Children's Book Pitching Competition
The Children's Publishing Academy's 2024 pitching competition is open now! With judges from multi-award-winning publisher EK Books as well as successful children's authors, this competition invites children's authors and aspiring children's book authors to write a concise pitch that makes publishers pay attention.
Win: Develop your book with publishers from award-winning publisher EK Books + Any 3 titles of your choosing from the EK Books catalogue (explore)
Criteria and Instructions:
- Submissions are free of charge however authors looking to receive instructive feedback from experienced children's publishers may choose to upgrade to the assessed submission option below - both categories of submission will be judged on their merits
- Write a concise pitch explaining the concept of your children's book. Be creative in how you interpret this instruction. You could write a couple of compelling paragraphs. You could record a short video. You have our judges' attention just for a few short minutes however, so use it well
- The children's book you are pitching can be one you have already written, or a concept you are developing
- Selected winners will be invited to develop their books with publishers from EK Books, an award-winning traditional children's book publisher
Free Submission
- Pitch your children's book and stand the chance to win development opportunities + your choice of 3 books from the EK Books catalogue
- Receive feedback only if you are successful
- Open until June 30, 2024, winners announced in August
Assessed Submission
- Pitch your children's book and stand the chance to win development opportunities + your choice of 3 books from the EK Books catalogue
- Receive guaranteed feedback from a senior publisher with advice on how to develop your idea and pitch
- Open until June 30, 2024, winners announced in August, you will receive your feedback within 21 days of submission, often sooner
Submissions Closed! A huge thank you to everyone who participated. Winners will be announced next month. Meanwhile, you may want to join us for the upcoming Children's Publishing Seminar or apply for Journey to Publication.
Meet the judges:
Dimity Powell
Award winning children’s author, Dimity Powell writes and reviews exclusively for children with over 30 published stories and digital narratives and is the Managing Editor for Kids’ Book Review. She believes picture books are life essentials, like ice cream; to be enjoyed at least once a day. Her own include: Pippa and The Troublesome Twins (2023), This is My Dad (2022), Oswald Messweather (2021), Pippa (2019), the SCBWI Crystal Kite award-winning At the End of Holyrood Lane (2018) and the critically acclaimed, The Fix-It Man (2017), with more on the way! Several of her titles have been published in simplified Chinese, Polish, Spanish and Slovenian. She believes in the transformative power of reading and storytelling yet still can’t surf despite living on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Gareth St John Thomas
Gareth's decades long career in publishing began in the United Kingdom at his father's company, David & Charles. After David & Charles was sold to Reader's Digest, Gareth assisted with WRITERS NEWS and then moved to New Zealand and founded Exisle Publishing in 1991, firmly establishing it as a distinguished, fully independent publishing house. He then moved to Australia and expanded Exisle's reach, publishing books that found worldwide success from a rural office in New South Wales. Most recently, Gareth, founded EK Books with the mission of publishing children's picture books with heart on issues that matter.
Children's Publishing Academy is an international service provided by our global publishing team with representatives in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and North America. Unless otherwise indicated, all prices are shown in $ USD. If USD is not your currency, a conversion will be applied automatically by your bank upon checkout. For all inquiries, email [email protected] or call our offices. If you are seeking to develop your writing skills in order to earn royalties and fees, your investment in the Assessed option may be tax deductible for you. Please let us know if you require a receipt.