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Publishing a children’s philosophy book?

In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes:

Strange request, but I have a manuscript for a young-reader chapter book (potential series, think "Magic Treehouse") that is inspired by famous works in philosophy. I am having trouble finding an outlet or agent to help get it published — I would love any recommendations for agents, publishers, or any other advice for getting into non-academic (esp. children's books) publishing.

I recognize that the lack of traction might just mean that the book/idea stinks, but I still want to give this a good-faith effort before shrugging the shoulders and moving on. Thanks!

This is perhaps not as strange of a request as it sounds. During my time in the discipline, I've come across a few people who have said they've written books like these, though I don't know if they were published. I do know that my spouse and I have a four-set of baby books on philosophers for our little one, so it does seem like there's some market for this sort of thing. But I have no idea how to advise the OP myself.

Do any readers have any helpful tips or experiences to share?

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5 responses to “Publishing a children’s philosophy book?”

  1. newly tt

    Creative writing classes can be a way to be put in contact with agents. Maybe look around and see if that’s an option for you? Plenty of universities offer faculty tuition benefits.

    Reply
  2. go to a conference

    I would suggest going to conferences that are focused on children’s book publishing and networking there. I think writing conferences are absolutely essential to learn how to be successful in non-academic publishing.

    Reply
  3. SLAC Prof

    You can try Reedsy. There are experienced editors and agents on the platform who can provide feedback on your manuscript and help you craft pitch letters for agents. There is a cost involved, so this might not be an ideal suggestion given your situation [Reedsy has a decent guide to the process here https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/how-to-publish-a-childrens-book/. The sad fact about children’s publishing is that many titles published by leading houses are written by celebrities or authors with a track record of publishing success. I would say getting a good agent is essential because unsolicited submissions often go unread.

    Reply
  4. Pomelo

    I interned in a children’s publishing co. during college. The only way for new authors w/o agents to get their work in front of editors was to enter contests.

    Reply
  5. Derek Bowman

    I’m not sure how helpful this is, but I did an interview a few years back with Amy Leask who publishes children’s philosophy books. In the interview she describes the decision to self-publish, as an expansion of her own already established educational design company. It doesn’t seem like the company typically publishes material from outside authors, but she might be receptive if you reached out to her for advice about breaking into the field.
    https://freerangephilosophers.com/2016/09/19/amy-leask/
    https://www.redtkidsmedia.com/
    https://www.amyleask.com/

    Reply

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