Charlesbridge Children's Book Submissions
At this time, we are not accepting submissions for our adult imprint, Imagine.
Get to Know Us
- Charlesbridge publishes high-quality books for young people with a goal of creating lifelong readers and learners.
- We believe that books for children should offer accurate information, promote a positive worldview, and embrace a child’s innate sense of wonder and fun. To this end, we seek new voices, new visions, and new directions in children’s literature.
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We are especially interested in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) voices and other perspectives that have been traditionally underrepresented in publishing.
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Charlesbridge publishes fiction and nonfiction board books, picture books, early readers, middle grade fiction and nonfiction (ages 8–12), and young adult fiction and nonfiction (ages 12+).
- Our nonfiction tends to focus on nature, science, math, social studies, biography, history, and the arts.
- In both fiction and nonfiction, we are committed to reflecting and celebrating our diverse world.
- To find out if your book is a good match for us, get to know our program by downloading our catalog or visiting www.charlesbridge.com.
- These guidelines are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a solicitation of any manuscript, artwork, or other material. Submission of any materials shall be done at the author/illustrator's own risk.
We accept only digital submissions for all manuscripts, including author/illustrator book dummies. Please do not mail a submission to us.
Please note that we do not accept text or art generated by artificial intelligence.
Click the relevant tab below for more information.
General Information
Charlesbridge now operates on a six-month period for submissions. We are open to submissions of unsolicited manuscripts from January to June of each year. Our submissions are closed from July to December, and any submissions received during these months will not be considered.
Charlesbridge is not currently seeking:
- alphabet books
- coloring books
- activity books
- novelty books
Due to a high volume of submissions, we respond only to manuscripts of interest. If you have not heard back from us after six months, you may assume we do not have a place for your project.
What to Send
- Submit your manuscript as an attachment (Word or PDF). Please don’t paste your story into the body of an email.
- Submit only one manuscript at a time.
- Manuscripts should be double-spaced.
- Illustrations are not necessary.
- Include your name, address, and contact information on your manuscript and in your email.
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You're welcome to share any information about yourself that could help our editors understand how your experiences and perspective connect to your work.
Picture books and other books under thirty manuscript pages:
- Please send the complete manuscript.
Fiction books longer than thirty manuscript pages:
- Please send a detailed plot synopsis, a chapter outline (what happens in each chapter), and the first three chapters of text.
Nonfiction books longer than thirty manuscript pages:
- Please send a detailed proposal, a chapter outline (what happens in each chapter), and one to three chapters of text.
YA novels:
- Please send a plot summary and the first three chapters of text.
Where to Send
- For board books, picture books, early readers, and middle-grade books, email childrens.submissions@charlesbridge.com.
- For YA novels, email ya.submissions@charlesbridge.com. (If you send anything other than a YA novel (for ages 12+), it will be deleted unread.)
General Information
Charlesbridge now operates on a six-month period for submissions. We are open to submissions of unsolicited book dummies from January to June of each year. Our submissions are closed from July to December, and any submissions received during these months will not be considered.
Charlesbridge is not currently seeking:
- alphabet books
- coloring books
- activity books
- novelty books
Due to a high volume of submissions, we respond only to manuscripts of interest. If you have not heard back from us after six months, you may assume we do not have a place for your project.
What to Send
- Please send a book dummy (PDF) or your manuscript and sample illustrations (Word doc or PDF).
- Submit only one project at a time.
- Manuscripts should be double-spaced.
- Please include your name, address, and contact information on your manuscript/dummy and in your email.
- You're welcome to share any information about yourself that could help our editors understand how your experiences and perspective connect to your work.
Where to Send
General Information
Charlesbridge currently accepts art samples. We prefer digital samples over printed ones to reduce paper waste. Please send samples that demonstrate strong originality, excellent conceptual abilities, and technical accomplishment in your chosen media.
Due to the large volume of samples we receive, we are unable to respond to queries about them. We will contact you if we have a project that suits your particular talents.
Please note that we do not accept text or art generated by artificial intelligence.
What to Send
- For digital samples, send PDF or JPG portfolios. Be sure your name is in the filename.
- If you have a website or online portfolio, please include the URL in your email.
- For mailed samples, send artwork postcards. Be sure your contact info is printed on the card.
- Do not send original art; we cannot return any submission.
- You're welcome to share any information about yourself that could help our editors understand how your experiences and perspective connect to your work.
Where to Send
- Email design.submissions@charlesbridge.com with “portfolio” in your subject line.
- Mail to Art Director—Submissions | Charlesbridge | 9 Galen Street, Suite 220 | Watertown, MA 02472
