Kid Publishers Close Doors!

[Reece10]

Hey Everyone,

Here's some BAD news to kick off 2010, as of January 1st:

Macmillan Kids,
Henry Holt, Company Books for Young Readers and
Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

have CLOSED their doors to unsolicited submissions including queries.

Material can ONLY go through agents or to editors you've met at conferences !!!

Reece :cry:

[Hedgetrimmer]

Whew! I had to wipe the sweat from my brow. When I saw the thread title and then all those big names, I thought you were about to say they had closed their doors for actual business.

[Reece10]

Oh No!

Opps sorry for about that! Let me edit the post

Reece

[RoseColoredSkies]

I had similar fears about them closing for good. Well, looks like I'm safe. Now whether my agents sub to them is a whole other kettle o' fish.

[kellion92]

Hedge, I thought that meant they were closing too. Henry Holt is reorganizing in a bankruptcy, but I would have been shocked and sad if they closed. I used to work for parent Harcourt in its far less cool college textbook publishing division, and although my agent did not sub to them yet, it would be very sweet to be published by them.

[mware01]

I didn't plan to directly submit, but it's still too bad too see this.
I'm sure there are a few talented writers out there who don't need agents (though I've never actually met one).

[Smish]

I didn't plan to directly submit, but it's still too bad too see this.
I'm sure there are a few talented writers out there who don't need agents (though I've never actually met one).

I've met several children's authors who have published with major houses without agents, particularly picture book writers. And many big-name kid's authors started out without agents (Scott Westerfeld and Lisa Yee spring immediately to mind). So, I do think it's kind of sad that more and more publishers are closing their doors to unagented submissions.

However, I don't blame them, and I'd do the same if in their shoes. They have enough to do without sifting through the slush, and the odds of finding publishable material in the agented submissions are a whole lot higher.

This is another good reason to be a member of SCBWI and attend conferences, though. Most editors at conferences allow conference attendees to submit directly.

:)Smish

[BetsyJ]

Thanks for the post, Reece. But I'm curious about where you heard this. When I go to the Henry Holt web page, the manuscript submission guidelines are the same--they say they ARE still taking unsolicited submissions.

Thanks!

[scope]

I read the same thing about one week ago. Not sure where, but in a reliable source.

Although it saddens me, I'm not surprised. About one year ago, in a thread on AW, we discussed this. I remember saying that I was of the opinion, and still am, that in time just about all submissions to publishers will come from agents. It's simply a matter of the editorial staffs being grossly understaffed and overworked. They need gatekeepers. Even today, the few publishers who still accept unsolicited works usually tell writers to consider their decision a "no" if they don't reply (they don't have the personnel or time to do so). And most ask writers to submit to the Submissions or Acquisition Editor (whoever that is), which often means the slush pile. I think the whole thing is disgraceful, but it may be the only way publishers can work today. I truly believe that the entire publishing industry model would have to undergo dramatic changes before they might alter their submissions policy. Sad.

[Reece10]

Hi Betsy,

I noticed the same guidelines at Henry Holt too.

However, I did manage to find a posting or two that stated the same thing I did. One is at Jacket Flap and another place. Links are below:

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/publishing-industry-changes-4/ (http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/publishing-industry-changes-4/)

http://www.jacketflap.com/megablog/index.asp?tagid=113122&tag=Editor+%26+Agent+Info (http://www.jacketflap.com/megablog/index.asp?tagid=113122&tag=Editor+%26+Agent+Info)

[Khanada]

Okay, Henry Holt's submission guidelines have been updated now, but FSG's say nothing about not taking unsolicited. I haven't checked the others.

I saw a couple of reports on this in early January, but nothing since then. And nothing I've seen reported where the information came from! Is it definitely all Macmillan Kids imprints?

[Ooh! Just saw the last Hunger Games is called "Mockingjay".]

[AngelicaRJackson]

I saw this same info on a SCBWI news page here (http://www.scbwi.org/Regional-Chapters.aspx?R=5&sec=News) but again no source. Anybody with a Publishers Marketplace subscription find anything on there?

Alas, the Henry Holt info came too late, I sent out my full (per their old guidelines) on Jan. 30. It said they only respond if they're interested anyway. The query I sent to FSG on 1/30 got a form rejection on 2/27.

Any chance a moderator could change the name of this thread to "Kid Publishers Bar Doors!" or something? I've had a few friends who glanced at the post express alarm that they were closing, and some of the other posts reflect that same confusion.

[Khanada]

Angelica, I did FINALLY find something on the Macmillan main site.

http://www.panmacmillan.com/Contact%20Us/

I checked FSG today out of curiosity, and that's been updated as closed. It must just be slow updating all those websites. Everything's been closed to unsolicited ms except Macmillan New Writing.

Technically, they don't look closed to queries though they don't give you any guidelines there! ;)

[C.J. Rockwell]

First of all, I'm glad those publishes aren't closed for good, some of my favorite from last year were published by Henry Holt.

I am bummed that they've adopted the "Respond only if interested" policy. As frustrating as form letters are, at least you can be sure they're a no go, and cross them off the list.

[AngelicaRJackson]

Thanks, Khanada. I hope there will be a grace period, since they took a while to update the website.