Thank you for your interest in Clear Fork Publishing!

 

Thank you for your interest in Clear Fork Publishing and its imprints Rise, Spork Books / Blue Whale Press, Dancing Flaming Press and &MG. If you’d like to submit your work to us for consideration, please read the following rules and guidelines, first:

 

Authors: in order to be able to focus on bringing you the best books we can, we are currently CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS. Any submission sent during our closed window will be deleted unless it's submitted from a literary agent. 

 

Agents: we are happy to review targeted agented submissions that fall within our mission statement as well as our criteria for each imprint. We are also happy to take a peek at manuscripts upon referral from our esteemed friends and colleagues. 

 

Agents: we are happy to review your submissions at any time. Please see the below for how to be considered. 

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SPORK BOOKS - Imagination Soup and Food for Thought

 

It may appear that this tagline casts a pretty wide net. However, the text must be imaginative in the eyes of a child and there must be some take-away value via a learning experience, although not didactic. We hope that, after reading these books, the Reader will have been changed and will keep thinking about the book, even after the cover’s closed. 

 

Send these submissions to: Query Submission (querymanager.com)

 

DANCING FLAMINGO PRESS - A Celebration of Art and Culture, Kindness and Curiosity

 

Our Dancing Flamingo Press imprint will focus primarily on picture books that convey art and culture with a focus fostering kindness and understanding between all creatures and being a child.  We welcome books from every culture and religion (including sub-cultures like the South, the Midwest, New Yorkers, etc.), especially those that we do not often get to experience. Lynne Marie is drawn to books that allow the reader to see and experience cultures without having to travel past their chairs. She feels this is particularly important in the current state of the world. She also looks for strong characters, engaging plot and strong voice. 

 

Other topics she would love to see:

 

• Cultural Celebrations 

• Cultural Food Tie-ins

• Community Helpers 

• Farm Animals 

• Folklore, Fairy Tales and Legends

• Holidays (Including, but not limited to): 

  • Advent 

  • Christmas 

  • Easter

  • Halloween

  • Hanukkah 

  • Kwanzaa 

  • Passover

  • Rosh Hashanah 

  • St. Patrick’s Day

  • Thanksgiving

  • Valentine’s Day

  • Local Tex-Mex Tie-ins

  • Monsters 

  • Mystery

  • Non-Fiction (Must be Compelling and Fun) 

 

She, however, is interested in reading any story that is well written as well as new and different or presents a perennial topic in a new and different way. She is not looking for concept books (like counting) or novels or short stories, and is not a big fan of slice-of-life books (however, Callie Metler is  looking for those). She does not encourage rhymed stories unless the rhyme is perfect and the story unfolds in an uncompromised way, which is often the case. 

 

Please check here before submitting to view updated guidelines. As a professional courtesy, please only submit your most polished work. To get a better idea of what she is looking for and what stories appeal to her, you may want to check out the monthly offering - First Pages with Callie and Lynne, a forum for live feedback. Dates, as well as the registration link will be posted under events on the website. 

 

Send submissions to: Query Submission (querymanager.com)

 

You should receive an auto-responder with each submission. Please do not follow up on submissions. She will try to respond to queries/submissions in a timely manner if possible, but cannot guarantee a response at this time. You should hear back on your query within two weeks. If not, you should consider it a pass. If you have not heard within two months on submission, you may consider it a pass as well. 

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BLUE WHALE PRESS

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Editor Jackie Kruzie is looking for picture book manuscripts with STEM/STEAM themes and is open to all authors and illustrators including:

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•     New & established

•     Agented & unagented

•     Author only

•     Illustrator only

•     Author/illustrator

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Jackie's wishlist: 

    fiction with STEM/STEAM themes

    non-fiction STEM/STEAM

    picture book biographies featuring lesser known figures

 

*Please include backmatter and bibliography with all submissions*

 

 

Jackie is looking for fast paced picture books that are fun to read aloud and educational without being didactic. She is not the right fit for rhyming texts, novelty/board books, graphic novels, middle grade, or young adult.

 

For more information on Jackie, including her favorite books on the market, visit jackiekruzie.com/submissions

 

 

Submissions will only be accepted via Query Tracker unless special directions have been given

 http://QueryManager.com/clearforkmedia_bluewhalepress

 

MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING 

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FONT: Times New Roman 

PAGE NUMBERING: Yes 

Acceptable to note how you envision page numbers to fall

PARAGRAPHS: Indent 5 -Spaces 

SPACING: Double 

TYPESET: 12 or 14 Point Font

 

Picture Books should not be longer than 750 words -- 850 for Non-fiction. In that less is more, shorter is better. Write tight and bright!

 

Please include Title, Author name and Word count at the start of your story, as well as all contact information at the top. We welcome suggested page breaks. 

 

We are not super, super picky about formatting -- it’s the story that counts -- however, it does show professionalism and the ability to follow directions, which is always a plus! 

 

ALL SUBMISSIONS should include a mission statement, target audience, three marketing hooks for your book, a bio and any pertinent information that connects you to the manuscript or will give you a strong platform for selling this particular book. 

 

Also include a list of three comp titles that you feel are similar to your project. These should be in the last three years, if possible. 

 

REQUEST/REVISE AND RESUBMIT: If you have a request (possibly from our First Pages Session) or revise and resubmit, please submit ONLY when you are certain that your story is ready and the best it can be. We would rather see a polished revision, than a quick one. The latter is more likely to receive a rejection. We thank you in advance for your professionalism. 

 

ILLUSTRATORS: We are happy to review post cards and portfolio links from talented illustrators. If your work has an uncultivated style or “self-published” look to it, we are likely not the ones to send to. 

 

For DANCING FLAMINGO PRESS, send postcards to: LynneMarie@SporkBooks.com 

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Questions regarding submissions can be submitted through the form below.

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Thank you!