The picture books that we publish are usually, but not always, fictional stories that relate to animals, nature, the environment, science, and math. 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 several 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. We do accept simultaneous submissions.

Manuscripts must 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. We are NOT looking for pure non-fiction 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) new babies magic or fairy tales biographies

ABC books poetry books series of any kind

young adult books or novels holiday-related books (including ones with holiday names in the title) we are no longer looking for bird-related manuscripts

We ARE looking for manuscripts about:

Physical science Earth science Fables/Folklore/Myths that explain scientific events. We prefer that these be adapted from North American cultures. Please include reference to the specific culture.

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.

If your manuscript is accepted or a contract offered to an illustrator, we offer small advances against royalty.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines:

• We only accept submissions by . Submissions received via snail mail are discarded without being opened.
• Please put the manuscript title and “manuscript submission” in the subject line.
• The manuscript text can be either placed in the message or attached as a Microsoft Word document.
• Please include a biography 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.
• Include 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.
• Please include links and a bibliography to indicate research if appropriate. All accepted manuscripts will be vetted for accuracy by experts in the field. The underlying scientific facts must be accurate.
• Authors do not need to submit art. Unless there is a specific reason, authors should NOT include illustration suggestions. That would be the illustrator's job.

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

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 email, we will contact you with further instructions.

We try to acknowledge receipt of the manuscript within two weeks but we can get backed up. If you have not heard anything after two months, please re-send as it may have not gotten through. If the manuscript has been rejected, please do not resubmit it unless Donna has specifically suggested it. Please do not ask Donna to critique your work or to recommend another editor or publishing house to whom you should submit.

Thoughts on rhythm and rhyme

As you’ve probably figured out by now, many publishers do not accept manuscripts written in rhyme. While rhyme makes for a great read aloud, it is also the most difficult type of “story” to write. I’ll also share, that while we do accept rhyme manuscripts, the translations become difficult. I much prefer a good story written in prose or a rhythmic read, not necessarily in rhyme. If you submit a story in rhyme, please ensure that it meets the following basic criteria for rhyme:

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.

Please understand that the submission process is overwhelming for editors too. 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 weeks 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 periodically cull the list.

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 love and art of writing. The authors who survive (and thrive) in this business are the ones that truly understand the business end 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: