Amazon Opens Its Doors to Self-Publishers of Children's Books

Even as half of Europe is sharpening their spears in preparation for a protracted war on Amazon, the self-publishing giant has made it even easier to publish books for children.

The main sticking point of uploading children’s books onto Amazon’s platform has been the difficulty of getting illustrations to convert to Kindle. Amazon appears to have solved that problem with KDP Kids, a publishing platform that allows authors to import illustrations, add pop-ups, and preview illustrated books with Kindle Kids' Book Creator.

More to the point, KDP Kids allows authors to target the parents - the people who are going to buy your book - of children in their demographic.

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Amazon Unveils KDP Kids

Source: Publishers Weekly, Sep 04, 2014

In a move designed to attract and support children’s book authors and self-publishers, Amazon has launched KDP Kids, a children's-focused illustrated and chapter book category in the Kindle Store.

Amazon is also introducing the Kindle Kids’ Book Creator, a set of authoring tools designed to facilitate the creation and production of kids’ digital titles for the Kindle format, including illustrated titles. Commenting on the launch and ability to create illustrated books, Kindle senior v-p Russ Grandinetti said, “No one should have to be a computer programmer to create a beautiful, illustrated book for kids."

The move marks the continuing growth of digital self-publishing in general as well as the growing number of children’s books already available via KDP. Under the new KDP Kids category, authors will also have access to the Kindle Kids Book Creator, which offers software tools (available for Windows and Mac OS) that can take advantage of Kindle format features like pop-up text, previews and the importation of illustrations.

KDP Kids authors can prepare their prose or illustrated books, upload them to KDP Kids and use a variety of filters for age, grade and reading levels to place the title and attract the specific customer leveled for their titles. Through the KDP Kids platform, authors can earn up to a 70% royalty depending upon book price.

KDP Kids authors will also have access to Kindle Marketing tools such as Countdown Deals and Free Book promotions. They are also eligible to enroll in Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s e-book subscription service, and the Kindle Lending Library.

24 US Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly From Writers

Updated 8/18/24

If you are a children's or young adult author, you have the option of submitting your work directly to publishers without needing a middleman. While most of these are small to mid-range publishers, some are big names in the industry.

As always, go to the publisher's website and read their list to see if your work would be a good fit. Read their submission requirements very carefully. If you don't follow their submission guidelines to the letter, they will not read your manuscript.

Be forewarned that if you submit your work directly to a publisher, and are rejected, you can't backtrack later and submit it again through an agent. Most agents will not represent works that have been previously "shopped" to publishers.
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Albert Whitman & Company

Albert Whitman & Company has been publishing award-winning children’s books since 1919. Albert Whitman’s special interest titles address subjects such as disease, bullying, and disabilities. Submissions: Albert Whitman and Company currently has an open submissions policy. They read and review unagented manuscripts and proposals for picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult novels. Email submissions only. Note: They will not review any submissions that do not follow their submission guidelines.

Levine Querido

Arthur A. Levine Books was founded in 1996 as an imprint of Scholastic Press. They produced more than one hundred seventy-nine works of hardcover literary fiction and nonfiction for children, teenagers, and adults. In 2019, Arthur A. Levine started an independent imprint, Levine Querido, focusing on diversity, with a mix of 75% minority creators, including people of color, Indigenous people, and LGBTQ individuals. Levine Querdio launched in fall 2020, with a debut list of 20 U.S. titles and five of what he described as “the world’s best books in translation.” Read submission guidelines here. Has submission periods.


August House


August House focuses on world folktales and the art and uses of storytelling. Submissions are by regular post only. Please review their guidelines before contacting them about publishing your work. They do not respond unless they are interested. Read guidelines here.

Yeehoo Press is dedicated to publishing fun, enchanting, and socially responsible children’s books foraudiences around the world. Their books are published and sold in simultaneous English and Simplified Chinese editions. Yeehoo Press has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, California, and Shanghai, China. Yeehoo is a boutique press publishing 10 to 15 books per year. They are looking for fictional and non-fiction picture books, both text-only and author-illustrator projects, aimed at ages 3-8. Read guidelines here.

Capstone

Capstone publishes both fiction and nonfiction books for struggling and reluctant readers. They have four imprints and three separate divisions with over 3,000 books in print. Submissions: Most of Capstone's books are produced in-house. Currently, they are only  interested in work-for-hire assignments. Read more here.

Charlesbridge

Charlesbridge publishes both picture books and transitional “bridge books” (books ranging from early readers to middle-grade chapter books). Nonfiction books focus on nature, science, social studies, and multicultural topics. Fiction titles include lively, plot-driven stories with strong, engaging characters. Submissions: Please submit only one or two manuscript(s) at a time. For picture books and books, please send a complete manuscript. For fiction books longer than 30 manuscript pages, please send a detailed plot synopsis, a chapter outline, and three chapters of text. For nonfiction books longer than 30 manuscript pages, please send a detailed proposal, a chapter outline, and one to three chapters of text. Regular mail only. They also accept YA.  No simultaneous submissions. Read guidelines here.

Free Spirit

Free Spirit publishes nonfiction books and learning materials for children and teens, parents, educators, counselors, and others who live and work with young people. With the exception of board books for early readers, they do not publish fiction. Submissions: Proposals to be considered must be sent by mail (not by fax or email). Include the following: A cover letter briefly outlining your project, the intended audience (including age ranges), and your relevant expertise; A current résumé; A detailed chapter-by-chapter outline; At least two sample chapters. (If a full manuscript is available, you may send it.); A market analysis with a comprehensive listing of similar titles and detailed explanation of how your project differs from available products; A description of your personal promotion plan for the proposed book (including both in-person and social media outreach). Read guidelines here.

 

Heartdrum 

Heartdrum is an imprint of HarperCollins focusing on Indigenous stories that reflect Native people whose Nations are located within the borders of what’s now called the United States and Canada. "We are open to considering picture book, chapter book, middle grade novel, and young adult novel manuscripts as well as middle grade and young adult nonfiction manuscripts, and both poetry and graphic novel formats. Writing that reflects young protagonists and/or youth-related topics are welcome. Our emphasis will be on contemporary, near histories and/or futuristic works, including realistic fiction and genre fiction." Read guidelines here.

Holiday House

Holiday House specializes in hardcovers, from picture books to young adult, both fiction and nonfiction for ages four and up. They do not publish mass market books, including pop-ups, activity books, sticker books, coloring books, or licensed books. Submissions: Holiday House only responds if they are interested in publishing your manuscript. Please send the entire manuscript, whether submitting a picture book or novel. All submissions should be directed to the Editorial Department, Holiday House, 425 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017. They do not accept submissions by email or fax. Read guidelines here.

Just Us Books

Just Us Books publishes children’s books that celebrate the diversity of Black history, culture and experiences. Submissions: Just Us Books is currently accepting queries for chapter books and middle reader titles only. Please send a query letter pitching us your manuscript, 1-2 page synopsis of your manuscript, 3-5 sample pages of your manuscript, a brief author bio that includes any previously published work, self-addressed stamped envelope. Read guidelines here.

Lerner Publishing Group

Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s largest independently owned children’s publishers with more than 5,000 books in print. Their Jewish-themed imprint, Kar-Ben, is the only division accepting submissions. Submissions: Kar-Ben accepts unsolicited manuscripts by regular post only. Read guidelines here.

Pants On Fire Press

Pants On Fire Press, located in Winter Garden, Florida, publishes picture, middle-grade and young adult books. They are always on the lookout for Action, Adventure, Animals, Comedic, Dramatic, Dystopian, Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-fi, Supernatural and Suspense stories. Submissions: Pants on Fire is acquiring Chapter Books, Middle-grade and Young Adult fiction. Please read complete author guidelines here.

Quirk Books

Quirk is a Philadelphia-based company that publishes just 25 books per year. Their titles are distributed through Random House. They are always on the lookout for "strikingly unconventional manuscripts and book proposals. A well-written novel with an off-the-wall editorial premise? That’s Quirk. A playful cookbook or craft book with cool photography or crazy illustrations? That’s Quirk, too. We publish across a broad range of categories—always with the goal of delivering innovative books to discerning readers. Put more simply, we publish books that are smart, original, cool, and fun."

 Read submission guidelines here.

Tilbury House  

Tilbury House is an independent publishing company founded forty years ago as the Harpswell Press, publishing Maine books. They publish children’s picture books about cultural diversity, social justice, nature, and the environment. Their primary emphasis is on nonfiction picture books that appeal to children (ages 5 – 10). They also consider nonfiction chapter books and graphic nonfiction for early readers (ages 8 – 13), and nonfiction for young adult readers (YA, age 12+). Read their submission guidelines here.

Pajama Press

Pajama Press publishes picture books—both for the very young and for school-aged readers, as well as early chapter books, novels for middle grade readers, and contemporary or historical fiction for young adults aged 12+. Our nonfiction titles typically contain a strong narrative element. Pajama Press is also looking for manuscripts from authors of diverse backgrounds. Stories about immigrants are of special interest.

See their submission guidelines here. See submission windows.

Skypony Press

Sky Pony Press is the children's book imprint of Skyhorse Publishing. They publish picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA fiction and nonfiction. "We’re open to any genre and style, and we’re always looking for something new and different. We love original concepts, fresh voices, and writing that knocks us off our feet."

See their submission guidelines here.

Jolly Fish Press

Jolly Fish Press is an imprint of North Star Editions, Inc., based in Minnesota. They publish trade fiction and select nonfiction books in the national and international market. Right now they are seeking middle grade and young adult titles in science fiction and fantasy with an epic and visual scope; thrillers with strong, carefully crafted characters and a unique voice; and unconventional love stories.

See their submission guidelines here. Has submission windows.

Sasquatch Books

Sasquatch Books publishes 30 titles per year in a variety of genres and have a Little Bigfoot children’s imprint. The editors say, “Sasquatch Books publishes books for and from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and California is the nation’s premier regional press. Sasquatch Books’ publishing program is a veritable celebration of regionally written words. Undeterred by political or geographical borders, Sasquatch defines its region as the magnificent area that stretches from the Brooks Range to the Gulf of California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.”

How to submit: Potential authors can submit a query, proposal, full manuscript, or a combination of all three. See their submission guidelines here. Has submission windows.

Flashlight Press

Flashlight Press publishes fictional children’s picture books for 4–8 year olds. Their titles are distributed in the U.S. through IPG (Independent Publishers Group), and internationally. Manuscripts must be under 1000 words, have a universal theme and deal with family or social situations.

Read their submission guidelines here.

Page Street Publishers

Page Street publishers, located in Salem, Mass, is one of the fastest growing publishers in the US. They have recently launched a children’s program, headed by a 20-year children’s book publishing veteran. This program includes picture books as well as young adult titles for ages 12 and up. Page Street titles are distributed by the Macmillan sales team: a Big Five publisher. Their books can be found in every major retailer and most independents, as well as in mass merchandisers like Costco, BJ’s and Sam’s, and special sales accounts such as West Elm and Crate & Barrel, and occasionally QVC, Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.

How to submit: Children’s Books: Please include a query (1 page) with the text as a word document or a pdf sketch dummy, 32-40 pages, as an attachment in spread layouts. Your query must contain: 1) synopsis, pitch, age range; and 2) an author bio that describes your occupation, publishing history, social media presence, and any other relevant information that pertains to your manuscript. If you are an illustrator, please also send your website. If you are represented by an agent or plan to be, please note this in your author bio.

Young Adult: Please label your submission YA and state the title of your manuscript in the subject line of your email. Include a query (1-2 pages) with the first three chapters of your manuscript in the body of your email. Your query must contain: 1) a book synopsis that includes your novel's pitch, word count, and classification (literary, historical, fantasy, mystery, etc); and 2) an author bio that describes your occupation, publishing history, social media presence, and any other relevant information that pertains to your manuscript (including any endorsements, if applicable). If you are represented by an agent or plan to be, please note this in your author bio. All submissions must be edited and proofread. Ideally, your manuscript's length is 60-90K words and your protagonist is 15-18 years old.

Read full guidelines HERE.

Flying Eye Books

Flying Eye is an imprint of Nobrow Books. Flying Eye accepts submissions for picture books that are 24 pages or 32 pages long (story) with a word count 500 words (1000 max) for picture books. For children’s non-fiction submissions we will accept pitches for books of up to 90 pages. They require a brief synopsis of the story and the complete first draft of the text, this must be sent in attachment.

If you are an illustrator/author or an illustrator author duo, you should supply a minimum of two finished double page spreads. In the case of a picture book submission, the remainder of the pages should ideally be visually roughed out as a first draft.

Read full guidelines HERE.

Princeton Architectural Press 

Princeton Architectural Press accepts fiction and general nonfiction picture books for children ages three to eight. They only review complete submissions, which include text and illustrations. Please send a low-resolution PDF of your proposal to submissions@papress.com. Read their guidelines here.

Little Press Publishing 

Little Press Publishing is a traditional publisher located in Wood Ridge, New Jersey. They publish picture books, early readers, chapter books (5,000 - 15,000 words), MG and YA. Books are distributed through Baker & Taylor. Read submission guidelines HERE. 

Note: Has submission periods.

Spinning Wheel Stories

At Spinning Wheel Stories we believe that every book should be crafted by authors and illustrators who care about community, creativity, and childhood discovery. If this sounds like you, we are currently accepting: Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade. Read submission guidelines HERE. 

11 UK Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly from Writers

Updated 8/9/24

Some publishers in the UK still accept children's books directly from writers. Most of these are small, specialty publishers, but some are big names in the industry.

As always, make sure you examine their lists to see if your work would be a good fit, and read all of their submission requirements carefully.

Note: Some of these publishers are only open during their submission windows.

Related posts: 

Top 5 Resources for Children's Book Writers

22 US Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly From Writers 

14 Young Adult Publishers Accepting Manuscripts - No agent required

Note: You can find a full list of over 450 publishers accepting manuscripts (broken down by genre) here:

Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts

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Candy Jar

Established in 2010 by Shaun Russell and Justin Chaloner, Candy Jar Books publishes both children's and adult titles. Marston Book Services Ltd, one of the leading independent distributors in the UK, is responsible for distributing their titles.

Submissions: They are looking for children's books for 8-12 year olds (ghosts, time travel and adventure stories always go down well). Click here for details.

Floris Books  

Floris Books is an independent publishing company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. They publish books in two main areas: non-fiction for adults, and books for children. Within their non-fiction list, they focus on books that cover all aspects of holistic and alternative living. Floris Books specialises in publishing non-fiction that is explicitly connected to the Steiner-Waldorf or anthroposophical communities.

Submissions: Floris publishes children's books by members of the Scottish BPOC Writers Network. Click here for details.

Frances Lincoln

Frances Lincoln is part of Quarto’s UK publishing unit, the Aurum Publishing Group. It publishes over 100 new books a year for both adults and children. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books publishes picture books, multicultural books, picture books and information books. 

Submissions: Click here for submission details.

Hogs Back Books 

Hogs Back is a small publishing house with a short list. They publish picture books and YA novels.

Submissions: For children’s books aged 0-10 years, send a complete manuscript along with a cover letter or email. For young adult novels, include a synopsis and the first three chapters of your manuscript. Click here for details.

Maverick

Maverick Arts publishes picture books, junior grade and middle grade fiction (10,000 - 50,000 words).

Submissions: Junior and middle grade books will open in January. Click here for details. Has open reading periods.

Mogzilla

Mogzilla specialises in historical fiction and non-fiction for children

Submissions: Submissions can be full script or opening chapters: 

• Full script should not exceed 40,000 words

• Historical topics covered in National Curriculum are preferred 

• No more books about cats please – we have that covered! 

Please send submissions to the following email address: paul@mogzillabooks.com

Nosy Crow

Nosy Crow is a small, independent company established in 2011. They publish commercial fiction and non-fiction books for children aged from 0 to 14 by well-known authors and illustrators and by new talent. "We’re looking for “parent-friendly books”, and we don’t publish books with explicit sex, drug use or serious violence, so no edgy YA or edgy cross-over. And whatever New Adult is, we don’t do it."  

Submissions: They prefer email submissions, though regular postal submissions are also accepted. For novelty/picture books please email the full text. For longer works, you should submit a short synopsis plus the first chapter (double-spaced). You should also send a cover letter containing all relevant information about you and your work. Temporarily closed to submissions. Visit site for next open submission period. They are currently open to writers and illustrators of color only. Click here for details.

O'brien Press Ltd. 

O'brien Press is an Irish press publishing children's fiction, children's non-fiction and adult non-fiction. They do not publish poetry, academic works or adult fiction.

Submissions: For works of 1000 words or less, submit your entire manuscript. For anything over 1000 words, send a synopsis and 2 or 3 sample chapters. They prefer local authors. Click here for details. 

Tiny Tree

Tiny Tree is dedicated to championing new talent and underrepresented voices in the children’s publishing industry. They are interested in fully-illustrated picture books from an author / illustrator team or individual, as well as higher middle-grade and YA titles across a variety of genres. Submissions: Follow guidelines HERE.

Walker

Walker is a large company, publishing over 300 books a year in the UK alone. Its sister companies are Walker Australia and Candlewick in the USA. They have a wide-ranging list, but they do not accept submissions in every category.

Submissions: Walker accepts illustrated picture-book stories and/or artwork samples via post or email. They do not accept fiction manuscript submissions. Click here for details.

Faber Children’s

Faber Children’s is opening up to receive submissions of stories and artwork for children and young adults from LGBTQ+ creatives. There is no time limit on this! We are keen to see more stories that celebrate the lived experience of the LGBTQ+ communities, especially stories that put characters in places we’ve not seen before! And we’d like to see more LGBTQ+ submissions that reach across all age groups, from picture books (3 years) to Young Adult (18 years).

Submissions: Please submit your work to reader@creativepride.co.uk in the form of a PDF or Word doc attachment. Please also share any links to websites or social media platforms that showcase your work. We look forward to reading all entries – please be advised this email address is unattended day to day, and we will not be responding to individual queries. Click here for details.

SCBWI Opens Yearly Award to Self-Publishers

Updated 6/26/24

Increasingly, writers' societies are recognizing the value of self-published books. 

Every year, the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators bestows an annual award to "non-traditionally" published children books (picture, middle grade, YA) that meet SCBWI's standards for excellence.

If you have written a children's or YA book, and self-published it, this is a prize well worth pursuing. The SCBWI is a highly respected organization, one all children's book authors should join.

Submissions to the Spark Award are OPEN from November 1 through November 30, 2024.


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Spark Award

The Spark Award is an annual award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route.

Award: The Spark winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The winner and honor recipients (if applicable) will receive: Spark seals to display on their book, the opportunity to teach a digital workshop about their publishing journey, the chance to be featured in the SCBWI online bookstore and publicized through SCBWI social networking sites. The winners will also get the opportunity to attend any conference of their choice tuition-free (other than for extras such as critiques and intensives).

Guidelines:

1. You must be a current SCBWI member with membership current through April of the following year to apply. If you are a member now but your membership is scheduled to expire before that time, you will need to renew your membership in order to be eligible for the award.
2. You may only submit one title for each award period.
3. Both the author and illustrator (if the illustrator’s name appears on the book) must be members to apply.
4. You must have published a book intended for the children’s or YA market in one of the following categories: Board Book; Picture Book; Chapter Book; Middle Grade; Graphic Novel, Young Adult
5. The book may be fiction or nonfiction.
6. The book should have been self-published either from an established self-publishing enterprise or individually self-published. The book cannot have been previously. published in any print or digital form prior to the self-published form.
7. SCBWI reserves the right to disqualify books published by enterprises that we believe, in our discretion, operate in a predatory or unbusinesslike manner.
8. The book must exist in traditionally bound form, contain an ISBN number, and copyright date of the current year.
9. All applicants must include a cover letter with your name, the name of your book, the genre of your. book, the publishing method for your book (including the name of any editor/copyeditor/designer who was retained in the creation of the book), your book’s ISBN, and a synopsis of your book.
10. As of November 2020, submission to the Spark Award is DIGITAL ONLY. Please submit through the award portal HERE. 
11. One winner and up to two. Honor Book. recipients. will be chosen in two categories:
12. Books for Older Readers: This includes middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction. 
13. Illustrated Books: This includes board books, picture books, readers, chapter books, and novelty books.
14. Books entered in the Spark Award are not eligible for the Golden Kite Award. or Sid Fleischman Award. Self-published authors may only enter their books in one of these awards.
15. Judging will be based on a number of criteria, including. but not limited to: quality of writing and concept, quality of illustrations (if applicable), professional presentation, editing and design, appropriateness of content for the targeted age group of the book. 
16. Books are evaluated by a panel of English-speaking judges. All books entered must be written in English or be submitted with an English translation.

For more information click HERE.

The Children's Digital Market: Still Uncharted Territory

(Article by Gabe Habash, originally posted on Publishers Weekly 1/19/13) 

The growing complexity of the children’s digital market was parsed by industry experts at the Publishers Launch Children's Publishing Goes Digital Conference in New York on January 15, as panelists and speakers agreed that the transition from print to digital will not be a clean, easy movement and that things are still very much in the experimentation stage. The day-long conference kicked off with the presentation of the findings from a recent study by Bowker that found that among children, there has been a marked decline in bookstore and library influence as a source of recommendation and acquisition, and that many purchases are instead migrating online to vendors like Amazon. The study is part of Bowker’s Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age.

Friends and family overtook bookstore browsing and libraries as the top influencers, painting the picture of the children’s book market as a highly local word-of-mouth economy. The erosion of libraries and bookstores may be misleading, though, as Gretchen Caserotti of the Darien Public Library used a case study involving Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm, which Caserotti said the library system recommended to the local school systems, and that based on the library’s recommendation (and a local award for the book), the school system widely assigned the book in classrooms. When asked how they heard about Grimm, students would most often respond that they heard of it through friends, even though the book was largely implemented because of the push of the library.

The Bowker study had some surprises, most notably: 84% of YA books were purchased by consumers 18 or older – and a full 35% of YA books were bought by consumers aged 18-29, by far the largest demographic. The second-largest demographic was age 30-44; within that segment, dispelling the notion that the YA books are gifts or purchases for teens, fully 80% of respondents reported “they bought the book for themselves.”

In all areas of media use with the exception of video games, girls outpaced boys, both in terms of behavior and in their willingness to engage in discussion.

On the topic of digital, a surprising shift back to print was seen since spring 2012, and for the year e-book adoption growth was flat among teens, with some evidence that teens liked print more in the fall than they did in the spring. One possible reason for this, according to Bookigee CEO Kristen McLean, could be the “shininess” wearing off new devices and, as people become accustomed to what digital can offer, they are making more nuanced decisions regarding reading habits.

Supporting the Bowker finding about teen attitudes toward digital, members of Nook’s digital team shared the fact from a 2012 Figment survey that said 35% of teens are reluctant to embrace digital reading. Kashif Zafar of Nook also revealed that the majority of Nook e-books are purchased on a device and that that number is growing. Further, he said, customers are very aware of price point and level of interactivity, with a gravitation toward full read-and-play titles (the highest level of interactivity).

Perhaps the most eye-opening statistic of the day was that the unit share for online sellers is 41%, but the discovery share for online sellers is 5%. The figure was presented by Peter Hildick-Smith of Codex Group, who stated that the disparity indicates that e-tailers need new strategies when it comes to discovery. A study done by Codex Group in December 2012 found that schools are still the greatest discovery source for books for children, with the category “schools, professionals (teachers, librarians, etc.), and groups” at 28% being the most common answer by parents asked where they found out about the last book they purchased for their child. Within that category, book fairs were the biggest contributor. After that category, 23% of respondents said they found out about the book from their child, 20% said a physical bookseller, and 12% said through digital. And to further show digital’s lagging influence in the children’s sphere, 81% said the recommendation for the book came “in person,” and only 5% said it came through social media.

One area where digital children’s books is beginning to make headway is in the school systems. Todd Brekhus of myON, a digital reading platform that doubled its revenue and number of titles in the last year, estimated that the education technology is a $7.76 billion market, and that it’s a great opportunity for publishers to match the right titles with the right readers. Terri Lynn Soutor of Brain Hive, another growing digital reading platform for schools, stated that there’s been an 83% increase in the number of e-books on a per school average nationwide, and that $42 million was spent on e-books in the U.S. last year. Soutor echoed Brekhus’s point regarding the opportunity that the still largely untapped education technology market holds for publishers, stressing that it’s a low risk proposition and there’s no product development investment.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/55521-why-the-children-s-digital-market-is-still-uncharted-territory.html?

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Top 5 Online Resources for Children's and YA Book Writers

Updated 7/5/26

Children's books are a burgeoning market. Along with the YA market, they constitute the most popular - and top-grossing - genre of books.

Although some small publishing houses still accept manuscripts from writers, the larger houses require an agent. As a consequence, agents who specialize in children's books are burgeoning as well.

Writers who are daunted by the process of securing a publisher are increasingly turning to self-publication, a field which is burgeoning along with children's book agents, writers, and publishers.

With all this burgeoning, where can a children's book writer find reliable, comprehensive, and concise information about publishing and marketing? 

Among the spate of websites that offer information about the world of children's literature, there are five that stand out as particularly useful. Make these the first stops on your path to publication.

Related Posts:

23 US Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly From Writers

10 UK Children's Book Publishers Accepting Manuscripts Directly from Writers

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1. Literary Rambles: Spotlighting Children's Book Authors, Agents and Publishing

Hosts: Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre

If you are looking for an agent, this blog is for you! Every Thursday this site puts the spotlight on an agent who represents children's fiction. The spotlight profiles what these agents are looking for, personal quotes, interviews, response times, what other writers are saying about their professionalism, as well as linking up their web presence – all in one convenient post.

Site features: Over 120 agent spotlights, list of agencies representing children's books, interviews, helpful posts, and numerous links to agent blogs, editor blogs and forums. Also included is an agent search by age category (PB, MG or YA). Be sure to look at the wonderful list of resources on the right sidebar.

2. Rachelle Burk's Resources for Writers

Host: Rachelle Burk

This blog provides one-stop shopping for children's book authors. Rachelle Burk, a children's book writer from New Jersey, has compiled an extensive list of resources designed to help writers with every aspect of their careers – from writing tips to legal advice.

Site features: Helpful writing articles, Publisher/Agent Warning sites, Publisher Listings, Agents, Editors, Query and Cover Letters, Websites: Sources and articles about writing for children, Newsletters and E-zines, Online Forums, Critique Groups, Critique and Editing Services, Author Visits, Nonfiction Writing, Work-For-Hire and Freelance, Reference Resources, Rhyming and Poetry, Writing Organizations, Workshops, Courses and Conferences, Legal Advice, Contests and Awards, Teacher’s Guides, Book Reviewers, Illustrators and Images, Self-Publishing, Print on Demand and Subsidy Publishers, Electronic Publishing, Book Marketing and Promotion, Author Sites for Book Promotion, Books on Writing for Children, National and International Writers' Organizations, Blog List. Of special interest: Resources for Kids Who Write.

3. Writing for Children

Writing-World is an all-around resource for writers of every stripe. The children's book page contains a list of eye-opening articles.

Site features: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children, Picture Books, YA Books, Agents, Publishers, Book Promotion and Author Interviews. Of special interest: Specialized Markets.

4. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

If you haven't already joined the SCBWI, now's the time! With membership, you get The SCBWI Bulletin, a bi-monthly publication containing the most current, comprehensive information about the field of children’s literature. The Bulletin includes the latest marketing reports; articles on writing, illustrating, and publishing; contests and awards announcements; SCBWI member news; and ongoing SCBWI activities throughout the world.

Site features (free): Comprehensive list of awards and grants. The “Find a Speaker” search bar is a great way to locate other children's book writers in your area (which is absolutely essential for networking).

5. Children's Books Resources

This site features: Links to children's book publishers, submission guidelines, children's book illustrators sites, Writing Children's Books Courses, Sites About Writing for Children, and How tos for writing and publishing. The website also includes Australian, British and Canadian publishers.

Additional sites of interest

The YA Bookshelf - The YA Bookshelf hosts young adult literature contests and giveaways.

International Association of School Librarianship - Databases of children's books, national and international councils, digital libraries, Bologna book fair, and more.