SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The picture books that we publish are usually, but not always, fictional stories that relate to animals, nature, the environment, and science. All books should subtly convey an educational theme through a warm story that is fun to read and that will grab a child’s attention. Each book has a three to five page "For Creative Minds" section to reinforce the educational component of the book itself. This section will have a craft and/or game as well as “fun facts” to be shared by the parent, teacher, or other adult. Authors do not need to supply this information but may be actively involved in its development if they would like.

Manuscripts should be less than 1500 words and must meet ALL of the following four criteria:

• Fun to read – mostly fiction with non-fiction facts woven into the story
• National or regional in scope
• Must be able to tie into early elementary school curriculum in some way
• Must be marketable through a niche market such as zoo, aquarium, or museum gift shop

We are NOT looking for manuscripts about:

• pets (dogs or cats in particular) and/or new babies
• magic or fairy tales
• biographies
• history-related books
  
• ABC books
• poetry books
• series
• young adult books or novels
• holiday-related books (including ones with holiday names in the title)

We do not consider manuscripts that have been previously published in any way, shape, or form -- including e-books or self-published. We don't like manuscripts with a lot of dialogue that is difficult to illustrate.

We only accept submissions by e-mail to DonnaGerman@SylvanDellPublishing.com. Snail mail submissions are discarded without being opened. If accepted, we offer an advance against royalty.

Manuscripts: Put the manuscript title and “manuscript submission” in the subject line. Please include:

• The text in the message or attached as a word document.
• A biography paragraph of 300 to 400 words. Tell us what other works, if any, you have published. Let us know about any applicable awards you have won.
• A paragraph explaining why you wrote the manuscript; tell us about any competition (author/illustrator, publisher, year published, sales data if available, etc.). If there are competitive books, please explain why your book is different and why you believe it should sell better.
• How do you envision the marketing of the book?
• Only one submission per e-mail. Include your bio with each submission.
• Authors do not need to submit art.

Illustrators: We are generally looking for realistic-style (not cartoon) illustrations for children.

• If you have a web site or your art portfolio is available on the internet, please provide a link. We will contact you if we need further information or samples.
• If you do not have a website, please e-mail at least one or two illustrations in an electronic format so that we may make an initial decision.
• Please put “illustration submission” in the subject line.
• Include a biography.

Author/Illustrators: We do accept submissions from illustrators who have written manuscripts. Please submit the manuscript as indicated above and attach two JPEG sketches (one in color if available). We do not accept snail mail dummies and they will be discarded without being opened. If we are interested in seeing the dummy after reviewing the e-mail, we will contact you with further instructions.

We will acknowledge initial receipt of the manuscript within two weeks. Please allow up to three or four months for a response.

Please do not ask Donna to critique your work or to recommend another editor or publishing house to whom you should submit.

If you are searching for the Home School Writing Competition click here

Understanding the submission process – a heart to heart from Editor Donna German

First, let me say that I have been on the author side of submissions and I vividly recall the 27 rejections that I received prior to my first “yes!” I know that you have written a manuscript that is near and dear to your heart. I also know that you can “see” it in published form and that there is a frustration with the whole submission process – not only to Sylvan Dell but to other publishers as well. Hopefully this will help you to understand what editors/publishers need/look for in submissions.

First, please understand that the submission process is overwhelming for editors too. I receive more submissions in a single day (seven days a week) than we publish in a year! I can’t imagine what editors at the large publishing houses receive! Also, please understand that reading submissions and selecting the list is just one of the many jobs that an editor does.

I try to read all submissions within a few days and I either reject or tend to hold those which have some possibilities. As the year progresses, I try to keep the number down and will go through and periodically "weed" if you will.

This is a very bizarre business and if you are still waiting for your first break, I recommend that you start reading books about how to market your book. That might help you in understanding what it is that editors/publishers are looking for when they select manuscripts. Don't forget that this is a business – not just your art of writing. The authors who survive (and thrive) in this business are the ones that truly understand that and commit to doing what it takes.

Every publisher looks for different things. Our four criteria are directly tied to our marketing and each manuscript must fit ALL FOUR categories! If the manuscript doesn't stand up to what we need to market, we would be wasting our money by publishing it. And, yes, I have turned down some really cute manuscripts because they didn’t hit all four criteria. It is simply not enough to tell me that you'll do signings or readings. Here's the "in" on how the criteria tie to our marketing needs:

fun-to-read story: My first cut is whether I envision and parent and child cuddled up reading the book together. Would a child pick the book up and WANT to read it?

National or regional in scope: we can't afford to publish books that are provincial with limited marketing scope. Believe it or not, the NC Aquarium system would not buy "Carolina's Story" because they said the story took place in SC, not NC. I even had a bookstore owner tell me that she wouldn't carry it because the turtle didn't wash up on HER island! We were able to show both how the book DID apply to them and they are now repeat customers. Stores that buy our books won't buy books they don't think will sell (they have to stay in business too) – as publishers, we have to help them to make sales to THEIR clients. The region has to be large enough to warrant our initial (substantial) investment.

Niche market: In general, bookstores are only interested in trying new books if they suspect they can sell it or they will only look at new releases. Think about it from their perspective: they have limited clientele (those who live within X miles). They have to have a wide variety of merchandise available which is why they usually only buy one or two copies of a title (IF they buy) unless there is strong reason to stock more like the subject matter or a local author/illustrator. Don't believe me? Go into a bookstore and count... Let's not even go down the path of returnable books. So... where is the market? We believe that a strong market for us (science and math through literature remember) is the niche market which includes museum, zoo, aquarium, nature center, park gift shops etc. Unlike bookstores, their clientele constantly changes. If they find a product (any product) that sells well, they know it will sell for them over prolonged periods of time. They'll buy multiple copies of limited items but they keep those same items in stock. Now, let me add the real downer: if the organization with a gift shop is a non-profit, they are tied to IRS regulations that 90% of sales in their gift shops must be directly related to their non-profit mission. You can't expect a planetarium to carry an animal book. At a Museum Store Association conference, I had one buyer literally counting the animals in a title. She said she couldn't buy it because only 7 of the animals were found in HI waters and she needs 80% (8 of the 10)....

Last but not least: must tie into elementary school curriculum (remember our science & math through literature focus). We find that one of our largest clients is schools: either individual teachers or the libraries. But, with the No Child Left Behind, any book that a teacher uses in the classroom needs to be aligned to standards. Literally, the teacher has to fill out forms indicating why or how the book is worth using/reading in the classroom. In order to make our books usable in schools, we align each title to National Science & Math Standards. For most states, that is not sufficient; they need each title aligned to THEIR state. Plus we are now providing 30 to 80 additional pages of cross-curricular teaching activities for each book so that the teachers can literally use the book in reading class to teach science. If the book isn't usable in the classroom, we just can't market to schools.