Open For Submission!

By Stephanie Bearce

You've finished your book! You spent hours editing, revising, and reworking the manuscript. Your critique group says it's ready to submit.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO??
Should you start the agent hunt? Look for a publisher? Start a new project?

My advice is ALL OF THE ABOVE!
Finding the perfect agent is everybody's dream. But it definitely takes a lot of effort and TIME! You want an agent who understands your writing and your career goals. It is worth the work it takes to find the right agent, but sometimes - especially when writing nonfiction - manuscripts are time sensitive. You may want to consider submitting directly to open publishers.

I LOVE my agent and am incredibly grateful to have found her, BUT I also published 28 books by submitting directly to publishers. You may start your publishing career with a book contract and THEN find your agent. It does happen. So, be open to a variety of publishing processes.

If you have a story that is ready to submit - take a look at the list of open publishers below. I've done the research to find their submission guidelines and provide you the link. Your job is to find the publisher who is looking for your type of book. Just like when you query an agent, make sure the publisher is a good match for your project. 
​I'd love to hear from you if you have questions. Please write them in the comment section. I'll do my best to give helpful answers.
​Best wishes for 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
 
 
 

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