Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint for children's books accepts unsolicited, unagented submisions

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

Clarion Books is a children’s books imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the world’s oldest publisher. 

If you can get an agent, it’s usually a good idea and there are many agents representing authors of children’s books, especially middle grade and young adult. You can find many agents actively looking for authors here. But if you can’t get an agent, it’s good to know that Clarion accepts unsolicited, unagented submissions.

Each manuscript does receive careful consideration but they respond only if they’re interested in publishing the work or would like to request a revision. The time frame for a response is up to twelve weeks.

Your manuscript should be typed and sent by snail mail. They do not accept email submissions. Please do not send a self-addressed return envelope or postcard, as materials will not be returned. Manuscripts will be recycled if  Clarion determines they are not a match for their publishing program.

For picture books and novels, please send the entire manuscript. For nonfiction, submit a synopsis and sample chapters.

Submissions to Clarion Books should be sent to the following address:

Clarion Books / Submissions
3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Full submission guidelines here.

Anne Shone, senior editor,
Scholastic Books

This fall, Brian Henry is offering a weekly course on Writing Kid Lit ~ Picture Books to YA, Tuesday afternoons, Sept 27 - Nov 22 (no class Oct 11), in Burlington (see here).

Brian regularly offers full-day workshops on Writing for Children and for Young Adults. The next one is Saturday, November 19, in Mississauga with Anne Shone, senior editor, Scholastic Books as his guest speaker (see here). 
Note: If you’re looking at this posting after Nov 19, 2016, check out current Writing for Children & for Young Adults workshops here (and scroll down).

Brian will lead How to Get Published workshops on Saturday, Oct 15, in Burlington with literary agent Cassandra Rodgers of The Rights Factory (see here), on Saturday, Oct 22, in London with Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy agency (see here), and on Saturday, October 29, in Caledon, at the Bolton Public Library, with Martha Web of the McDermid Agency (see here). 
Note: If you’re looking at this posting after Oct 15, 2016, see current How to Get Published workshops here (and scroll down).

To register or for details, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

But the best way to get your manuscript ready for publication may be with a weekly course. This fall, Brian will offer a wide range of classes: 

Literary agent Martha Webb

“Welcome to Creative Writing,” Thursday afternoons Sept 29 - Dec 8, in Oakville (see here).

 “Intermediate Creative Writing,” Wednesday evenings, Sept 21 to Nov 30 (no class Oct 12), in Burlington (see here)

“Intermediate Creative Writing,” Thursday evenings, Sept 29 - Dec 8, in Georgetown (see here).

“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday afternoons, Intensive Sept 14 - Dec 14 (no class Oct 12) , in Burlington.

See details of all five classes offered this fall here.

To reserve a spot or for more details, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, St. John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Ingersoll, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.