Orca Books
1016
Balmoral Road
Victoria,
BC
Founded in 1984,
Orca Book Publishers is an independently owned Canadian children’s
book publisher. With over 1,000 titles in print and more than 80 new titles a
year, Orca prides itself on publishing Canadian authors (only) and bringing
them to a wider market.
Orca Books is seeking manuscripts in the
following genres:
- Board Books
- Picture Books
- Orca Echoes: Early
chapter books for ages 7-9
- Middle Reader
fiction: Ages 8-13
- Orca Footprints:
Ages 9 and up
- Orca Currents: For
reluctant readers ages 10-14, with a reading level of grade 2.0-4.5
- Orca Soundings: For
reluctant readers ages 12 and up, with a reading level of grade 2.0-4.5
- Teen or Young Adult
fiction: Ages 12 and up
- Graphic Novels
- Nonfiction
- Rapid Reads
Email all submissions to: submissions@orcabook.com
Attach the
manuscript (or partial manuscript) in a single, separate document. See
particulars below…
Board Books
- Manuscripts should
have minimal text and be aimed at ages 0–24 months.
- No art should be
included with board book submissions unless you are a professional
illustrator. Original art should never be included.
Please
send submissions to the attention of Liz Kemp.
Picture Books
- Good stories, well
told. Any lesson or moral should be secondary to credible characters, an
engaging plot and strong writing. The point of view should invite the
child reader into the story.
- Even if you have
written a series, please send only one submission. We rarely publish
sequels to our picture books, and then only if the first book has been
very successful.
- Picture book
manuscripts should typically be 1,500 words or less.
- No art should be
included with picture book submissions unless you are a professional
illustrator. Original art should never be included.
Complete
manuscripts (no queries, please) should be sent to the attention of Liz Kemp.
Orca Echoes
Submissions
should be sent in their entirety to the attention of Liz Kemp.
Middle Reader fiction
- Contemporary
stories with a universal theme, a compelling, unified plot and a strong,
sympathetic child protagonist who grows through the course of the story
and solves the central problem themselves
- 35,000 to 50,000
words
- Target audience:
readers for this genre can range anywhere from 8 to 13 years
old. Please be clear about the target age group for your work in
your cover letter.
A cover
letter and the first three (3) chapters should be sent to the attention of
Tanya Trafford
Orca Footprints
- Straightforward
books about the complex environmental issues that kids face every day.
Each 48-page book aims to inspire kids to take action in any way they can.
- Well-researched,
simply-expressed information and powerful images to readers ages 9 and up
who are asking questions about the state of the natural world.
- 2,000 words (or
less); approximately 60 photographs (with captions)
Please
submit QUERY ONLY to Sarah Harvey.
Orca Currents
- High-interest
novels aimed at reluctant readers aged 10-14
- Protagonists are
between 12 and 14 years old and should be appealing
and believable.
- These stories
should have middle-school-appropriate story lines (family
issues, humor, sports, adventure, mystery/suspense,
fantasy, etc.).
- 14,000 to 16,000
words, 12 to 16 chapters.
A cover
letter, a short (100–200 words) synopsis and a chapter-by-chapter outline
should be sent to the attention of Tanya Trafford.
Orca Soundings
- High-interest
novels aimed at reluctant readers aged 12 and up
- Protagonists are
between 14 and 17 years old and should be appealing and believable.
- These stories
should reflect the universal struggles that young people face. They need
not be limited to "gritty" urban tales. Can include adventures,
mystery/suspense, performing arts, romance, sport, and fantasy.
- 14,000 to 16,000
words, 12 to 16 chapters
A cover
letter, a short (100–200 words) synopsis and a chapter-by-chapter outline
should be sent to the attention of Tanya Trafford.
Teen or Young Adult Fiction
- Issue-oriented
contemporary stories exploring a universal theme, with a compelling,
unified plot and strong, sympathetic protagonist(s)
- Well-researched
stories dealing with or taking their inspiration from historical subjects,
but not thinly disguised history lessons
- 40,000 to 60,000
words
- Submissions should
include a cover letter, synopsis and the first 3 or 4 chapters only.
Graphic Novels
- We are looking for
stories for all ages that can be told in graphic novel format. We are not
looking for manga and anime.
- Submissions should
include a cover letter, synopsis and full text of the story. The more
complete the submission, the better. If you are working with an
illustrator, please include samples of their work and any finished art
(copies only).
Nonfiction
- Orca publishes a
very limited selection of nonfiction titles. We are looking for unique,
stand-alone projects that will have broad appeal to young North American
readers.
- Material should be
appropriate for juvenile and young adult readers.
- Query first,
please. DO NOT send outlines, sample chapters, complete manuscripts or
illustrations.
Queries
should be sent to the attention of Sarah Harvey
Rapid Reads
- Plots should
involve contemporary, straightforward stories using a linear narrative
format (little or no use of flashbacks) and the action should take place
over a relatively short time frame.
- 12,000—20,000 words
- Written in simple
language with limited use of complex sentences and multiple clauses A
small cast of characters is most effective.
- Your initial
submission should include a brief synopsis, a sample chapter, a detailed
chapter outline and an author biography.
Send
submissions to the attention of Ruth Linka, Associate Publisher
Email all submissions to: submissions@orcabook.com
Attach the
manuscript (or partial manuscript) in a single, separate document.
See many more listings of publishers looking for children’s and
YA books here
(and scroll down) and especially here
for nine Canadian and British kid lit publishers that don’t require an agent
and here
for twenty-one American and Canadian kid lit publishers that you can approach
without an agent.
Author Jennifer Mook-Sang at home signing bookmarks |
If you’re
interested in Writing for Children & for Young Adults, Brian
Henry will lead a mini-conference with Yasemin Uçar, senior
editor at Kids Can Press, children’s author Kira Vermond, and YA author Tanaz
Bhathena, Saturday, Sept 22, in Oakville (see here).
He'll lead a Writing
Kid Lit weekly course on Friday afternoons, Oct 5 – Nov 30 in
Toronto with picture book and middle grade author Jennifer Mook-Sang and nonfiction children's author Kira Vermond (see here).
And he'll lead a Writing for Children & for Young Adults workshop
Saturday, October 12, in Sudbury (see here).
For updated listings of Writing for Children & for Young
adult workshops and for weekly Kid lit classes, see here (and
scroll down).
See
Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops,
weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie,
Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph,
Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville,
Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto,
Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA,
Ontario and beyond.
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