Welcome, authors and illustrators, to Blue Whale Press!

We strive to publish books that will encourage young readers and instill a life-long love of reading.

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We are currently closed to submissions. But when we're open...

 

We are open to unsolicited manuscripts from both represented and unrepresented authors and author-illustrators. We are also looking for illustrators willing to work on commission.

 

At Blue Whale Press, we hope to find well-written fiction and informational STEAM Chapter and Middle Grade books within a fiction narrative. And, perhaps, a picture book or two each year.

 

Hi-Lo (High Interest-Low Reading Level) Books cater to those struggling readers, and we want to include them too. We are looking for stories that are high-interest topics for older readers (7-12) but written with shorter sentences, basic vocabulary, and new vocabulary in context to move them along their reading journey.

 

Why STEAM?

Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math are fun! We don’t underestimate how smart our audience is, and we want to encourage that sense of wonder, investigation, research, making conclusions, and enhance general knowledge – skills that create a well-rounded child, and will help them throughout their life and in whatever future they pursue.

 

We want to find lyrical, fun stories with STEAM elements within an engaging narrative. We want to see memorable, inclusive characters. Representation from underrepresented populations, differently-abled, and neurodivergent characters are welcomed, and would love to see them within the narrative and not just the focus. Let the reader see the world through their eyes. Make the reader care. Make the reader laugh. Children’s books should transport a child to another time/place/space and have them take away fascinating information. Above all, books should elicit the visual, either for great illustrations or for the reader’s imagination.

 

Manuscripts should include, and focus on, at least one of the STEAM elements.

Curriculum extension possibilities a plus!

Stories should be fun, fast-paced and if you can make us laugh, that’s a plus! We are also on the look-out for series, so if your manuscript has that potential, send it in!

 

We’re a bit nerdy here at Blue Whale, and we have wide interests.

We always think about what we would have liked to have read as a kid. So here it goes:

 

A mini-Indiana Jones, Archeology/Paleontology series.

A pint-sized, crime solving, mathematician as in NUMB3RS.

Cryptozoology & Lost Worlds.

Anything astronomy/space related.

Art theft detectives, stories that tackle art, art history, art theory.

Imagination/Creativity to solve problems.

Time Travel.

 

If you think it’s too weird to send to anyone, send it anyway.

 

If you've read this far, you're ready to submit!

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Submission Requirements

 

Make sure your manuscript is proofread for errors. It would be well advised for your story to have gone through revisions with feedback and critique from fellow authors or editors in the children’s writing field.

 

Please adhere to these Word Count guidelines.

 

Chapter Books (ages 6-9) – 5,000 – 10,000

Middle Grade (ages 8-12)– 20,000 – 50,000

Hi-Lo – 15,000 – 25,000

 

If you have a series, or a potential series, send one story and in the body of your query include a description of the evolution of the stories and how each story will be related.

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Format your manuscript as follows:

 

Times Roman 12 Point

Double Space

One-inch margins all around

Include your name and title in the header.

Include your name and contact information, word count, genre,

and age level at the top of the first page.

 

In your bio, please include any prior publications (including self-published books) and any organizations you are a member of or writing groups (ie. SCBWI, 12 x 12, Highlights Foundation workshops), and any information you think is relevant to your writing.

 

Please submit to QueryManager Only.

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Submissions through email will not be read.

Agents welcome to submit.

 

Please allow 4-8 weeks for a response.

 

 

About Blue Whale Press

 

Blue Whale Press is an independent publisher of children's books sold through retail and wholesale distribution. Retail shoppers can find our books at Amazon.com, Booktopia, and Barnes & Noble, among many other outlets, while those in the trade can obtain our books from Ingram Content Group.

 

Blue Whale Press is an imprint of Clear Fork Publishing. It is owned and operated by Clear Fork Media LLC, a registered limited liability company in Texas, U.S.A. owned and operated by Clear Fork Media LLC, a registered limited liability company in Texas, U.S.A.

 

 

Acquisitions Editor, Roseanne Baxter Frank

 

 ...is a children’s author and freelance editor. She was an early childhood teacher for many years and worked with older students as well. She graduated from Manhattanville College with a degree in elementary education and earned her master’s degree from Hofstra University in Reading K-12 and Clinical Diagnosis. She is the social media coordinator for the Long Island Chapter of SCBWI and hosts in-person picture book writing workshops. Roseanne comes to us with several picture books on her resume, including ALICE IN THE PALACE from Clear Fork Publishing under the SPORK imprint, and YA novel LEGACY & LEGEND. She is thrilled to join Callie and the team, and work alongside them to find great books that will excite and delight young readers.

 

“I am so excited to join the Clear Fork team in this capacity. I love working with authors to polish their stories for publication. There are amazingly talented writers out there and I want to see you!

Chapter and Middle Grade Books are milestones for the independent reading journey, and they prepare children for longer and more developed, emotionally engaging stories. We hope to find those great stories at Blue Whale Press.”