Australian Children’s Publishers

Hello Fellow Children’s Writers and Friends,

This week’s post looks deceivingly simple, but is hopefully very helpful to as many of us as possible. This scenic adventure on the publication route began because I had a couple of manuscripts to submit this week and in preparation last week  (as you know) I began to research where I might send them. I found it difficult to find one place where publishers who are accepting manuscript submissions are recorded and where their details are up to date. The closest I could find was at www.creativekidstales.com.au  So with their help and that of Publishers Global I have made the following list of Australian Children’s Publishers and highlighted those open for author and/or illustrator submissions and what sort of submissions they are i.e.trade, digital, cooperative or assisted (essentially a version of self publishing as I’m assuming ‘work for hire’ is, if not and you know please tell the rest of us in the comments section below).

I will endeavour to keep it up to date by checking these links regularly. In the meanwhile, have a good look through to find the publishers and publishing style which best suit you and your work and good luck! Oh, and wish me luck too-please!

 Key: * Accepting submissions

        ** A version of self publishing
          ~ Accepting submissions with some exceptions/conditions

          ^ Digital publication only

About Kids Books– accepting children’s book submissions except for Picture Books

Allen and Unwin– Friday Pitch accepts all ms submissions bar Picture Books, Poetry and Short Stories

**Balboa Press (A division of Hay House) open for self-publishing

* Big Sky Publishing– currently accepts unsolicited non-fiction manuscripts and children’s titles in fiction, non-fiction and picture book format.

 Black Dog Books – A Division of Walker Books Australia -Unable to accept unsolicited fiction or Picture Books

* Blake Education is accepting Primary and Secondary Resource Guides especially Indigenous perspective for Primary and IWB and laptop compatible for Secondary

Bloomsbury Spark– publishing ebooks only for teen, YA and New Adult

Boolarong Press– accepting all genres particularly from QLD authors, but speak to them first (phone number provided)

 Brolly Books– not accepting unsolicited submissions at the moment

 Celapene– website currently states not accepting unsolicited mss, however, this has not been updated in sometime and perhaps a polite query might clarify matters

Christmas Press Picture Books– accepting illustration submissions electronically

DoctorZed Publishing– click link for an Inquiry to Submit Form

EK Books– accepting submissions sent digitally

~ ERA Publications– accepts submissions from illustrators and occasionally from authors, although ERA usually commission their authors.

* Ford Street Publishing – currently open for submissions

~ Fremantle Press– open for residents of WA or those of WA origin

 Hachette Australia – not accepting children’s book submissions at the moment

 Hardie Grant Egmont– accepting  submissions for the Ampersand Prize only

 Harper Collins – accept submissions via the Wednesday Post, but not at the moment

** Hinkler – open for enquiries and submissions on a ‘work for hire basis’

* IAD – accept enquiries for Indigenous Authors and Artists

** InHouse Publishing – open for submissions for ‘Assisted Independent Publishing’

** Inspiring Publishers – for Cooperative Publishing in Self-help, How to, Business books, Mind, body and spirit, Emotional healing novels, Self Help Psychology books and Children’s books that teach something.

^ IP Kidz – accepting ms for digital publication

 Little Pink Dog Books – not currently open to submissions

** Little Steps Publishing – open to partnership publishing

* Magabala Books – publishes works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We do consider collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples that have 50% authorship by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person(s) – from inception

 Morris Publishing – not accepting submissions till later in 2017

* New Frontier – accepting submissions (they recommend you buy their submissions pack)

* New Holland – accepting submissions but primarily publish Non Fiction

* Nosy Crow – accepting submissions

Pan McMillan – accept submissions except PBs on Manuscript Monday year round

* Penguin Random House Australia -accepting submissions from Feb to Nov inclusive

Scholastic Australia – Publishes under four imprints; Scholastic Press, Scholastic Australia, Omnibus Books and Koala Books. None of these are accepting submissions at the moment

Simon and Shuster – not accepting submssions at the moment

* Text Publishing – accepting submissions for mss suitable for upper primary to adult

~ The Five Mile Press – currently accepting submissions from illustrators only

UQP – currently not accepting Children’s or YA ms submissions 

~ Ventura Press – accepting ms submissions and/or book proposals except PBs

Walker Books – accepting MG and YA submissions on Walker Wednesday, the first Wednesday of each month. Unfortunately I cannot get the link for them or Black Dog to work at the moment. You can reach them by typing walkerbooks.com into your search engine

Wild Eyed Press – currently closed for submissions

* Windy Hollow Books – accepting submissions

* Wombat – accepting submissions 

Working Title Press – not accepting submissions until further notice.

By the way, as you can imagine no doubt, Publishers Global is a worldwide site which covers all types of publication, not just book publishers. There are 442 in the Australian section alone and 840 in the Children’s section worldwide. As I continue to wade through it, I may even find some more which belong here. If I do I’ll add them, so be sure to come back and check every couple of months.

Well the road was long and hard this (extended) fortnight, but very rewarding.

Farewell for now fellow travellers,

Savour the Quest

Journeygirl

About Artelle Lenthall

Hi Fellow Children’s Writers and Friends, I am a published Picture Book author as well as a wife, mother and Primary School teacher. I am loving the new 'sites' on the continuing road to publication. I belong to the Fellowship of Australian Writers(FAW) Creative Kids Tales(CKT) Jen Storer’s The Scribblers and although I'd love to belong to more writing related organisations, I have found friends, support, critiquing and general encouragement with these, for which I am truly grateful. I also subscribe to Tara Lazar's specialist Picture Book website; How to Write For Kids While Raising Them, Buzz Words and The Duck Pond where I am one of the moderators. These inspire me in the development of my craft. Worth a look if like me, Picture Books and Children’s Writing are your passion.
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4 Responses to Australian Children’s Publishers

  1. good on you for sharing this information freely! 😉

    Like

    • I have had many wonderful writers sharing information with me (see my post Fun at the Festival, to see what Mem Fox shared with me, personally- not general info to a group) so it’s always good to be able to pay it forward. Also I’m a great believer in not reinventing the wheel, I was doing it anyway so why not share and save everybody else some time.

      Like

  2. Thanks Megan,
    I needed to do it anyway so it seemed a silly waste of time and resources not to share it with anyone else with the same interests.

    Like

  3. Megan Higginson says:

    Thanks for such a comprehensive list, Artelle. Wading through such list and searching for the publishers that are not only open for submissions, but for picture books is so time consuming. However, it is necessary. Thank you for making the search less painful.

    Like

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