Gingko Press is a nonfiction publisher that has published work by a number of well known authors and brands. They are the official publisher of Marshall McLuhan and they have worked with his estate since 1999. You can read more about their other partnerships and imprints here.

They were founded in 1985 by Mo Cohen and Julie von der Ropp in Hamburg, Germany. In 1991 they launched their larger incorporated company in Santa Rosa, California. After one more California move, they settled in Berkeley, California, where their offices are currently located.

They also mention in their submission guidelines that before “submitting your proposal, please have a look around our website and try to imagine where your book might fit in.” Please do this. Most of what they publish is illustrated books on specific topics.

Please spend time with their catalog to get a good feel for what they currently publish. They accept print and electronic submissions and have good distribution.

They try to reply between 8-12 weeks. Please read their submission guidelines and follow them. To learn more, go here.

Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2022 Guide to Manuscript Publishers.

She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.

Now through June 30^th Epistemic Literary is seeking submissions for their first issue, which is focused on work exploring the theme of “food”. They’re looking for writing that explores, “the complex reality of the human experience with food.” They want authentic, emotionally honest writing that embraces all aspects of the human experience. You can read more about their theme and what they’re looking for on their submissions page. Each edition of Epistemic Literary will explore a different theme.

Poets may submit up to five poems, five pages or fewer total. They accept all forms and styles of poetry. Authors of flash fiction may submit up to 2,000 words. This can be one flash or multiple flashes. Epistemic Literary aims to publish their “food” edition in August of this year. All submissions for this first issue should address the theme of food.

Epistemic Literary accepts submissions via email, not by post or using an online submissions manager. They do accept previously published work, with credit given to the original publisher. They also accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors notify them if the submission is published elsewhere.

Epistemic Literary only accepts submissions that follow the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Epistemic Literary, please visit their website here.

Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.

In early-2015, I was working outside in the rain when an idea for my first children’s picture book struck me like lightning. It was about a little talking raindrop named Drew Drop who loses his parents when they are absorbed by the sun through the water cycle. It rhymed. It was philosophical. The story dealt with big issues. All signs simply pointed to me becoming the next Dr. Suess. I eagerly scribbled the story down and sent it out to countless agents and publishers. What I got back was a resounding no.

I was crushed, but through the many rejections, I learned a lot of valuable lessons on what the market was looking for and what made a successful manuscript. I learned the proper formatting and that rhyme schemes were out of fashion. Less text was more in most cases.

Some years later, I found myself working in the children’s section of a Canadian bookstore chain called Indigo, which allowed me to see what parents were buying. I quickly noticed what was popular and became inspired to give picture books another go. The problem was there were so many different genres to choose from. Adventure? Fantasy? Western? Narrowing down the premise for attempt number two was no easy task.

But suddenly, one day, it all became crystal clear. What if the book was about all the different genres to choose from. A book about the main character trying on all types of tales. I had the title instantly – This Is Not My Story. With pen and paper, I started sketching out the plot.

An author and his hero embark on a genre-bending journey to find the right story. They try everything from science-fiction to even romance. Made up of fun fourth wall breaks, an original graphic novel–style design, and an author’s note defining the genres, it became pretty darn clever and original.

I have written and published in many different genres, including journalistic efforts, non-fiction film history books, and novels. They mostly came before my children’s book attempts. I can tell you writing picture books is by far the most challenging but absolutely the most fun. Every word has to count (literally). It has to make sense to a child and hold their interest. If nothing else, it’s an exercise in creativity.

I don’t have children or siblings, so it often surprises people when I tell them about my projects geared for little eyes and ears. Not that it’s a prerequisite. I think my interest in children’s literature stems from memories of being read to as a child. When school classes took place in the library or when my mom read a book aloud, I was in heaven. Would it be something, I figured, if I could inspire, connect, or entertain someone with a story of my own?

The humor and style of This is Not My Story came from my love of Looney Tunes cartoons, the rhythm of Monty Python’s Eric Idle, and great meta-fiction I grew up with, such as the forever classic, The Monster at the End of This Book. With the failed experience of Drew Drop, I was able to correctly format the book, stick to the hard and fast length of 1,000 words, and submit it properly. A few months later, Kids Can Press reached out, having pulled the project from their slush pile, and the rest is now history.

Together, the publishers and I shaped every word over the next couple of years, making it as funny as possible. Illustrator David Hyuck then brought it all to life with his stunning work. It was a long journey, but in the end, completely worth it.

For anyone wanting to write and publish children’s picture books, I’d advise you to be patient, learn the unwritten rules, and have fun. Keep writing and improving because you never know what your own story as a writer will be. I still can’t get over holding the physical book in my hand or seeing it on bookstore shelves.

The cherry on top is that I dedicated This Is Not My Story to my best friend’s two-year-old son, Patrick. Maybe I’ve inspired a new reader? Being at that age where friends are having children at a rapid rate, they’ve all been asking me to dedicate the next book to their child. So, now I’ve got to get writing all my brand-new ideas.

Bio: Ryan Uytdewilligen has written many stories in a variety of different genres. He loves classic black-and-white movies and has penned several books on film history. He is also the author of three novels. This is Not My Story is his first book for children. Ryan is from Coaldale, Alberta.