Books for Young Readers Submissions Guidelines
Please note that our guidelines have recently changed.

Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010


Dear Contributor:

Thank you for your interest in Walker & Company's Books for Young Readers. Established in 1961, we publish a small and select list of children's books, and we take great pride in our continued commitment to finding and fostering new voices in children's literature. Currently, we publish three lists per year, each consisting of approximately ten picture books and four to five middle-grade and/or YA works, for a total of forty to forty-five titles annually.

Due to the limited number of titles we publish, we must be extremely particular about the projects we take on. Often our decision is based on a number of factors apart from a submission's literary merit. For example, due to our philosophy of publishing authors, not books, we rarely accept non-fiction that focuses on nature or wildlife, as we have established strong relationships with many authors specializing in this field. At the moment, our strongest needs are for middle-grade and YA novels and for well-paced picture book manuscripts for both the pre-school and early elementary age levels. We do not publish folk tales, fairy tales, textbooks, myths, legends, books in series format, novelties, science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Submissions that fall within these categories will be returned unread. We do not accept submissions of material written by children.

Manuscripts

Because of our dedication to new talent, we accept unsolicited manuscripts and manuscripts from authors without agents. However, when submitting your creative work to us, please follow these guidelines when preparing your submission:

• Your manuscript should be typed and double-spaced. Single-spaced and handwritten manuscripts are difficult to read and may result on our returning the submission to you without proper consideration. We do not accept e-mail or CD-ROM submissions.
• Include a cover letter that contains your current address, phone number, and a brief description of your manuscript. Often cover letters become separated from manuscripts, so please be sure to include your name, address, and phone number on the first page of your story as well.
• All submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope for our reply. Because of new postal weight regulations, we cannot return any manuscripts, art, or other materials. Please only include recyclable materials with your submission, and please send a letter-sized stamped envelope for our response only.
• Please make sure that everything (including the SASE) is stapled, paper clipped, or rubber-banded together.
• We much prefer to see actual samples of your work to query letters. Picture books should always be submitted in their entirety. Novels should be submitted as 3 sample chapters and a synopsis. Do not send in more than 75 pages. If we like your samples, we will send a request to see the rest of the manuscript.
• Do not, under any circumstances, send original art. While we make every effort to take scrupulous care of materials in our possession, Walker cannot be responsible for their loss or damage. However, we will be happy to review color copies, slides, prints, or photographs of your artwork and will return the samples upon request as long as they are accompanied by an S.A.S.E.

• If you are submitting a picture book manuscript, you should be aware that it is not necessary for you to supply illustrations. Like most publishers, we prefer to match the art to the text. If you do submit illustrations with a manuscript, we may express interest in one but not the other. If you feel the two cannot be considered separately, please tell us in your cover letter. Likewise, you may want to tell us if text and art can be considered separately or if the art is meant only as a visual guide, as this will help us in reviewing your submission.
• Although we accept simultaneous submissions, we would like you to let us know if you've sent your manuscripts to other publishers. If another publisher makes an offer while the manuscript is still as Walker, we ask that you inform us immediately that your work is no longer under consideration. Additionally, we prefer that you do not send more that one submission at a time.
• Please allow 20 weeks for our reply. If you do not hear from us and wish to look into the status of your manuscript, please do not send in a query letter.

Illustrations:

• You are welcome to mail any samples you would like us to review or keep on file. We will circulate them and individual editors may contact you if they wish to see more. Good quality photocopies are fine. You may send a dummy book if you wish to showcase your ability to create a picture book.
• Do not send original art.
• If your work includes the ability to illustrate various types of people, landscapes, objects, or if you work in various media or styles, please include a mix of these capabilities.
• Identify each sample with your name, address, and phone number. Also include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (in the appropriate size) if you request returns.
• Because of new postal weight regulations, we cannot return any art or other materials. Please only include recyclable materials with your submission.

Please do not feel discouraged if you receive a form letter from us declining your submission. Although we would like to be able to comment specifically on each project, the sheer volume we receive precludes this possibility. You may be certain, however, that a form letter does not mean that your work was not thoroughly considered. It simply allows us to respond within a reasonable time frame.

If you would like to receive our catalog, please send a 9 x 12 envelope with adequate postage in a package marked "catalog request" prominently on the outside, and we will be happy to mail one to you as long as supplies last. Or, go to www.walkeryoungreaders.com and download directly from the homepage.