SUBMISSIONS

Dear children’s book writers and illustrators,

Thank you for visiting our submissions page. Our submissions portal is open exclusively to BIPOC creators this fall.

Owlkids is committed to creating books that represent a diversity of voices, communities, and experiences. We believe that all children should be able to see themselves reflected in the books they read. In order to support voices that have been underrepresented in the publishing industry, we are issuing an open call for submissions of picture book, early fiction, and non-fiction manuscripts from BIPOC authors.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Owlkids Editorial Team

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So, you want to be an Owlkids Books author? Welcome!

Follow these five easy steps to get your submission into the hands of one of our editors:

1. Come up with a brilliant idea in the following genre:

• Early fiction for ages 6–9

2. Write the manuscript.

• For middle grade fiction, please submit a brief synopsis, a chapter overview, and a few sample chapters. (We will contact you for the complete work if we are interested.)

3. Reread, revise, repeat.

• Is it too long? Time to kill some of those darlings!
• Has it been done before? Freshen it up with a new take. Ask yourself whether your work is offering something new.

4. Write a one-page cover letter.

Make sure to include your manuscript’s topic, themes, intended audience/age range, a bit about yourself, your writing experience, and why you chose the subject. This is your “elevator pitch” so make it count!

5. Submit!

Use the online submissions form below, or send a physical copy to our office address: 1 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto ON, M4P 3A1.

But before you hit send…

If you want to give your manuscript the best chance of success, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you an adult? Great! We cannot accept submissions from writers younger than 18.
• Are you submitting materials you expect to have returned to you? Since we are unable to return any submissions, please do not sent original art or anything you don’t want to part with.
• Have you checked out our books? Browse our recent catalogs and familiarize yourself with the types of books we publish. Is your idea a fit?
• Will your manuscript make us laugh, wonder, cry, or feel the love? Then you’re on the right track! We seek to spark kids’ imaginations through every subject and genre. Show us STEM/STEAM content that induces giggles, environmental awareness that sparks a revolutionary idea, social justice that opens minds to new perspectives, or a fresh adventure that subverts expectations.

It’s a date!

If your submission meets the requirements outlined above, we guarantee it will be reviewed by a member of the Owlkids Books staff. We publish into a competitive market and are looking for books specific to our list. We receive a LOT of submissions and have a small staff, so we can’t respond personally to every submission. However, we do read each and every one carefully. If you haven’t heard from us after three months, please assume we are not the right house for your manuscript.

Last words

Owlkids Books is committed to creating books that represent a diversity of voices, communities, and experiences. We believe that all children should be able to see themselves reflected in the books they read.