Submissions

Storytelling takes a team who cares about its craft: authors, illustrators, and voice actors

Thank you for your interest in Bookmonkey Press. We are happy to consider unsolicited book manuscripts as well as portfolios from illustrators and voice actors interested in being a part of our team.

A few things to know about us. We're generally not very impressed with folks who consider themselves to be the best. If that's your perspective, don't look in our direction. We do not have "star players" at Bookmonkey Press, and we do not want them — we're too human to get along well with that.

What we're promising our readers is a team who cares to create beautiful things that accurately represent truth and goodness in a dark, foreboding world.

What we're promising our team members is a chance to create. We want to push every project as far as it can go, learning from our mistakes and improving at every step. To do that we need the whole body of the team, submitting their ideas to one another to see what needs correction and beautification.

• If you're an author who believes you've been created and called to subcreate, reach out.
• If you're an illustrator who longs to color this world with beauty, send a message.
• If you're a voice actor who wants to give a soul to an old-fashioned adventure story, we want to hear from you.

What we're looking for

1. Richly detailed children's picture books with hefty storylines. Think Kate DiCamillo in short-story form (not books about the alphabet). Strong favor is given to historical fiction. We want to inspire the youngest readers with complex stories that capture their imagination while teaching them about the world around them.
2. Middle-grade fiction, at least 32,000 words. We're looking for unique storylines with a classic feel, full of adventure. We have a zero-tolerance policy for hidden political and sexual agendas and will pass those manuscripts by. We favor rich vocabulary over modern slang and references to recent technology — books that will stand the test of time.
3. YA — happily considered, but we're not your typical publishing house. We want YA that inspires readers to greatness, avoiding foul language, hidden agendas, and dystopian themes. There is enough in this world that can depress our youth; we prefer manuscripts that encourage and entertain, so readers develop a healthy love of reading on into adulthood.

We have a zero-tolerance policy toward AI. A recent report suggested some publishers will accept up to 5% AI use in their manuscripts. That is not us. We're looking for authors who have poured their own blood, sweat, and tears into their stories, and we honor that by hiring illustrators committed to the same. Any contract we offer will ask you to abide by these guidelines.

How to submit

Send your submission to us at support@bookmonkeypress.com. Your message should include:

1. An introduction describing your background.
2. A brief synopsis of your work.
3. A portfolio, or three chapters of your manuscript, for our staff to review.

Every submission receives the honor of a response as to its suitability, and we'll indicate our interest in pursuing a partnership at that time. Know that we value hard work and humility — it takes a lot of effort, and a ready willingness to work as a team, to bring a book into the world.