By Nancy Churnin

Sometimes when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of the season, stop and smell the ideas.
 
My book, The Queen and the First Christmas Tree, Queen Charlotte’s Gift To England (illustrated by Luisa Uribe, Albert Whitman) was kicked off by a question: how and when did the Christmas tree became popular? The book is the true story of kind Queen Charlotte, who introduced the tradition at a party for 100 children at Windsor Castle in 1800.
 
But there are many ways to seek out seasonal nonfiction ideas. Consider these three books by Nonfiction Ninjas:

Lisa Amstutz's Applesauce Day is a story about making applesauce. What favorite foods do you eat during the holidays you celebrate? What are your traditions surrounding making those foods that make them special? Books about the significance of making different foods have won great acclaim, including Watercress by Andrea Wang and Fry Bread: A native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard.

When your family opens presents, something may come into your home that could be book-worthy! Susan Holt Kralovansky's We Really, Really Want a Dog! gives a fun but clear-eyed view on what's involved in adopting a dog. Toys can inspire wonderful read, too. Consider Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton and The Marvelous Thing that Came from a Spring: the Accidental Invention of the Toy that Swept the Nation by Gilbert Ford.

Even if you’re too busy to do anything but get through the holidays but this year, keep a notepad and pen handy to jot down moments of wonder and curiosity. That could end up being the best present you give yourself!

By Stephanie Bearce

Are you an author trying to get your manuscript published? You've done everything right - revised, rewritten, sent it through critique groups. Everyone agrees, your story is ready to go!

So how do you get your book published?
Should you start the agent search? Look for publishers? Start on a new project?

My advice is all of the above.

Whenever I finish one project, I immediately start on a new one. Career writers know that you can't depend on every manuscript getting published. You need to keep generating new material. Plus, both agents and editors like to know what else you have in your files!

If you are at the point where you have a finished novel, or a couple of full nonfiction proposals for MG/YA, or three to four perfected picture books, then you are ready for the agent search. But the reality is - finding an agent takes a lot of work and TIME. And sometimes, especially when writing nonfiction, your project can be time sensitive. You need to get it in front of an editor as soon as possible. In this case you may want to submit directly to open publishers.

I have an amazing agent and I am grateful to be her client. But before I signed with my agent, I sold 28 books on my own. (and this wasn't a hundred years ago) It is possible to sell your work directly to editors. You may find that getting an offer on your manuscript will even help you find an agent!

Submitting to publishers yourself is definitely something to consider for unagented authors. I have done the research for you and located publishing houses open to submissions. I've even given you the links to their submission guidelines.

Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to find the publisher that is looking for your type of manuscript. Researching the publisher is just as important as researching for the perfect agent.

I would love to answer questions you may have. Put them in the comment section ans I will do my best to give helpful answers.
I wish you publishing success!

Children’s Book Publishers Open for Submissions
 
Albert Whitman  https://www.albertwhitman.com/submission-guidelines-for-unrepresented-authors/
Allen and Unwin https://www.allenandunwin.com/about-allen-and-unwin/submission-guidelines
Andrews McMeel  https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/submissions/
Annick Press https://www.annickpress.com/Submission-Guidelines
Arbordale  https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/Submissions.htm
August House https://www.augusthouse.com/submissions-guidelines
Beyond Words Press https://beyondword.com/pages/manuscript-submissions
Cider Mill Press https://www.cidermillpress.com/pages/submissions
Charlesbridge https://www.charlesbridge.com/pages/submissions
Chicago Review Press https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/information-for-authors--amp--agents-pages-100.php
Chronicle Books https://www.chroniclebooks.com/pages/submissions
Dover Publications https://www.doverpublications.com/faq/contacting-dover#EDITSUB
Eerdmans https://www.eerdmans.com/Pages/About/Submission-Guidelines.aspx
Entangled Publishing https://entangledpublishing.com/submission-information
Feldheim https://www.feldheim.com/submissions
Flashlight Press http://flashlightpress.com/submission-guidelines/
Fly Away Books  https://www.flyawaybooks.com/submissions
Flying Eye Books https://flyingeyebooks.com/flying-eye/submissions/
Freespirit https://www.freespirit.com/Submission-Guidelines#
Gibbs Smith https://www.gibbs-smith.com/submissions
Hachai https://www.hachai.com/guidlines/
Hogs Back Books http://www.hogsbackbooks.com/HBB/pages/About-us.html
Holiday House https://holidayhouse.com/faqs/
Immedium http://www.immedium.com/contactus/submissions.html
Judaica Press https://www.judaicapress.com/pages/submissions
Just Us Books https://justusbooks.com/pages/resource-center/submission-guidelines.html
Kar-Ben https://www.karben.com/submissions
Kids Can Press https://www.kidscanpress.com/writers
Laurence King https://www.laurenceking.com/getting-published/
Lee and Low https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/writing-guidelines
Levine Querido https://www.levinequerido.com/submissions
Lion Hudson https://www.lionhudson.com/authors-and-illustrators/prospective-authors
Magination Press https://maginationpress.apabooks.org/?page_id=15
Mighty Media Press http://www.mightymediapress.com/submissions.html
New Frontier Books https://www.newfrontier.com.au/submission-guidelines
No Brow https://nobrow.net/flying-eye/submissions/?from=fe
Pants on Fire Press https://pantsonfirepress.com/submissions
Page Street Publishing https://www.pagestreetpublishing.com/submission-guidelines
Pelican Publishing https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/ContactUs/MakeMeAnAuthor
Penny Candy Books https://www.pennycandybooks.com/submit
Phaidon https://www.phaidon.com/about-phaidon/submitting-a-book-proposal/
Quarto https://www.quartoknows.com/staticpages/getintouch/submissionguidelines.aspx
Salaam Reads https://salaamreads.com/
Sky Pony Press https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/sky-pony-press/submissions/
Sterling https://dhjhkxawhe8q4.cloudfront.net/sterling-wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/11161557/AuthorGuidelines_new.pdf
Tanglewood Publishing https://www.tanglewoodbooks.com/submissions/
Thames and Hudson https://thamesandhudson.com/page/getting-published
Tilbury House https://www.tilburyhouse.com/submissions
Workman https://www.workman.com/work-with-us/author-submissions#1