finding a publisher

[wookneecorn]

I've written a childrens picture book and have got the 2020 writers and artists yearbook and have gone down the list of childrens publishers one by one, and gone to their website for submission guidelines and they're either not the right sort of publisher (don't publish the book that I am writing) closed for submissions or require me to have a literary agent. I'd rather keep as much royalties as possible and find out how to pitch my book to a publisher myself, so any links on how to do that and any names of publishers I can submit to without a literary agent would be great

The fact is that most reputable publishers don’t accept unagented submissions. I’d suggest you consider getting an agent, as without one, you’re far less likely to publish the book anyway, so royalties won’t be an issue.

I write adult fiction so things may be different but in my experience, my agent has made me far more money than her commission comes to. I could never have negotiated the same deals as she has done on my behalf - she has contacts, networks, skills and years of experience to back her up - plus she takes care of contract details and foreign rights which need expert handling to maximise the money you make from them. If you have a good agent, they are worth every penny and you end up with more profit after they take their 15% than if you were representing yourself and kept it all - in my experience anyway!

I agree with @NoOtherShadeOfBlue. Authors earn far more with an agent than without. They can get deals in foreign countries, for one thing - how would you sell your book to Italy? They know how to negotiate with publishers, too - they know what other authors got for similar books. They can advise you on what's wanted at the moment and what isn't. They are worth their weight in gold!

There are very few publishers who accept non-agented submissions and those that do will have a huge slush pile that your sub will languish in. That is why a good agent is essential. They will know who is looking for what and where your book might be a good fit.

Chicken House do a yearly competition but I don't think they accept picture books.

The children's fiction market is hugely competitive and it is very VERY hard to get published. It can be done though, so good luck.

The Catchpoles are an agency with open submissions at the moment.

As PPs have said, OP, it's not as simple as keeping as much royalties as possible and agents do much more than taking a cut. Unless you have industry connections, are famous for something else already or win a competition then your choice in the UK is probably to keep on looking for increasingly niche publishers (not that there's anything wrong with those) who might open a window to submissions or have an open door policy (careful of pay to print) or seek an agent which is an art in itself or self-publish which again is an art in itself.

Good luck.

I agree, it is 100% worth having an agent. Mine negotiates not only advances but royalty amounts and (most importantly) if I am not sure of something or don't like something my agent will intervene on my behalf. And she has contacts at publishers I couldn't access without her.

Alright. I'm taking the advice for an agent on board. Thanks everyone!