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Guidelines
For Children's Books
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc., Children's Book Department
regrets that because of the high volume of mail it receives, a query cannot
be acknowledged, and unsolicited manuscripts cannot be returned unless
accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
We cannot review web sites, web pages, manuscripts, or illustrations sent via e-mail.
To be considered all work must be submitted as hard copy as per our guidelines.
Go to guidelines for:
Books for Young Learners | Books for Older Learners | Artist/Photographer |
AUTHOR GUIDELINES —- BOOKS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. seeks high-interest stories
with charm and appeal that five-, six-, and seven-year-old
children can read by themselves. We want stories that
captivate, inform, and entertain, children. We publish a variety
of genres, styles and subjects that support the curriculum
including science, technology,
history and geography.FICTION: Original, realistic, contemporary stories, as well as folktales,
legends, and myths of all cultures.NONFICTION: Fascinating topics and information presented in language
accessible to five-, six-, and seven-year-olds. No dry encyclopedia-type
pieces, please. Content must be supported with details and accurate facts.STRUCTURE: Well-developed stories with clear beginnings, and middles,
and endings that tie up the story with meaning. No list-type stories, please.LENGTH: Can be as minimal as 45 words for the earliest reader or as
much as 1,000 words for the fluent reader.STORYLINE: strong, clear, focused
CHARACTERS: Believable, vivid, and child-appealing to whom children
can relate, identify with, and care about. Animals in stories must act as
an animal would or could act and not be humanized or "cute." No talking
animals unless in a fable or folktale.SENTENCES: Must be complete and grammatically correct. No sentence
fragments.LANGUAGE: A mix of both natural and book language. If dialogue is used,
it must sound natural to children. We also welcome concepts for wordless
picture books.
Please do not submit:
- queries, manuscript summaries, or resumes
- holiday or religious themes
- lessons, morals, vocabulary lists, or language skills
- manuscripts that stereotype or demean individuals or
groups, or present violence as acceptable behavior- stories with talking, humanized animals or objects
- stories that have been previously published, or feature
imitative characters
Submission Procedures:1. Manuscripts should be typewritten and double-spaced with your name,
phone number, and the page number on each page. Send photocopies, not
originals.2. Include a short cover letter with your name, address, telephone number,
and manuscript title.3. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient return postage.
International Reply Coupons are not acceptable.Our response time can be as long as six to twelve months.
Send submissions to: Janice Boland,
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 585,
Katonah, NY 10536Requests for revisions do not in any way imply, suggest, or guarantee
acceptance or publication of a manuscript.
AUTHOR GUIDELINES - BOOKS FOR OLDER LEARNERS
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. seeks short,
high-interest, easy-reading manuscripts that
will appeal to and inform eight-, nine-, and
ten-year-old children. We want fresh, snappy
pieces about topics and events that have meaning for this age group. Please
write clearly and simply, yet with richness, style, and voice.We seek concise, well-structured, well-developed pieces in a variety of
genres. All submissions should have the economy of words, vitality, focus,
impact, and energy of a magazine or newspaper article, but written for
eight-, nine-, and ten-year-olds.We publish a variety of themes in prose, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Topics and genres include: adventure, action, mysteries, magic, humor,
science, science fiction, simple scientific observations, journals, diaries,
photo essays, current trends, sports, music, how-to’s, letters, nature and
the environment, careers, technology, geography, architecture, travel,
interviews, plays, and the retelling of myths and legends. If submitting an
organizational piece in the manner and voice of a magazine article it should
be detailed and accurate.Do not submit queries, manuscript summaries, resumes, chapter books, or
lengthy manuscripts, please. Children should be able to read the piece in
one sitting with understanding and enthusiasm.Pieces accepted for publication may not be published as single books, but
may be part of an anthology collection.
Submission Procedures:
1. Manuscripts should be typewritten and double-spaced with your name,
phone number, and the page number on each page. Send photocopies, not
originals.2. Include a short cover letter with your name, address, telephone number,
and manuscript title.3. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient return
postage. International Reply Coupons are not acceptable.
Our response time can be as long as six to twelve months.Send submissions to: Janice Boland,
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 585,
Katonah, NY 10536
Requests for revisions do not imply, suggest, or guarantee acceptance
or publication.
ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER GUIDELINES -
CHILDREN'S BOOKSRichard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. seeks illustrators and photographers
who can capture and depict the world the way children see it.
Illustrations should convey, complement, parallel, and at times extend the
meaning of the text. Artists must be able to sustain the appearance of a
character or characters and the spirit, mood, and atmosphere of the story
from page to page throughout a book.
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· We want styles that are simple, clear, powerful, and lively.
· Colors used should attract children and reflect the content of the story.
· No preconceived or stereotyped images.
Submission procedures:
· Samples of artwork and photographs must demonstrate the artist's ability
to handle the above qualities.
· We do not review web sites.
· Send color photocopies, printed pieces, and photographs (prints or instant).
· Please do not send disks, slides, or original pieces of art. We cannot be
responsible for them.
· Please include a cover letter with your name, address, and phone number
and a self-addressed envelope large enough and with sufficient postage for
the return of your samples.
If we are interested in your work, we will retain your samples in our files.
Due to the volume of submissions we cannot respond until we have a
specific project under consideration.
Submit samples to:
Janice Boland
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 585
Katonah, NY 10536
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Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 585 - Katonah, NY 10536 - 800/336-5588 9-5 EST. M-FCopyright © 1999 by Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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