Guest Author - Lucinda Moriarty

Let’s say you’ve written a fictional account about a young boy who is a vegetarian in Montana. Naturally, you could submit it to any of the larger publishing houses of children’s fiction. But consider this: what if there was a publisher who only printed books about vegan children living in the western United States? Wouldn’t your manuscript have at least a slightly better chance there?

I’ve put together a list of publishers that cater to certain niche markets. This is by no means a complete list, but it should inspire you to take a look at your unpublished works and see if they would be appropriate for a publisher of specialized topics. As always, before submitting your work remember to review the publishers guidelines as they may change often.

Gifted Education Press - Niche: Environmental Sciences or Environmental Studies for Gifted Students.
If you are a teacher of gifted students or a parent of a gifted student, this publisher could be a very suitable match for you and your work. They also accept manuscripts for the Gifted Education Press Quarterly.

Pioneer Drama Service - Niche: Play Publishers
Pioneer touts itself as one of the major players in play publishing in the United States and the website claims they are always on the lookout for new plays. If you have a children’s play that meets the needs of amateur or educational theatre, you might consider this publisher as a prospective publishing partner.

Pineapple Press - Niche: Florida Topics for Schools in Florida
Talk about focus. If you write educational nonfiction for children based on topics pertaining to Florida, they are looking for your manuscript. This publisher is very specific as to what it will publish for children; if your book is well-written and fits their guidelines, there is no reason not to submit.

Just Us Books - Niche: Black Diversity and History
While Just Us Books offers a variety of children’s books, they are currently only accepting queries for young adult titles. Again, here is a publisher that is seeking to fill a specific need in children’s books and has done it successfully.

Bess Press - Niche: Hawaii and Pacific related books.
Bess Press publishes children’s activity books and picture books that offer subject matter related to Hawaii and the Pacific. They also print educational titles used in schools and libraries.

Clear Light Publishers - Niche: American Indian culture, religion, and history; Southwestern Americana; and Eastern philosophy and religion.
Clear Light Publishers welcomes manuscript submissions for children’s books in any of the above categories. Their guidelines specify that your submission must include the illustrations or it will be returned to you. A writer/illustrator focusing on American Indian culture should research this publisher and consider submitting.

If you have a children’s book that fits a specific niche, join our forum discussion about this topic. Or if you have worked with a niche publisher, we’d love to hear about your experience.