How to submit a book to Charlesbridge
Holds open calls
Charlesbridge reads unsolicited manuscripts from January to June each year, and its open children’s submissions program is paused for now. It bought Imagine Publishing and Move Books.
Read off Charlesbridge's own pages on
What it says
“At this time, Charlesbridge is pausing operations on our open children’s submissions program.”
“We are open to submissions of unsolicited manuscripts from January to June of each year.”
“Please send a detailed plot synopsis, a chapter outline (what happens in each chapter), and the first three chapters of text.”
What it says it looks for
“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.”
“We are especially interested in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) voices and other perspectives that have been traditionally underrepresented in publishing.”
What it has bought from outside
- 2010
Imagine Publishing, whose Peter Yarrow imprint had the bestseller Over the Rainbow from Charles and Jeremy Nurnberg
“Charlesbridge Publishing has acquired Imagine Publishing, a publisher founded in 2009 by Charles and Jeremy Nurnberg to do children and adult titles.” publishersweekly.com
the 30-book backlist and forthcoming titles of Mackinac Island Press from Mackinac Island Press
“Watertown, Mass., children’s publisher Charlesbridge has acquired the rights to the 30-book backlist and several forthcoming titles from Mackinac Island Press of Traverse City, Mich.” publishersweekly.com
Other companies that take a book
- Albert Whitman & CompanyReads unsolicited workAlbert Whitman reads unagented picture books, middle-grade and young adult novels sent to submissions@albertwhitman.com, and answers only…
- Andrews McMeelReads unsolicited workAndrews McMeel Publishing considers proposals from creators and agents by email or mail: an outline and one or two sample chapters.
- Baen BooksReads unsolicited workBaen takes manuscripts through the submission form on its site, baen.com/slush, and prefers the complete manuscript with a synopsis.
- Carina PressReads unsolicited workCarina Press takes agented and unagented novels through Submittable: a query letter, the full manuscript and a synopsis.
- Chronicle BooksReads unsolicited workChronicle Books has an open submissions policy and takes unagented proposals for anything suited to its list, from books to gift products.
- Entangled PublishingReads unsolicited workEntangled takes agented and unagented novels through its Submittable page, starting with a one-page query letter.
- HarlequinReads unsolicited workHarlequin’s series lines take unagented manuscripts through harlequin.submittable.com: the full manuscript or first three chapters, with a…
- Holiday HouseReads unsolicited workHoliday House reads children’s book manuscripts sent to submissions@holidayhouse.com or by mail, and answers only if interested.