|
|
|
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 We do not publish folk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.bloomsburykids.com and download directly from the homepage.
| | |
