Who Can Submit

We are currently accepting unsolicited submissions from authors in the US and around the world.

Please note that Little Fern operates exclusively as a traditional publisher—we do not offer hybrid or self-publishing services.

What We’re Looking For

We are interested in picture book manuscripts that show:

• Originality and imagination

• Strong narrative structure suited to a picture book format

• Themes that resonate with children aged 3-9, including social-emotional learning stories told in a fun, engaging way, and stories about resilience, empathy, or environmental awareness.

• Potential for universal appeal across home, school, and library markets

We publish books that combine literary quality with artistic excellence, maintaining high editorial standards across all our imprints.

Please do not commission your own illustrator before submitting. We carefully select illustrators whose style best complements the story.

If you have already contracted an illustrator, please disclose this clearly in your submission — however, please note that this may reduce your chance of acceptance, as both story and art will be evaluated together.

Submission Policy

All submissions should be emailed to:

submissions@starfishbaypublishing.com

Please:

• Attach your manuscript as a Word or PDF file (max 25MB).

• For larger files, please send via Dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/GmI9a0BXM3IHdYcQDCu4

Due to the high volume of submission, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide individual feedback. If you do not hear from us within two months, it means we are unable to proceed with your submission at this time.