At the birth of the new year (I was going to say the demise of the old year, but that sounded a bit depressing and we try to be positive over on this blog!), it’s time to check over my list of children’s publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts and see what’s changed over the year.
Sadly but predictably, some of the publishers have closed their doors to unagented work (Oxford University Press), or even ceased trading altogether (a fond farewell to Meadowside, Ragged Bears and the briefly present Rebel Books). It seems as though A&C Black has finally been fully absorbed by Bloomsbury and no longer has its own site. And Catnip Publishing, which a reader kindly suggested be added to the list, has now stopped accepting unagented submissions and so never made it on to the list after all. Frances Lincoln and Bridge House are not accepting anything at the moment – hopefully that will change in the future so I have left them here for now – and the Strident website has temporarily disappeared, although a short notice assures us it will return.
On the positive side, there are still some big hitters on the list such as Egmont and Little Tiger, and the youngsters like Curious Fox, Nosy Crow and Phoenix Yard are keenly embracing new technology such as interactivity and apps. Plus there’s a new addition: Caterpillar, a publisher of novelty picture books. As the tidal wave of e-publishing settles down and integrates into the mainstream, publishers are regaining their strength and seem to be out to prove they deserve a place in the new literary landscape. As always, good luck with those submissions and do let me know how you get on – I love a success story!
Lou Treleaven 