It’s a bit late in the year, I know, but I’ve finally completed updating my list of UK children’s literary agents. And the good news is that it’s not doom and gloom: more agencies are accepting email submissions, more are accepting picture books and some even have a few more authors on their lists than they did last year. Were some of them us? If not, maybe they will be this time next year!
Other changes of note:
- Darley Anderson now has a dedicated children’s agency with 9 authors.
- Curtis Brown has gone all Star Trek with a fancy electronic submissions ‘portal’ (see my interview with children’s agent Stephanie Thwaites).
- The Greenhouse has lost Julia Churchill to AM Heath but gained new agent John Cusick.
- AM Heath has gone paperless and has a special submissions form, if your eyes can cope with the tiny grey text.
- Andrew Mann has a new website but I suspect it is still being worked on as several links were broken.
Remember the golden rules of following any submission instructions to the letter, being ultra-professional and only submitting your very best work. Good luck.
Lou Treleaven 
Thanks Lou, always great info….and yes, the Curtis Brown portal is very Borg like. Wouldn’t a literary cube be something, with robotic, heartless agents and us poor sods all lining up with our books to be be happily assimilated! Ha!
Cheers
Denis
Thanks, Lou. Your blog is always choc-a-bloc with useful stuff.
This is really great news; thanks! Silvestre
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 16:04:53 +0000 To: godisnow3@hotmail.com
Hi Lou, Thank you so much for the very helpful advice and links to variouspublishers. I’ll let you know when I’ve been accepted!! Just to let you and your followers know (incase your unaware)there is currently a writing competition in place for 2-5 year olds800 words max through Munchy Moo. There website will need tobe seen to follow the expected layout and to read last years winnerstory! There is a cash prize and of course the thrill of having it published.The deadline for this story competition is the end of May 2013. If you haven’t done so already it may be worth passing on? Once again thank you, all the best. Nia Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 16:05:11 +0000 To: oodlesoflove16@hotmail.co.uk
Hi Lou and thanks for another very informative post. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and advice with your followers and I regularly check in to your blog to see what you are up to. Congratulations for an interesting piece in the Writing Magazine also.
Reblogged this on elizabethfrattaroli.
Thanks Lou! I recently received a rejection letter from Stripes with helpful comments about my children’s books, which weren’t suitable for there book list. They advised me to find myself an agent. Gel
I read a question in the May issue of WM about a first novel written that was not very inventive as it was everything happening to that person. Tha answer was helpful but I have done the same thing. I have had it proof read and was thinking of putting it on Amazon/Kindle. The problem I was left with was you have to be careful when writing about other people that are still living. My novel or story is all about my outside catering business in the early 70’s. Well should I say the funny sides of it. My question is can you use first names rather than their full names? Or should I change their names. None of it is nasty just funny.
Dont know if anyone has all these Childrens Publishers in their lists as Lou has given us so many already. I will do the A’s today Aladdin Books. Alegra Publishing. Amber Books. Anderson Press Ltd. Arcturus Publishing Ltd. Autumn Publishing Ltd. Award Publications Ltd.
Hi Betty. Sounds like a fun read. I would change the names just in case. You never know – some things seem funny to some people but others may take them personally. If you change the names you are covered and can relax knowing people will enjoy your book. Good luck!
Hi thank you so much you are priceless! I hope you dont mind me adding more Childrens Publishers to your blog. You have given us so many but maybe I have few few that can help. B’s today…B. Small. Barefoot Books. Berryland Books. Bizzy Bee Publications Ltd. Black A & C. Boxer Books. British Museum Press. Brown Watson. Brown Wells & Jacobs Ltd…book package.
Thanks Betty I will check those out.
Greenhouse agents both seem to reside in US and UK address given is for their foreign rights’ people. The new agent, John Cusick, appears to only want US submissions.
But it does look like Sarah Davies is still accepting UK submissions for middle grade (8-12) and young adult.
Hi Lou, found your amazing blog while trawling around looking for small UK publishers. Thank you so much for taking time to put all this stuff together, I am humbled and impressed! And its just the pick-me-up I needed to haul myself back on the treadmill, as I yo-yo about wondering which publishing path to use; I am tempted to go straight to ebook after all the fun & games of trying to find an agent but just can’t bring myself to do it. There’s a part of me that so wants an agent!! Maybe I’m just perverse ;o)
By the way, Greenhouse do have an agent in the UK now, Polly Nolan, looks like she’s just joined.