At Kids Can Press we are interested in reading quality fiction and non-fiction manuscripts for children or young adults. To ensure that your manuscript is appropriate for our publishing list, please familiarize yourself with the books that we publish. When submitting your manuscript please follow the guidelines listed below.

The manuscript must be typewritten and double-spaced, with your name and address on both the manuscript and cover letter. For fiction submissions we require a synopsis and approximately three sample chapters. Please do not send the entire manuscript unless requested to do so. For picture books, please send a copy of the entire manuscript.

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) in order that we may return the material to you should we find it unsuitable. The envelope should be large enough to hold your material and have sufficient Canadian or international postage to cover the cost of mailing. If you prefer the manuscript to be recycled rather than returned to you, please indicate this in your cover letter. Manuscripts that do not include a SASE will not be returned.

Query letters should include an outline of the proposed manuscript. Please also include a SASE with all query letters.

Do not send us the only copy of the work. While Kids Can Press will make every effort to return each manuscript we receive, we cannot be responsible for manuscripts lost in the mail.

Please allow up to six months for a reply from us. We receive a great many manuscripts each month and it takes time to consider each one.

Address the envelope to:

Please specify the genre of the work (e.g., picture book, novel or non-fiction) on the front of the envelope.

If you would like confirmation that your manuscript has been received, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard, which will be returned to you when your submission arrives.

If you are simultaneously submitting your manuscript to other publishers, please indicate that it is a multiple submission.

We do not consider manuscripts submitted on disk or that arrive by fax or e-mail.

Please do not send original artwork with your manuscript. It is not necessary for art to be created in advance of a manuscript being accepted for publication. Should a manuscript require illustrations, Kids Can Press will make arrangements for the artist.

If you are a professional artist, include photocopied samples of your work along with a brief resumé outlining your experience.

Thank you for your interest in Kids Can Press. We look forward to considering your manuscript.