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.
46 Comments
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.
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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. :-)
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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)
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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!
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Deb Bergerson
7/14/2014 03:46:36 am
Thanks for the great list/links Mandy.! All help is appreciated.
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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.
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Dee Hale
7/9/2016 01:36:29 pm
Thanks Linda
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Mandy
7/14/2014 04:07:12 am
Thanks for clarifying Linda!
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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.
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sally suehler
7/16/2014 04:49:24 am
Good for you Linda! Wish you love.
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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.
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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.
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Julie Dillemuth
7/14/2014 03:10:44 pm
Little Pickle Press is also open to submissions:
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11/24/2015 05:42:14 pm
Does little pickle press accept childrens illustrated picture books about Aliens?
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Dee Hale
7/9/2016 01:39:30 pm
Thanks Julie
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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
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Elizabeth McBride
7/15/2014 04:08:29 am
Thank you for the list. It is very helpful!
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sally suehler
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!
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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.
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sally suehler
7/16/2014 04:51:57 am
Good for you Linda. Wish you love.
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Mary McClellan
10/26/2014 09:54:01 am
Thanks so much for this valuable info!!
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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?
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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.
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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
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Sara Bruno
11/29/2015 12:41:33 pm
Thank you, great info
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Meenakshi KP
12/29/2015 12:51:53 pm
It is a great list. Thanks so much.
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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!
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Subrina
4/12/2016 10:27:22 am
Thanks for the information.
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Annemarie Guertin
6/7/2016 04:26:57 pm
Open to Unsolicited Manuscripts….
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Dee Hale
7/9/2016 01:42:56 pm
Thank you Annmarie
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Nerissa
8/17/2016 07:42:35 pm
Thank you greatly!
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Nerissa
8/17/2016 07:43:44 pm
Thank you kindly! This is a wealth of information for Authors trying to get published.
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Kara McLeod
1/31/2017 09:35:18 pm
Brilliant thank you Mandy.
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Michelle
11/18/2017 04:02:29 pm
This is awesome! Thank you so much!!
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Katie
5/21/2018 08:53:51 am
The Dutton Children's Book link doesn't work. :(
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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.
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