Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP) is proud to publish stories that connect with young readers and language learners, capture their imaginations and celebrate the rich cultures, languages and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Our goal is to showcase the talent and brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s picture book writers and artist/illustrators and share their stories with current and future generations.
Submissions
Submissions to Aboriginal Studies Press are currently closed. We look forward to receiving your manuscripts in the future.
To find out more about publishing with us and to access useful resources please visit Publish with us.
In the meantime, below is some information on picture books and ASP’s submissions process.
What are we looking for?
- Stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors that connect with young readers and language learners, capturing their imaginations with rich cultural stories and illustrations, fiction and non-fiction.
- Stories written in First Nations languages, English or both.
- Stories supported by the author/illustrator/artist's community or where appropriate permissions have been secured.
- Illustrations can use a range of media, from watercolour, acrylic and coloured pencils to collage, photography and digital. You do not need to have completed the illustrations when submitting (you also don’t need to have a contracted illustrator if you are the writer of the submission – ASP helps with this).
- Illustrated books can have an important role for language learners of all ages and therefore can attract a broad readership. We are particularly looking for illustrated books that fall into the category of picture books.
Submission Guidelines
- A submission should include a completed manuscript sent to us in Word (12-point Times New Roman font), a completed submission form where your details and the manuscripts details are filled out.
- ASP publishes picture books commonly written for children aged 3–8 years. Children in this stage are entering the emergent reader and early reader stages with attention spans that are increasing.
- Illustrations dominate the text, and the illustrations share the role of telling the story. It is not uncommon for every single page of a picture book to be illustrated. While you don’t have to arrange the illustrations for your book, it’s important to understand how vital the illustration process is and that the illustrator usually becomes a co-collaborator.
- Picture books can be written in different styles with simple plots.
- When our submissions are open, we ask that you submit a full manuscript where possible. Children’s picture books can range anywhere from 200-1000 words (though this can be flexible) and from 24-32 pages long.
- Submissions to ASP are read by staff and then by the Publishing Advisory Committee (which meets twice a year) before a final publication decision is made.
Seeking help for your writing?
- Even though our submissions are closed, feel free to email or call us if you’d like to chat about the publishing industry or our publishing process.
- Check out the Australian Writers’ Centre ‘So you want to write a picture book’ webpage.
- Best-selling Australian author, Mem Fox, discusses how to write for children on YouTube.
- Kill your Darlings published an article called ‘What I wish I’d known about: Writing for children’.