Pajama Press is happy to announce that middle grade and picture book (fiction and nonfiction) manuscript submissions are officially open! Follow the guidelines below for instructions on how to submit your story!

What we are looking for:

Pajama Press is a small literary press with high editorial and production standards.

We produce many formats and genres popular in children’s publishing such as: picture books, our sturdy Toddler Tough books for the very young, early chapter books for new readers, middle grade novels, and literary non-fiction. We are currently seeking works from diverse voices, Canadian authors, as well as underrepresented communities such as Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+ authors and their stories.

Picture books

Early picture book stories:

150 words or less. High concept, simple ideas, word play. Suitable for ages 1–2 or 3–5.

Picture books for 5-8:

300-800 words. Fictional, character-driven stories, or stories that emphasize word play, vocabulary building, rhythm, with a strong hook.

Non-fiction picture books that have STEM connections, historical or biographical content, and social justice topics.

Novels

Early chapter books:

7,000-14,000 words. Stories divided into approximately 10-12 chapters. School-aged protagonists, single point of view, vocabulary building with lots of dialogue. Stories with good character development that feature overcoming challenges, humorous situations, family, and friendship.

Middle-grade novels:

24,000-40,000 words. More complex, character-driven stories that feature a single or dual point of view. Some excellent themes include the environment, animal stories, children dealing with life challenges, humour, sports, social justice, feminism, mystery, fantasy, and community stories with diverse casts and a universal appeal.

Learn about Pajama Press

Submitting a manuscript

To submit middle grade fiction and nonfiction, please email:

pajamapressmgsubs@gmail.com

For ideal word count suggestions, see our “What we are looking for” section.

Please write us an email that gives the following information:

  • A brief summary of your novel. Remember that this is a summary, not marketing material.
  • An excerpt, the first ten chapters of your middle grade manuscript.
  • Information about your writing background.

To submit picture books, please email:

pajamapresspbsubs@gmail.com

Please write us an email that gives the following information:

  • A brief summary of your picture book. Remember that this is a summary, not marketing material.
  • Text in a PDF with word count. 
  • Do not include illustration instructions, just your text file.
  • Information about your writing background.

Other things to know:

  • Please only submit to the corresponding email account.
  • We only accept digital submissions and physically mailed copies will be recycled!
  • It takes time for our small team to work through the large volume of submissions which we receive. As a result, we are only able to respond to proposals that we determine are a good fit for our publishing program.
  • We aim to review submissions within four to six months. If you haven’t received a reply within six months, it is safe to assume that we are no longer considering your manuscript.

ART SUBMISSIONS

Illustrators who wish to share a portfolio with our Art Director may send links or attachments via email to info@pajamapress.ca at any time. Please note that manuscripts sent to this address will not be considered unless otherwise stated below.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Read the Submission FAQ before submitting
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