Submission Instructions

Formatting Guidelines for the Critique Carousel

Submission guidelines for written critiques:

In the header of the manuscript or manuscript sample (including any synopsis), include your name, email, and title of the manuscript. Make sure the header with your information is on each of your pages. These are not counted toward your word limit.

Picture Books:

Fiction: up to 800 words, 1-inch margins, double spaced (sample here). 

Non-fiction: 1,200 words, 1-inch margins, double spaced.

Art notes do not count toward word count.

Backmatter does not count toward word count (whether or not it is critiqued is up to the agent/editor/art director)

For Author/Illustrators: A full dummy (fully laid-out sketched picture book with 1-2 completed pieces of artwork). Please review which agents are open to critiquing dummies. Max file size: 25 MB.

Novels: 6 pages, 1-inch margins, double spaced. Additionally, you may include a one-page single-spaced synopsis at the end of your 6 pages, but these will not be critiqued (sample here).

Graphic novels: 

Art and text: 6 sample page spreads in jpg or pdf format, as well as a summary/synopsis.

Text only: 6 pages of script.

You may include a one-page single-spaced synopsis (at the end of your pages), but these will not be critiqued (sample here).

Novels in Verse: 6 pages, 1-inch margins, single-spaced, no page breaks at the end of a poem. Run them right up after the one before. You may include a one-page single-spaced synopsis (at the end of your pages), but these will not be critiqued (sample here). 

General guidelines:

Please use standard font formatting such as Arial or Times New Roman, size 12.

If your manuscript is intended to be author/illustrated, you may add the line "author illustrated PB" (or MG or Chapter Book, etc.) in your contact information.

Please name your file in this format: YourName_AgentName_GENRE 

For genre, please use: PB, CB, MG, YA, GN, NV

Example: JaneDoe_AgentX_PB

Preferred file formats: Word doc or PDF

Submission guidelines for Portfolio Submissions:

Create a single PDF file of 7-10 jpg images

Name your file in this format: Lastname_portfolio 

           Example: Doe_portfolio

For Book Dummy submissions:

Dummies should consist of a fully laid-out sketched picture book with 1-2 completed pieces of artwork. Books should be assembled into a single PDF file.

Name your file in this format: Lastname_bookdummy 

           Example: Doe_bookdummy

Maximum File Size for all submissions: 25 MB

If your manuscript arrives with formatting issues, we’ll let you know and give you a chance to resubmit, but you still need to make the submission window date. We are unable to offer refunds due to formatting errors so please follow carefully!

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