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

Posted in Submitting For Publication | 4 Comments

A Writer’s Conference with a Difference (or two)

Hello fellow Children’s Writers and Friends,

I hope the past fortnight has been good to you and if you’re in Australia you’ve managed to stay cool somehow in our 43 degree plus heatwave.

Despite the heat, I’ve had a very productive writing fortnight mainly due to the surprisingly action-packed WriteOnCon online conference. In fact, my $5 access has only just finished yesterday. The Conference itself went from the 3-5th US time, with access to everything bar the live events, which were of course finished, continuing for an entire week after that. For those who had paid the extra to be able to attend the live events (pointless for me as they were in the middle of the night here) their access continues until March the 6th, not bad for a $10-15 outlay.

So how was the Conference itself? Great, I loved the freedom of dipping in and out of it, knowing that I wasn’t going to miss anything because I still had a whole week to catch up on blogs and vlogs I’d not yet looked at while I continued with my day to day activities. I loved the forums where I could post work or query letters for critiquing as long as I returned the favour and critiqued five others. This I have to admit was a little hectic as for the most part it was done within the actual conference time. I loved that there were ‘secret’ agents and editors who attended the forum under pseudonyms and made some full requests. Despite very positive critiques, I had no luck on that count this time, although I’m sure that this is only because no ‘secret’ agent or editor actually saw my work. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

I was impressed that two days before my time was due to expire I was sent an email reminder to return and ensure I had got all I could out of the blogs, vlogs and forums, which I most certainly had. So all in all for the cost, the wealth of experienced authors, editors and publishers, the range of topics and the forums which also covered everything from mind-mapping to characterisation, to the steps in the publication process after your ms is accepted, to POV, to author photographs, to writing PBs, YA or Epic Fantasy Novels, this is a conference I would recommend you ‘attend’. WriteOnCon is a conference to enjoy from the comfort of your own home… or your work lunch break… or your favourite restaurant… or anywhere you wish in February 2018. I’m going to check out the Indiegogo in November this year though, for even more features and opportunities and I recommend you do too.

Short and mighty sweet this time, so until next time…
Farewell Fellow Travellers,
Savour the quest
Journeygirl

Posted in Writing Conferences | Leave a comment