Pajama Press

Pajama Press is currently accepting submissions to info@pajamapress.ca for middle grade novels. Due to a high volume of emails, we will only be responding to a select number of submissions.

Submissions will close on October 12, 2023

Submission FAQs

What we are looking for:

Middle-grade novels: 24,000-60,000 words. More complex, character-driven stories that feature a single or dual point of view. Realistic contemporary stories, low fantasy (reality-based fantasy rather than high fantasy), historical stories that appeal to a universal audience.

Due to a high volume of queries, Pajama Press no longer considers submissions from authors outside of Canada.

What should my query look like?

A query does not need to be complicated. Please write us an email that gives the following information:

• A brief summary of your book. Remember that this is a summary, not marketing material—please don’t leave us in suspense about how the story’s conflict is resolved. A novel might take a paragraph or two.
• An excerpt. A good rule of thumb is to send the first three chapters of your novel-length projects.
• Information about your writing background. If samples of your published writing are available online, you may include a link.

Your query is like a resumé—it gives us our first impression of your professionalism and your writing ability. Do take care to represent yourself well.

I see that you don’t accept simultaneous submissions of manuscripts. Can I submit my query to more than one publisher at the same time?

Yes. If we do decide to request your manuscript, we will ask you whether another publisher is considering it. If, at that time, you can offer us the exclusive privilege of looking at your manuscript, we will gladly read it.

My self-published eBook is doing great on Amazon! Will you publish a print version?

Unfortunately, we are unable to consider books that have already been published digitally.

What is the difference between juvenile and middle grade literature?

There is no difference. Both are names for literature written for kids aged 9 to 12. These books can have fairly advanced vocabulary, and their themes are often very challenging, but lots of dialogue and straightforward development keeps them accessible to this age group.

Pajama Press is seeking a full time Office Administrator. Compensation to be negotiated commensurate with experience.

Pajama Press is an independent Canadian publisher of award-winning literary children’s books. Our easily accessible downtown Toronto office houses a tight-knit team of individuals and exposes all employees to the full range of the publishing process, from acquisition to production to marketing.

The ideal Office Administrator for our team is someone with attention to detail who can manage a wide range of tasks. They should love working with numbers and thrive on a varied workflow and be prepared to never feel bored.

Qualifications:

• At least 2 years’ experience in an administrative position or financial management role
• Training in Sage bookkeeping software is an asset
• Facility with Microsoft Office programs, particularly Excel
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Strong written English
• Ability to work effectively as a team member in a physical office

Duties

• Manage payables, receivables, and payroll, in conjunction with the Publisher, using Sage bookkeeping software
• Collaborate with the Publisher to generate budgets and reports using data from Sage bookkeeping software and distributors’ sales reporting systems
• Efficiently manage data in spreadsheets
• Manage organization of physical and digital files
• Assist our Bookkeeper and Chartered Accountant with the information required for financial statements and year end reports
• Work in conjunction with the Publisher to execute contracts
• Synthesize and organize figures for grant applications and reports
• Work with our design and editorial team to streamline the production process, including: tracking the progress of bulk freight shipments between printers and warehouses, communicating as needed with freight forwarders, customs, and distributors etc.
• Work with our royalties liaison
• Job role, duties, and responsibilities subject to expand and evolve based on applicant’s strengths and initiative

Pajama Press is located in Toronto, just north of Queen St. E on Davies Avenue, in a well-kept, friendly building that houses multiple creative companies. Public transportation is easily accessible.

Pajama Press welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and with various physical abilities. Physical requirements of the job include navigating four steps at the building entrance, stooping to access filing cabinets, and handling packages containing multiple books. This is a position that requires coming into the office.

Applicants should email info@pajamapress.ca with a cover letter and résumé saved as attachments. Please include your full name in the attachment’s file name.

We are deeply saddened by the news of Wallace Edwards’ tragic passing. Wallace was a beloved children’s book illustrator who touched us all with his immense talent, vivid imagination, and warm heart. We were lucky enough to work with Wallace, publishing two of his beautiful books, Once Upon a Line and Woodrow at Sea. He also contributed a piece of original art to A World of Kindness, a title which reflects the man he was.

Wallace’s picture book, The Cat’s Pajamas published by Kids Can Press in 2010, was the inspiration behind our name, Pajama Press. He will be greatly missed, both as a talented illustrator and a wonderful friend. Our hearts go out to Wallace’s loving partner, Kate, and his family.

https://jamesreidfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/14418/Wallace-Edwards/obituary.html#tribute-start

Pajama Press is proud to release our Fall 2022 Lineup video, introducing our upcoming books in the words of their creators!

Picture books Bear Has a Belly, Let’s Add Up! and Dinos Driving will have little ones learning and laughing through every page. Cocoa Magic and While You Sleep transport readers to wonderful and cozy worlds. For middle-grade readers, Berani gets to the heart of the hard choices facing young environmentalists as the characters fight for orangutans in Indonesia, while The U-nique Lou Fox introduces an intrepid fifth-grade playwright who has dyslexia and ADHD. If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 inspiring individuals found their dream jobs rounds out our Fall list with insightful and practical advice on finding the perfect career.

Thank you to our authors and illustrators for contributing to this video. Your passion for your craft is palpable, and we can’t wait to share these books with the world!

It’s already August, and that means it’s time to savour the last precious weeks of summer! What better way to relax and enjoy the sunshine than with a book—or four? These are our summer reading recommendations—from an action-packed climate-fiction trilogy, to a wistful coming-of-age novel set in a seaside town, there’s something here for every young reader to enjoy.

The Flooded Earth Trilogy by Mardi McConnochie

Four children, one sailboat, and a technologically enhanced parrot. They couldn’t possibly be enough to take on a perilous ocean, gangs of pirates, and a corrupt government…but if twins Will and Annalie want to find their missing father, they’re just going to have to be.

Set in a not-so-distant future when the Earth has been devastated by a massive Flood, Mardi McConnochie’s seafaring saga is a nonstop action adventure.

Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles by Shari Green

Sent to an island town to stay with her estranged grandmother while her parents try to save their crumbling marriage, 11-year-old Bailey feels helpless and cast away. When a self-proclaimed prophet predicts “a stranger from the sea will change everything,” Bailey hopes this stranger can solve her problems – little suspecting her own ability to influence the world.

In this warm and wistful middle-grade novel, Bailey’s seaside summer is marked by powerful realizations about the strengths and weaknesses of all the people in her life…including herself.

Don’t miss Pajama Press illustrators Miki Sato and Maggie Zeng at School Library Journal’s Picture Book Palooza on July 14, 2022.

Miki Sato
Visualizing the Text panel
11:05 to 11:55 am ET
Miki’s stunning collage art uses paper, textiles, and embroidery to create a magical landscape as a child’s three stuffed bunnies prepare the natural world for a shiny, new day in While You Sleep.

Maggie Zeng
Natural Wonders panel
2:00 to 2:50 pm ET
Maggie’s talent for both character and landscape shines as she brings to life two wombats, two wallabies, a koala, and a tiger snake all squeezed together in one burrow to escape a bushfire in Room for More.

Harley the Hero wins the 2022 OLA Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award!

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited Assumption Elementary School in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Vanier today. Known for her championship of literacy, the Duchess marked the visit with a reading of The Library Bus, written by Bahram Rahman and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard. This picture book celebrates women and girls finding innovative ways to spread education in Afghanistan, where the author was born. The book was a finalist for the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award and won the Middle East Book Award, among other honours.

The visit to Assumption Elementary School is part of a three-day Canadian tour being undertaken by Prince Charles and the Duchess to mark the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s 70^th year on the throne.

Welcome to the Pajama Press OLA Super Conference Virtual Booth Web Page

Giveaway!

Snowflakes on My Nose Activity Book

Illustrator Miki Sato of the Weather Days series (Snow Days, Sunny Days, Windy Days and soon Rainy Days), shows us step-by-step how she created the beautiful paper-collage snowflakes featured in this activity book!

Enter our OLA Super Conference Super Swag Giveaway for a chance to win one of 25 FREE copies of our Snowflakes On My Nose Activity Book!

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Featured Books

Room for More by Michelle Kadarusman, illus. Maggie Zeng

Author Michele Kadarusman has given us a behind-the-scenes look at this highly-anticipated Spring 2022 title! Check out her video below.

Harvey Takes the Lead by Colleen Nelson, illus. Tara Anderson

Governor General’s Award Finalist author Colleen Nelson tells us a little bit about the latest installation to the Harvey Stories series.

Harley the Hero by Peggy Collins

Author Peggy Collins reads her OLA Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award Nominated book, Harley the Hero, with the help of Sherri and Stanley, the teacher and service dog that inspired this amazing story.

A Sky-Blue Bench by Bahram Rahman, illus. Peggy Collins

A Sky-Blue Bench has been named an ALA Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book! Read the press release here!

Introducing our 2022 OLA Forest of Reading Nominees!

No More Plastic by Alma Fullerton, Blue Spruce Award Nominee

The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman, illus. Gabrielle Grimard, Blue Spruce Award Nominee

Harley the Hero by Peggy Collins, Blue Spruce Award Nominee

Harvey Holds His Own by Colleen Nelson, illus. Tara Anderson, Silver Birch Fiction Award Nominee

Duck Days by Sara Leach, illus. Rebecca Bender, Silver Birch Express Award Nominee