Still a Kid at Heart…Children's Book Publishers

The children's book market covers board books for infants to easy readers for preschoolers to chapter books in elementary school to young adult novels for tweens and teens. Genres are as varied in the children's market as in the adult market and many of the big publishing houses offers at least one imprint for children's books.

Do you need to have illustrations to sell a children's book?

No. Most of the publishers have professional illustrators on contract. If you are not a professional artist/illustrator, most publishers just want to see the manuscript, then if they like your work, they'll pair you with an illustrator. You can write one or two lines of description if you have specific illustrations in mind, but if the story is good, it will offer up illustration ideas all by itself. If you are a professional illustrator/artist or if you work with one, you need to state that in your cover letter and include COPIES of one or two sample illustrations. Never send original artwork until you are asked for it.

Is it easier to publish a children's book than an adult book?


No, not at all. The children's book market is highly competitive, and because full-color illustrated books are more expensive to produce, publishers look for work that is unique and meaningful from authors who sell. If you have published in children's magazines, you show publishers that you know what children read. If you have connections to schools and other children's organizations, you offer the publishers a ready-made marketing outlet.

Writing for children is a specialized field. You have to have a balanced voice. You don't want to talk down or patronize, but you don't want your story to be too sophisticated or complicated. When writing picture books for infants and toddlers, your story has to appeal to both the child and the adult who will read it over and over and over…again.

Do you need a synopsis for a picture book?


Many publishers refuse to accept unsolicited or unagented work, just as adult publishers so do your research before packing up the manuscript and shipping it off. Of the ones who will look at unagented work, the guidelines varied per type of book. For instance, most wanted to see the complete picture book manuscript but will want an outline and sample chapters for a young adult book. Always study the guidelines, many of which you can find online.

In addition, not every children's book publisher publishes books for all ages of children. If the guidelines say "no picture books," don't send a picture book. One recent trend in children's book is to get away from the talking animals in human clothing/homes. This will be in the guidelines too. Diversity is an important theme in children's books as well, from different cultures to different races to different families and more.

Here are a few children's book publishers that say they will accept unagented submissions. Click on the publishers' names to go to their guidelines online.


Ambassador Books, Inc. - Christian publisher of both children and adult books.
Darby Creek Publishing - publishes children's and young adult books - especially seeking nonfiction for ages 8-14.
Front Street Books/Boyd Mills Press - publishes picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction, book-length poetry collections for children, children's nonfiction.
Hendrick Long Publishing Company - specializes in publishing both fiction and nonfiction "with a Texas historical focus" for children and young adults.
Lee & Low Books - publishes fiction and nonfiction for children ages 5-12, specifically books "featuring children/people of color."
Peachtree Publishers - publishes picture books, illustrated chapter books, young adult books, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as various categories of adult nonfiction.
Polychrome Books - publishes both fiction and nonfiction for children with particular interests in Asian American, African American, Hispanic or Native American protagonists and themes of diversity and tolerance.


Random House Children's Books Imprints: all guidelines can be seen here unless otherwise noted.

Alfred A Knopf and Crown Books for Young Readers - picture books, middle grade and young adult novels and nonfiction.
Delacorte Dell Yearling Contest for first Middle-Grade Novel & Delacorte Press Contest for first Young Adult Novel - imprint does not accept unagented work but your work will be considered if it wins one of these contests. Click here for contest rules/guidelines.
David Fickling Books - will consider only a synopsis and first few chapters.
Wendy Lamb Books - publishes a limited number of middle grade and young adult novels only.

Books jackets are representative of the publishers' online catalogs/book lists.