented queries and manuscripts.
When searching publishing company websites for submission guidelines I began to notice that more and more have those dreaded words ‘not accepting unsolicited manuscripts. Must be submitted through an agent.’
That’s how this ebook was born. After spending hundreds of hours scouring the internet and searching page after page on publishers websites, it became clear that a directory for unagented children’s writers was long overdue.
More and more small publishers are becoming imprints of large publishing houses, and adapting their policy of not accepting unagented work. This directory has active links to over 150 publishers who will consider the work of unagented writers.
My hope is that this ebook will save children’s writers from wasting hundreds of hours searching for appropriate publishers for their work. In turn this directory will help writers spend more time doing what it is they love - writing!
Tips for Writing Query Letters
What is a query letter?
A query letter is:
- a mini-proposal, a pitch about your manuscript
- a tool to hook the attention of the editor
- a tool to describe your manuscript
- introduce yourself and include relevent information
- a tool to inspire the editor to ask to see more
Query letters are your most important marketing tool to sell your manuscript. Most editors (except in the case of picture books) prefer a query letter for a manuscript than receiving the entire text.
It saves them time in determining whether:
- the story is a good fit for the publisher’s list
- you are a coherent and effective writer
- you can grab their attention quickly and keep it
- your publishing history
- you have read the writer’s guidelines and followed the instructions
Many publishers will ask for the entire manuscript of a picture book rather than a query letter. In this case you need to send a cover letter and the picture book manuscript.
A query letter saves the editor time so they don’t have to weed through a huge slush pile, and it saves you money in postage expenses.
Query Letters 101
- a query letter should look like a business letter, because that’s exactly what it is. It should be only one page in length. Format it as you would any business letter.
- be sure that you have the correct editor’s name, spelled correctly.
- only propose or introduce one manuscript in your query.
- pitch the book without mentioning how much your kids love it - that just screams amateur.
- be professional with your language. Anything less will make you sound amateur. Writing is a business as much as any other and any editor who’s interested in your work will want to know you are capable of professional working relationships.
- unless the submission guidelines specifically instruct you not to include a SASE, include one.
- do not submit by email unless the publisher has made it clear that they will accept an electronic submission
- always check your spelling before sending out your query. ALWAYS!
Writing Tips
- read the types of books you want to write.
- set time aside when you can be left alone to create, concentrate, and write.
- have a special place where you are comfortable, even if it means writing in a crowded cafe, if it works for you, then it works.
- master the art of writing effective query letters. Like a resume, your query letter has to capture the editor’s attention quickly.
- attend writer’s workshops, writing conferences, whenever you can. Getting to know people in the writing community is good networking.
- pay attention to events where publishers attend, and find a way to attend.
- enter writing competitions whenever possible.
Legend & Tips
Use this legend to decifer what types of books each publisher will consider. Keep in mind that publishers change their submission guidelines from time to time. This legend will save you time in your submission efforts to find an appropriate publisher.
Some publishers use different genre terms so we have included all of them. The best way to determine if you are submitting the correct genre is visit the website and study their list.
BB Board Books
PB Picture Books
ER Early Readers
CB Chapter Books
MG Middle Grade
J Juvenile
YA Young Adult
NF Non-Fiction
FT Folk Tales
ED Educational
What do these symbols mean?
Board Book - for infants and young toddlers with very few words
Picture Book - generally ages 4 to 8, approx 1000 words, but up to 1500. Usually 32 illustrated pages
Early Reader -Easy to read, up to 64 pages and sometimes broken into chapters.
Chapter Book - usually ages 7 to 10, with up to 64 manuscript pages of text
Middle Grade - ages 8 to 10, up to 150 pages, with sub-plots and secondary characters
Juvenile - covers most genres from early readers and on
Young Adult - for ages 12 and up, 130 to 200 pages long, sometimes longer. Usually complex and deals with problems and struggles of today's teens
Non-Fiction - books which are fact based, can be illustrated or printed with photographs
Folk Tales - publishes retellings of old fairy tales, legends, and myths, and new ones as well
Educational - publishes texts and books for use in schools and educational settings
Tips To Remember
Please visit each website to determine what types of books they publish and if your manuscript fits their list. Please follow the submission guidelines exactly.
If the publisher accepts email submissions or queries it will be stated. Emailing submissions to a publisher who expressly does not want to receive them will not help you. Please respect the publishers wishes.
In order to save you time links have been included to the website.
The links provided were active at the time of this books creation. If you find a dead link please feel free to email it to vangoach@bmts.com.
We only include publishers that accept queries, manuscripts, and/or book proposals from unagented writers. If you know of a publisher that is not listed here please feel free to forward the publishers name to us so we can update the book and share the information with other writers.
These publishers are still willing to accept submissions from writers without agents. The list of publishers that will do this is shrinking. It is therefore important that writers respect publishers guidelines, study their lists, and submit in the manner specified. Otherwise these publishers’ slush piles will grow and they will become one of the publishers who only accept agented submissions.
*Note The submission method will specify how the publishers accepts submissions. They will either accept email submissions from their website (always send from the email link on the website to be sure you get the current email address), they will accept by mail with SASE, or they will accept by mail (with no SASE required).
The Publishers
A PUBLISHERS
ABDO PUBLISHING
NF grades pre-K to 12
ABDO nonfiction books contain high-quality text, timelines, maps, diagrams and sidebars, full-color photos, primary source materials, and more.
Submission Guidelines online
Submission Method: by mail with SASE
ABINGDON PRESS
http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/home.aspx
All genres
The first name in religious publishing
Submission Guidelines online
Submission Method: by mail with SASE
ABOVE THE CLOUDS PUBLISHING
http://www.abovethecloudspublishing.com/index2.html
PB
Above the Clouds Publishing provides uplifting tales with characters that have ageless appeal.
Submission Guidelines online
Submission Method: by mail with SASE
ABRAMS BOOKS
NF only at this time
The books range from story books to poetry to the fine arts and other nonfiction.
Submission Guidelines online
Submission Method: by mail with SASE
AC BLACK
http://www.acblack.com/default.aspx
PB, CB, J, NF
A&C Black also publishes a wide range of children’s fiction and non-fiction books aimed to aid teachers and parents in the education of their children.
Submission Guidelines online
Submission Method: email from website
ACORN PRESS CANADA
http://www.acornpresscanada.com/home
PB, CB
Works published by the Acorn Press continue the PEI tradition of literature with local interest and global appeal.
Submission Guidelines online
Submission Method: by mail
ACTION PUBLISHING
PB, J, YA, NF