When you write a children’s book, your imagination can run wild. Whether it is a chapter book for early independent readers or picture books made for nighttime stories, every writer has their own method. As long as we can fully read and review your initial manuscript submission, Cloverly Children’s is here to prepare your material for publication.
After you discuss the submission process with one of our literary agents, you are ready to send all your materials to us for review. We prefer to receive Microsoft Word documents because that is what is used throughout the publication process for any edits or modifications, but you can send handwritten pages, PDFs, or any illustrations with your submission and we will sort out the technicalities after you are approved for publication.
Submitting handwritten pages or PDFs
The only criteria we have for your initial submission is that it is a coherent text that our team is able to read and approve. That can be handwritten on sheets of paper or in a digital PDF. You will be able to submit your text in whatever format you currently have it, including any accompanying drawings or illustrations.
Once the editorial review process begins, we will need your manuscript in a Word document. Here at Cloverly Children’s, we have a transcription team that will assist you in converting your manuscript to a Word document from whatever format you sent it in. If you send any of your own illustrations, we will also be able to work with you to digitize them or connect you with one of our professional illustrators for further work.
The importance of a Word document in editing
We need a Word document of your book so the editing process can run smoothly from start to finish. Microsoft Word is used by our editors to make suggestions and add comments to your text, from small grammatical changes to structural concerns. Using Word, these suggestions are directly shown on your manuscript.
No changes will be finalized or implemented on your manuscript until you approve them. On Word, you will be able to individually approve changes and see our editors’ comments that you can use to update any of the text. The editors only offer suggestions, but you have final say.
If you do not know how to get your manuscript into a Word document, do not worry. Just send what you have, and our team will work with you to reformat anything and make sure your published book matches the vision you have in your mind.
