My Cuddlefish Academy coaching clients have asked for help querying literary agents. Here are tips and resources. What would you add? Comment!

Finding an Agent:

Read “How to Find a REAL Literary Agent” querying article HERE on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association website. Good advice for any genre or age group.

Word of Mouth: Most people find agents through networking, so ask around. Don’t expect a referral, but knowing which agents are recommended and open to submissions is great.

Bluesky: Debbie Ridpath Ohi has a Starter Pack of publishing pros and agents. Direct link: https://bsky.app/starter-pack/debbieohi.com/3kwozp3k7ar2w

Query Tracker: querytracker.net Lots of kidlit creators have good results with this site. The paid version is more specific to your interests and scope.

Tip: When you sign up for Query Tracker, sign up for their newsletter. When you get the newsletter, open it immediately. Some agents offer a one-time 24-hour window to query them. Take advantage of this!

Association of American Literary Agents: AALitAgents.org Vetted agents with a drop-down menu to search by subject focus category (children’s graphic novel, for example). They also list if they are open to submissions.

For Illustrators: AgentsForIllustrators.com Agent search site specific to illustrators.

161 Literary Agents Seeking Children’s Book Submissions: https://reedsy.com/resources/literary-agents/childrens-book/

No Agent, No Problem! Bitsy Kemper’s up-to-date list on publisher’s accepting unsolicited submissions: No Agent, No Problem! Top Publishers Accepting Children’s Books in 2026

The Book/Essential Guide: SCBWI updates and publishes “The Book” every year, which includes agents open to submission. Direct link: https://www.scbwi.org/essential-guide-to-publishing-for-children

Manuscript Wishlist: This is another resource I’ve heard to be reputable, although irregularly updated: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/

SCBWI Conferences/Portfolio Showcases: While conferences can be expensive and not a guarantee of discovery, this is a place agents and publishers scout for new talent. Local conferences are more affordable and bring big agents and editors to you. Go in with the goal of education and building community, but also take advantage of manuscript reviews, portfolio showcases, and the open inbox agents and editors are required to provide post conference, usually for 6-months. I was discovered at the NY SCBWI portfolio showcase in 2017, but only after participating in local and national conferences since 2003.

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When Querying, be aware of these things:

Is that agent or editor still there? Be sure to verify that the person you are querying is still there. Publishing can be very transient. Harold Underdown is a good resource for tracking which editors have moved where here: https://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

Be sure the agent and publisher is legit. Check that they are really at the agency/publisher they claim to be at. If there have been three or more complaints about them, Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware! adds them to a list: https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/writer-beware/ Another resource is Absolute Write where a community of writers offer advice and report on dodgy publishers, agents, and “opportunities.” https://absolutewrite.com/

Timing is Important. Publishing goes dormant from mid-November through mid-January, so it is a good time to regroup, build a new submission list, and work on new projects.

Pitch Package. To level up your publishing impression, create a Pitch Package. HOOK! PLOT! PITCH! is a great class for developing a children’s book pitch package: https://cuddlefishacademy.teachable.com/p/hook-plot-pitch-break-into-trade-publishing-a-workshop-for-writers-writer-illustrators

Get Coaching, a manuscript or portfolio review for your Kidlit Success here: https://cuddlefishacademy.teachable.com/p/coaching-mentorship1

Word Count: This handy writing tool gives you an accurate picture book word count by removing anything that says “Art Note.” It is free, but you need to create an account. https://authortools.hellonathan.ca/ When supplying the word count, you do NOT need to include backmatter, title, your name, etc. Just the story.

Query Letter Example: Add a sentence letting the agent know how you found out about them, and then use the three parts of a query: 1)The Hook, 2) The Book, 3) The Cook.

A hook is a premise line (or two) that usually starts with “When a…”

This is a great post on crafting a query for writers with a free worksheet:
https://jerichowriters.com/resource-downloads/query-letter-synopsis-worksheet/

Formatting a manuscript: https://reedsy.com/studio/resources/book-manuscript-format

The main elements are: 

– Word Doc (.doc format) 

– Letter or A4 page size

– 12-pt Times New Roman or a clean, legible font

– 1” margins

– 1.5- to double-spaced lines 

– 0.5” paragraph indents

Contact information in the upper left-hand corner of your document:

Kaz Windness
Mailing Address
Web Address
E-mail Address or Agent name and e-mail

Name your document in this format: LastName_TITLE_date.docx

Note: Agents and publishers are becoming increasingly sensitive to anything that sounds AI-generated. Do your best to say things in natural speak. Imagine you are describing your book to a friend. You wouldn’t use fancy words or clever puns, so avoid that in your querying, too.

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Kidlit Industry Mentors with Great Publishing Advice I Wholeheartedly Recommend

Tara Lazar:

Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) | Blog & site of children’s book author Tara Lazar

Debbie Ridpath Ohi: (also great on Bluesky)

Debbie Ridpath Ohi – Children’s Book Author & Illustrator

Harold Underdown:

A children’s book editor’s site: writing, illustrating, publishing children’s books

Kate Messner: 

Kate Messner

What else do you want help with? Comment!

Hope this helps! — Kaz Windness