BookSpring Originals

Submission Guidelines for BookSpring Originals

BookSpring Originals:  Who We Are

BookSpring is a Texas nonprofit organization that builds early literacy in children and families through healthcare, education, and the community. We distribute print and digital books free of charge and offer engaging events to underserved families. Due to increasing demand for diverse and digitally acessible books, we are looking to feature new, never before published fictional stories and illustrations that reflect the unique traditions, history, and values of the communities we serve in a digital library that can be read for free online, offline, and via a mobile device by anyone. BookSpring will select and release these works under a Creative Commons license (the same license that Wikipedia uses).  The project is being managed by Karen Arenson, Idali Reyes, and Emily Cicchini.

What We’re Looking for...

Never before published original children's literature in all genres!!!

BookSpring Originals is requesting submissions for:

• original complete children's stories from authors or author/illustrators in English or Spanish
• manuscripts in another lanuage, if accompanied by a translation in English
• original illustrations or portfolios from artists interested in being paired with a writer
• entertaining, educational, and culturally authentic material that reflect the diverse cultures and languages 
• material engaging for the target audience: children ages birth to age 12 who have limited access to books

Works could include stories that: 

• showcase distinctly Texas characters and regions
• incorporate diverse cultures all over the world
• creatively feature local customs and experiences
• support themes related to early childhood development (see Bibi's Weekly Themes)
• incorporate rhymes, rhythms, and sounds helpful for reading aloud playfully
• any inspirational children's story that a child today could relate to or learn from

All stories should be suitable for children ages birth to age 12 years. To help you focus your ideas and understand your vision, we will ask you tp identify your material into the following categories:

• baby books – books appropriate for children from birth through 2 years with no more than 200 words, focusing on basic concepts such as colors, numbers, shapes, animals, everyday objects and daily routines, catering to the developmental needs of babies and toddlers.
• picture books – appropriate for children 3 to 5 years old that may incorporate elements such as repetition, rhymes, and a wide range of themes such as adventure, family, friendships, imagination, moral lessons, or info about a specific topic (such as animals or a place), usually 500-600 words.
• early readers – appropriate for children 6 to 8 years old that cover a wide range of genres, including: fantasy, adventure, mystery, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction, for us, 1000-2000 words.
• flash fiction – comtemporary fiction appropriate for children ages 9 to 12 years, that are between 250 to 750 words

Tip:  Often, the story works well when the age of the protagonist is the same or slightly older than the indended readers.

We are seeking up to 100 stories to add to our growing digital library. 

See examples in our Digital Library here:

https://bookspring.org/digital-library/

Note: We are not planning on making print copies of these works at this time, but once your material is selected, it cannot be fully revoked.

Guidelines for Submitting Work

Please submit your manuscript in a pdf, word, or plain text document. Please check your work for spelling and grammar.   Submit art files also as pdfs, but keep your original artwork files. If you are submitting both text and artwork, please feel free to layout the material as you would like it to appear in the final version. Please keep copies of your files in case we ask you to edit them at a later date.

BookSpring will accept submissions on a rolling basis, but due to the greatest need for our programs first, we will prioritize reviewing: 

• Baby Books by Jan 2024 (birth though age 2)
• Picture Books by April 2024 (ages 3-5)
• Early Readers by June 2024 (ages 6-8)
• Flash Fiction and Chapter Books by July 2024 (ages 9-12)

As such, please allow up to 2-4 months for us to review your submission. You may make simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if your material is accepted elsewhere, so we can remove it from consideration.

General note: While BookSpring is not a traditional publisher, we are taking this project very seriously and want to make sure that the digital reading material we provide to our children and families is of the highest quality. You can expect that we may request re-writes, and reserve the right to edit materials before publication, with you retaining the final consent. Authors and illustrators may be asked to work together to finish a project. This is a largely volunteer effort, funded by donations, and you have the option to pull out of the process at any time prior to final posting. Review our sample acceptance contract here: BookSpring Originals Contributor Agreement

Guidelines For Artwork

If you are submitting illustrations that are independent of a story, please provide a short description of themes in your artwork that might help us in matching you with a story. BookSpring will pair your artwork with a story that needs illustrations based on your summary.

• Illustrations should be visually appealing and appropriate for each target age group.
• Artists are encouraged to showcase their creativity and artistic style.
• Various forms of artwork such as traditional, digital, photography, and AI-generated illustrations, are welcome provided they align with our guidelines for originality, appropriateness, copyright compliance, and quality. 
• If using AI-generated illustrations, you may be contacted for additional information or clarification.

By submitting your artwork, you acknowledge and agree to these guidelines. Our team reserves the right to review and curate submissions based on their adherence to our guidelines.

We will give you up to one month to complete all the assigned illustrations, if selected and paired with an author.  If you have an author or illustrator you like to work with, we encourage you to submit together!

Multiple Submissions

Authors and artists may submit up to 3 works per level or type of book. 

Selection Process

All submissions will be carefully reviewed by at least 2 volunteer readers and the staff of BookSping. Winners will be selected based on creativity, originality, cultural authenticity, educational value, and their ability to engage the target audience.

Prizes/Recognition

Winners will be notified individually via email or preferred method of contact. Accepted authors and illustrators will be given a one-time honorarium of US $100 per title. Please allow 2-4 months for response.