Kids List Submissions
Children’s books
On the first Monday of every month, our Kids team will be accepting unsolicited manuscripts for young readers of all ages – from babies to young adults. We publish bright, fun, quality books with humour and heart, so that’s what we’re looking for. We’re excited to read your work and will be even more wowed if you follow the guidelines below. Note that emails received outside the submissions window will be deleted with glee by an intern drunk on power.
Illustrators
Please send us a PDF of your folio and/or a link to your website or Instagram. We’re after examples that show how you tackle character, movement, emotion, body language, landscape and a sense of narrative, as well as examples of the mediums you work with. We’re always looking for new talent so tell your illustrator friends to get in touch too.
Authors
Please send us …
Your full picture-book manuscripts. We’re seeking original stories with a strong pitch.
The first three chapters of your Junior Fiction, Middle Grade and YA novels. Note that we’re particularly interested in finding new genre YA and Middle Grade books to publish.
Do not send us your…
Bribes
Rotten fruit
Teenage diaries. (Unless you think they’re of publishable quality.)
In lieu of a bio and synopsis, please answer the following three questions in your submission email.
In a few sentences, tell us about yourself as a writer/illustrator.
Describe your book in no more than 300 words, including the genre, readership and hook.
Which titles in the market is your book similar to – and what makes it different?
If you think you’ve got that all down, and your work has memorable characters, dramatic tension, a pleasing arc and a satisfying ending, please email us at: kidssubmissions@affirmpress.com.au
We’ve got big hearts but we’re a small team, so we’re only able to respond to successful submissions. If you haven’t heard back from us within six months, you can assume we have declined. Please only send us one submission at a time, even if you’ve been waiting for this moment your whole life and have a hard drive full of work that’s ready to go. We know that the publishing industry is tough to crack, and we applaud the courage of every creator who’s out there trying/crying. Good luck!