A publishing calendar for key dates in the Australian children’s trade picture book market for the upcoming year.
Year round submissions
- The School Magazine Writer’s submissions
- Little Hare (via Hardie Grant Egmont)
- Big Sky Publishing
- EK Books
- New Frontier
- Starfish Bay
Full list of Australian children’s book publishers and their submission information
Calendar
1st February
Penguin submissions open
7th February, 2020
The $10,000 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing
14th February, 2020
Little Pink Dog Books. One day submission only.
20th-28th February, 2020
Wombat Books open for unsolicited PB submissions
1st March
IP Kidz submissions open
March 2020
TBC: Creating Picture Books. Pinerolo, Blue Mountains.
31st March, 2020
AAA Professional Development Conference 2020
Focus: Information Text in a Digital Age + CBCA Short List
4th April 2020
CYA Writer’s and Illustrator’s Competition closes
27 April 2020
Writers Unleashed Picture Book Writing Competition.
Opens 2nd March 2020
27 April–03 May 2020.
Sydney Writer’s Festival. Program will be announced mid-March 2020.
30 April 2020
Children’s Fiction Submissions Berbay Publishing
Berbay Publishing will be accepting chapter book and junior fiction submissions for readers aged 6–12. New and previously published authors are invited to send a cover letter and the first 50 pages of their novel to submissions@berbaybooks.com
1st – 30th June, 2020
Scribble open for unsolicited PB submissions from writers and illustrators
10 – 12 July 2020
CYA All-Stars Writers & Illustrators Conference
Children’s and Young Adult Writers And Illustrators Conference, Brisbane
July, 2020
TBC: Ampersand Prize – Hardie Grant Egmont
July, 2020
TBC: Closing date for the CBCA (NSW) Aspiring Writer’s Mentorship Program (Harper Collins)
29th July, 2020
Walker Wednesday one day submission. News release & FAQ
1th August 2020
Writer’s Unleashed Festival, Sutherland Shire
22 – 28 August 2020
CBCA Book Week 2020
Children’s Book Council of Australia
Theme: Curious Creatures, Wild Minds
12th September, 2020
Creating Picture Books @ Pinerolo
One-day course on creating picture books is on 12 September with Tohby Riddle.
14th September, 2020
Online Feedback: Children’s Books with Aleesah Darlison @ NSW Writer’s Centre
14 September to 27 November 2020
17th October, 2020
Children’s Book Assessments @ NSW Writer’s Centre
25th November, 2020
Walker Wednesday one day submission. News release & FAQ
30th November, 2020
Closing date for Penguin submissions
30th December, 2020
Closing date for IP Kidz submissions
Pencil into your diary
Kids & YA Festival 2020
The Writing NSW Kids & YA Festival will now take place on Saturday 13 March, 2021
CBCA National Conference, Canberra (date yet to be determined)