[shynar-la Posts: 8 Status: Offline I read therefore I am]

 . Hello everyone,  Happy Holidays! My picture book is about Central Asia,  its tradition and culture.  Please share agents/publishers who could at least take a look and give a feedback.  So far I am not finding any children's picture books about Central Asia to orient myself regarding agents/publishers to contact.  What is your advice!?    help needed urgently!  🤓

[dkshumaker Posts: 1,446 Status: Offline]

Hi Shynar,

Editors and agents typically don't give feedback on your manuscripts. It's best to get feedback from critique groups so you can send the polished manuscript to agents or editors. They make their decision based on the merits of the manuscript but rarely give you specific feedback.

So, my advice is to first get it critiqued by fellow writers.  Since you are a member of SCBWI, we do have a board where you can post manuscripts for critique if you're interested.

And finding the right agent or editor requires a lot of research. One website you might find helpful is www.manuscriptwishlist.com. I feel most agents and editors are open to diverse stories so I don't think you're going to see specific requests for stories on Central Asia. I would just read, read, read and see what publishers publish stories that have the same "feel" as your story.

Best of luck!

[Vijaya Posts: 7,104 Status: Offline Encourage]

shynar-la. Any good publisher of children's books would be interested in a well-told tale set in Central Asia. I did a Google search and a couple of kids' books popped up: Tales Told from the Tent and Stories from the Silk Road. If you go to Amazon, they'll have similar books listed below and you can see what else comes up. Best of luck! 

You won't get feedback from agents or editors unless you already have a working relationship with them. As Deb points out, we have a private critique section for SCBWI members.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,068 Status: Offline Language is so cool!]

The critique board is here: https://www.scbwi.org/boards/index.php?board=121.0

And you can seek critique partners here: https://www.scbwi.org/boards/index.php?board=127.0, or through your local chapter.

You have great advice above. I just want to add that I'm not clear if you've written fiction or nonfiction. Fiction is almost always about a character with a problem or concern and not a place. But nonfiction could be about a place and its culture. I ask because some agents only take one or the other for the age group. Diverse stories from the perspective of someone who's lived the experience (called own voices) are in right now, so that should not be an issue.

[shynar-la Posts: 8 Status: Offline I read therefore I am]

Debbie, it is a fiction book.  Dkshumaker, I will definitely look into critique section! Vijaya, I will  take a look at those books ! Thank you so much for your quick responses!