Submission Guidelines

Annick Press is currently accepting submissions of picture books, early chapter books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, graphic novels, and non-fiction for kids of all ages. We also encourage illustrators to submit their portfolios for consideration. Our books aim to empower readers, open minds, and create a lifelong love of reading. They feature contemporary themes (even if the setting is historical) and center kids’ perspectives and experiences.

We are committed to publishing diverse authors and illustrators. In considering submissions, we prioritize creators whose perspectives have historically been excluded from children’s publishing. This includes but is not limited to LGBTQ2SIA+ creators, Black creators, Indigenous creators, creators of color, creators living with disabilities, and anyone living at the intersections of these identities. Click here to read about our Editorial Mentorship Program for writers.

As an independent Canadian publisher, Annick works primarily with Canadian creators; however, we are open to working with authors and illustrators from around the world. Please let us know if you are Canadian when sending in your work!

In addition to reading our guidelines, we encourage all prospective authors and illustrators to take a look at our current catalogs to see if your work might be a fit for us.

Due to the high volume of manuscripts we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every submission. If we would like to follow up with you about your submission, we will respond within six months of receipt. Please do not send snail mail or paper submissions. If you have any accessibility needs when submitting, please reach out to submissions@annickpress.com and we will work with you to find an accommodation.

We can’t wait to see your work!

Picture Books

The picture books that excite us most combine original ideas with strong storytelling. We look for submissions where children are the main drivers of the story and/or explore ideas in ways that have inherent appeal for kids. We love stories told from unique perspectives that tap into deeper issues and emotions, conveying poignant messages without being didactic.

We welcome non-fiction ideas for picture books too; these can be a great way to introduce very young readers to engaging topics that are relevant to their experiences. Non-fiction does not have to be strictly educational: we look for ideas that have appeal and will capture young readers’ imaginations.

Generally, we prefer to receive the manuscript alone, without accompanying illustrations. We do want to know however, if your idea includes a visual narrative to accompany the text, which will help us assess it. We also welcome general suggestions for the art that you’d like us to be aware of when reviewing your manuscript. Our picture books tend to be 32 pages and no longer than 1000 words.

Please submit your full manuscript and cover letter as .docx or .pdf attachments to submissions@annickpress.com.

Early Reader Chapter Books

Annick is excited to have recently started publishing more chapter books for early readers, ages 6–9. We’re looking for submissions on topics that will resonate with readers of this age group, either with series potential or intended as standalone stories. We’re looking for emotionally resonant, thought-provoking stories with accessible, authentic, and age-appropriate language and vocabulary. We love stories that explore the interpersonal dynamics relevant to readers this age, that ask questions and encourage self-reflection.

The typical length of our early chapter books ranges from about 7,000–10,000 words. Submissions can be either a complete manuscript or sample chapter(s) with a story outline. If you are pitching a series, please consider including subsequent story ideas in your submission.

Please submit your full manuscript and cover letter as .docx or .pdf attachments to submissions@annickpress.com.

Middle Grade Fiction

Annick’s middle reader novels aim to engage kids with exciting stories that inspire deep thought and reflection. We’re looking for original stories with motivated characters, high stakes, and gripping action, even if it’s delivered in subtle form. Humor, even if used occasionally, is an asset. The typical length of our middle reader novels is 20,000–40,000 words.

Please submit your first chapter, synopsis and cover letter as .docx or .pdf attachments to submissions@annickpress.com.

Young Adult Fiction

Annick’s YA fiction features distinctive contemporary voices that wrestle with the big issues that matter to teens. We’re looking for powerful, dramatic, thought-provoking stories across most sub-genres, though the best way to determine if your manuscript might be a fit for us is to check out a few of our recent teen titles. Our YA novels tend to range from 50,000–70,000 words.

Please submit your first chapter, synopsis and cover letter as .docx or .pdf attachments to submissions@annickpress.com.

Comics

Annick publishes a small, select list of comics (aka graphic novels) for young readers. We define comics as any story told with panels. They can be early readers, middle grade, or YA. They can be fiction or non-fiction, series or stand-alone.

You do not need to have experience in comics making to submit to Annick. We are committed to helping new voices find a place in the publishing world—many of our most successful comics are by creators who had never made a story more than a few pages long before publishing with us. Most of our books are made by creators who are both the writer and the illustrator, but we are open to submissions of just text manuscripts, comic artist portfolios for consideration to be paired with an author, or author-illustrator teams who already work together.

Please send your submission to submissions@annickpress.com, and make sure your name is included in the name of each file you send.

Artist/illustrator or team:

Story outline. This should succinctly tell the entire story: beginning, middle, and end. (1–2 pages in .pdf or .docx)
Cover letter. Describe what you hope to accomplish creating this book, why it’s a good fit for Annick, and a little about you. (1-page .pdf or .docx)
Thumbnails. (20 sequential pages, .pdf, do not exceed 20 MB)
Art samples. These could be fully rendered panels of current project proposal or previous work. It could be paneled or not, but it should be representative of the book you want us to publish. (5–10 pages, .pdf, do not exceed 20 MB)

Writer only:

Story outline. This should succinctly tell the entire story: beginning, middle, and end. (1–2 pages in .pdf or .docx)
Cover letter. Describe what you hope to accomplish creating this book, why it’s a good fit for Annick, and a little about you. (1-page .pdf or .docx)
Sample pages. In the format you would intend to deliver work to artists. (10 pages, .pdf or .docx)

Artist only:

Cover letter. Describe what kinds of books you are interested in working on and a little about you. (1-page .pdf or .docx)
Art samples. These can be any combination of sketches, thumbnails, and final art, but at least half of the samples should be fully rendered paneled pages, and should reflect whatever styles you are interested in working in. (10–20 pages, .pdf, do not exceed 20 MB)

Non-Fiction

Annick’s non-fiction titles aim to hook readers with fascinating subject matter, appealing to their natural sense of wonder. These books give kids a solid foundation of facts while encouraging critical thinking and allowing them to draw their own conclusions. We’re looking for manuscripts (picture book, middle grade or YA) that combine an original idea with engaging storytelling, a distinctive voice and dedication to accuracy. Show us your passion for the material and the little-known details that will captivate kids and encourage further exploration. We encourage submissions on wide-ranging topics, including science and technology, historical events, and contemporary social issues as they relate to the reader’s world and beyond. Our non-fiction titles aim to be highly visual, with photographs and/or illustrations to complement the text. We recommend a maximum word count of 1000 words for non-fiction picture book manuscripts and 10,000–15,000 words for middle grade and YA.

For picture book non-fiction submissions, your full manuscript and cover letter as .docx or .pdf attachments to submissions@annickpress.com.

For middle grade and YA non-fiction submissions, please submit a sample chapter, detailed outline, and cover letter as .docx or .pdf attachments to submissions@annickpress.com.

Illustrators

We’re keen to see portfolios that demonstrate stylistic range, expressive characters, and visual storytelling. Don’t forget to include illustrations of kids! Please send sample images or a link to your portfolio, along with a few words about yourself, to art@annickpress.com.