Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Manuscripts

7/14/2014

The world of publishing is slow. And this puts writers in a tough place. Getting an agent is just as hard as getting an editor at a publishing house to acquire your book. Some would say (it's even harder.)

This may leave new writers wondering, what should I do? Put all my efforts into finding an agent since so many publishing houses are closed to unsolicited submissions? Or do I go ahead and submit to the ones that are still open? Or is it a combination of both?

Keep in mind that if you submit to a house and are rejected, that leaves one less house that an agent can submit your work to if you acquire that agent later on.

It's a tough decision to make, especially when everything moves so slow in this industry.
However, if you decide to sub yourself, I've put together a list of publishers still accepting unsolicited manuscripts. (If you find an error or know of another house, please comment below.) Before submitting to any of them, always do your own research and double check their submission guidelines as everything is always changing.

Boyds Mills

http://www.boydsmillspress.com/

Charlesbridge

http://www.charlesbridge.com/

Chronicle

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/

Clarion

http://www.hmhco.com/customer-care/faqs

Creston Books

http://www.crestonbooks.co/submissions.html

Dial Books for Young Readers http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/publishers/yr/dial.html

Dutton Children’s Books http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/pyrg-subguides.html

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers http://www.eerdmans.com/Pages/YoungReaders/EBYR-Guidelines.aspx

Holiday House

http://www.holidayhouse.com/

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Children's Author

http://www.hmhco.com/customer-care/faqs

Ideals Publication

http://www.idealsbooks.com/info/author_guidelines

Kane/Miller

http://www.kanemiller.com/submissions.html

Lee and Low

http://www.leeandlow.com/p/wguide.mhtml

Arthur Levine

http://www.arthuralevinebooks.com/submission.asp

Margaret McElderry

http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/margaret-k-mcelderry-books/resources

*Website doesn’t say they accept unsolicited. But 2014 Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market says they publish 50% from unagented writers. How to contact: Margaret K. Mcelderry Books, Imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10020. (Justin Chanda, vice president, Karen Wojtyla, editorial director, Gretchen Hirsh, associate editor, Ann Bobco, excutive art director.

Peachtree Childrens Books

http://peachtreepub.blogspot.com/p/submission-guidelines.html

Philomel

http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/pyrg-subguides.html

Price Stern Sloan

http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/pyrg-subguides.html

Putnam

http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/pyrg-subguides.html

Renaissance House

http://www.renaissancehouse.net/opportunities.htm

Walker and Co.

http://www.bloomsbury.com/

*Website says Bloomsbury doesn’t accept unsolicited. However the 2014 Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market lists Walker & Co. does accept unsolicited. Send SASE and complete picture book manuscript to 175 Fifth Ave. 7th Floor, New York, NY 10010. (Contact either Emily Easton or Mary Kate Castellani, editor)

Albert Whitman and Co.

http://www.albertwhitman.com/content.cfm/editorial-guidelines-for-writers

*Website says they weren’t accepting unsolicited until Jan. 2014. So they should be now.

Mandy Yates is currently an elementary reading specialist and children's book writer. She has an MFA in creative writing from Spalding University and has been published multiple times in Highlights Magazine.

She is also assisting Mira in teaching The Craft and Business of Writing Children's Books. http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/writing-childrens-picture-books.html, as well as The Chapter Book Alchemist http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/the-chapter-book-alchemist.html .

Find some of her teacher resources over at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mandy-Yates.

And you can follow her on Pinterest, Twitter,and Facebook.

45 Comments

Cindy Williams Schrauben link

7/14/2014 01:40:50 am

Thanks for the great list, Mandy. This is a dilemma to be sure. It is one of those decisions that we have to each make for ourselves - a "follow your gut thing", I guess.

Eucabeth

7/14/2014 01:48:45 am

Thanks!. I look forward to finding an agent. That is my first preference. It is a tough world out there. :-)

Sally Spratt link

7/14/2014 01:54:12 am

Thanks for the great list.

DONNA SADD link

7/14/2014 01:55:00 am

This is a great resource, Mandy. Thank you for the time you took to put it together. :0)

Vicky Lorencen link

7/14/2014 02:50:45 am

I am beginning my agent search--tomorrow, in fact--but this is a wonderful resource to have regardless of when/if I receive representation. Thank you!

Donna Shepherd link

7/14/2014 03:27:45 am

Thank you, thank you!

Deb Bergerson

7/14/2014 03:46:36 am

Thanks for the great list/links Mandy.! All help is appreciated.

Linda Epstein link

7/14/2014 03:50:46 am

This is great information for authors. But, it's important to distinguish between submitting to an imprint at a publishing house and submitting to the whole house. If, for example, you submit a ms directly to Dutton and it gets rejected, and then you get an agent, your agent can still submit to other imprints at Penguin. Also, just because an imprint publishes 50% un-agented authors, doesn't mean they're open to unsolicited un-agented submissions. Many editors are open to and request manuscripts at conferences from un-agented authors.

Dee Hale

7/9/2016 01:36:29 pm

Thanks Linda

Stacy S. Jensen link

7/14/2014 04:06:49 am

Thanks for the information.

Mandy

7/14/2014 04:07:12 am

Thanks for clarifying Linda!

Angela Padron link

7/14/2014 06:11:04 am

Mandy you're so awesome. Thanks for this list!

Linda Moore Kurth link

7/14/2014 06:14:30 am

Thanks so much, Mandy. My writing goal for the rest of the summer is lining up which houses I want to submit my various manuscripts with. Your list will be a tremendous help.

sally suehler

7/16/2014 04:49:24 am

Good for you Linda! Wish you love.

Alison Hertz link

7/14/2014 06:15:53 am

Thank you for this list!

amalia hoffman link

7/14/2014 07:01:09 am

Thank you so much for this list. Great to know!

cecilia link

7/14/2014 12:30:55 pm

thank you for compiling this list and sharing it with us.

Virginia Rinkel link

7/14/2014 12:53:07 pm

Thank you Mandy! You've really helped everyone with this list. It's an invaluable head start worth of guidance.

Julie Dillemuth

7/14/2014 03:00:48 pm

Wow, what a great resource, Mandy! Thanks for posting this. Saves us from paging through the Marketplace book, which is discouraging since there are so many closed houses.

7/14/2014 03:10:44 pm

Little Pickle Press is also open to submissions:
http://www.littlepicklepress.com/resources/submitting-manuscript/
they have guidelines about topics they are looking for.

Irena Squires link

11/24/2015 05:42:14 pm

Does little pickle press accept childrens illustrated picture books about Aliens?
If not could you let me know what publisher do.
I would be most greatfull for your reply.
Thank you
Irena squires

7/9/2016 01:39:30 pm

Thanks Julie

graciela becker link

5/5/2019 02:45:07 pm

seeking publication of short stories--soft conflict--all take place in old mexico in better times, loving stories, descriptive stories, great conflicts, perhaps 22 stories--tales

Elizabeth McBride

7/15/2014 04:08:29 am

Thank you for the list. It is very helpful!

7/15/2014 05:47:46 am

Mandy you are truly amazing! When I was a new mom, I barely got out of my pajamas at times (and we are not talking Victoria's Secret pajamas here) Thank you so much!

CS Perryess link

7/16/2014 03:20:16 am

Thanks for the update list. I'm not good about doing that kind of work, which limits the information at my fingertips & decreases the likelihood I'll get around to submitting. I feel big gratitude to folks like you who take care of this part of the job for me.

7/16/2014 04:51:57 am

Good for you Linda. Wish you love.

Mary McClellan

10/26/2014 09:54:01 am

Thanks so much for this valuable info!!

seth

1/3/2015 10:03:41 am

Thank you so much for the help. One more question though; When submitting children's picture books what format is customary? Should I keep each page, or just paragraph the pages and denote it in parentheses?

Amy

5/26/2015 02:21:55 am

This is a great list but of course, things change quickly in the publishing/kids' publishing world. Is it possible to do an update for 2015? Thank.

Tami

11/8/2015 06:04:26 pm

Just wondering if you have a list of agents that are really good and are taking new clients. Thank You

Frank link

11/20/2015 12:56:53 pm

It is a tough decision, and as you said the wheels turn very slowly. What to do...

Sara Bruno

11/29/2015 12:41:33 pm

Thank you, great info

Meenakshi KP

12/29/2015 12:51:53 pm

It is a great list. Thanks so much.

Geary

1/29/2016 02:52:36 pm

I just wanted to thank you for your great list. I will submit several of my children's books. Thanks!

Subrina

4/12/2016 10:27:22 am

Thanks for the information.

I got my first turn down from Scholastic Professional Books, but I am not deterred.

Annemarie Guertin

6/7/2016 04:26:57 pm

Open to Unsolicited Manuscripts….
August House
Cedar Fort Inc.
Familius
Flashlight Press
Little Pickle Press
Might Media Press
Sunbury Press

7/9/2016 01:42:56 pm

Thank you Annmarie

rand link

6/24/2016 07:24:50 pm

Thanks for the list.

Nerissa

8/17/2016 07:42:35 pm

Thank you greatly!

8/17/2016 07:43:44 pm

Thank you kindly! This is a wealth of information for Authors trying to get published.

Kara McLeod

1/31/2017 09:35:18 pm

Brilliant thank you Mandy.

Michelle

11/18/2017 04:02:29 pm

This is awesome! Thank you so much!!

Katie

5/21/2018 08:53:51 am

The Dutton Children's Book link doesn't work. :(

deepaabp

6/26/2018 01:44:53 am

Tom Corson-Knowles, the author who founded Bestseller Ranking Pro, spent six long years trying to get a traditional publishing deal (and failed miserably). He finally decided to self publish his first book on Kindle in February, 2012.

That one decision changed his life (and the lives of the more than 30,000 authors he's since taught how to write, publish and market their books professionally).

Just twelve months after self publishing his first book, Tom had his first $12,000+ month from Kindle ebook royalties alone.

In Bestseller Ranking Pro, Tom will share with you his step-by-step system for becoming a bestselling author.

These strategies have also helped Tom and his private publishing clients create more than sixty-seven #1 Amazon bestselling books and counting.

If you're going to write, publish or promote a book this year, you need to see this:

https://bestsellerrankingpro.com?vhbshygdf398432

Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Manuscripts

Leave a Reply.