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What we publish
Gecko Press publishes 12–15 children's books every year. Of these, only three will typically be originally written in English rather than translated. This means our selection process is very tight – we choose very few books.
We judge by the criteria of: “Is this curiously good? Does it stand up to repeated re-readings? Do we feel an emotional attachment to the characters?”
Before submitting, take a look at our books to get a feel for the sorts of things we publish.
What we're looking for
At the moment we are particularly looking for
Junior Fiction – novels for 7 to 12 year olds. We are looking for
character-driven work, with a strong plot and voice.
We
always like to read picture book texts, particularly ones with energy
and originality and a strong story/narrative (not “ideas” stories). Please note we are not looking for
YA fiction, and we do not publish educational books.
New submission guidelines from 1st May 2013
Due to an increasingly high volume of submissions we have had to re-assess our submissions process.
From May 1st, we will no longer be accepting unsolicited submissions. After that, we will only consider work submitted to us via an agent, manuscript assessor or book industry contact, or if you are a previously published author.
Submission instructions until 3oth April 2013
The following instructions relate only to submissions postmarked April 30th or before.
We do not accept emailed submissions. We feel it is too easy to push the "send" button; it ends up in our overfull inboxes; and it doesn’t get into our nice system.
Please submit your manuscripts typed, double-spaced, with a wide margin. All pages should be numbered. If your manuscript is a novel, please send us the first two or three chapters only. If we want to see more, we will contact you.
Your manuscript should be accompanied by
1. A written proposal explaining what the book is and why it should be published. Include a synopsis if you are submitting a novel.
2. A list of any previous work you have had published and some background information about yourself.
3. If appropriate, samples of illustrations (not originals).
4. Self-addressed pre-paid packaging, if you wish to have your material returned.
Please note that Gecko Press does not carry insurance for submitted manuscripts, so always keep a copy of your work. If you do not include a self-addressed stamped envelope, your manuscript will be destroyed.
Post manuscripts to:
Editor
Gecko Press
PO Box 9335
Marion Square
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
If you have any enquiries, email Gecko Press
What happens next?
We will post you an acknowledgement within ten days of receiving your submission.
While we do our best to respond within 12–15 weeks, circumstances may sometimes result in a longer response period.
We do
not offer feedback on unsuccessful submissions – this is because our
feedback would be by necessity rushed and not helpful. It is better to
get proper feedback from someone able to really focus on the text. Here
is the link to the
NZAMA (New Zealand Association of Manuscript Assessors).
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