Submissions are an exciting time for aspiring authors and we know you have a lot of questions. Some of the ones we get asked often are listed below.
Why are submissions only open for short periods?
We receive a high number of submissions and can only dedicate a short amount of time to new submissions as we are also marketing and promoting our accepted books. To make this more streamline we open at certain times every year or every two years depending on the need. We do also take submissions from in person pitches, but our unsolicited scripts are bulked together so we know what we are looking for, can dedicate time to review and are actually wanting that category.
What type of books to do you publish?
Rhiza Edge aims to publish relatable, issue-based stories for today's young adult readers, ranging from books with a light, humorous touch through to deeper, more challenging tales. Wombat Books publishes children's titles aimed at 4 to 12 year olds. Most Wombat books are aimed at primary school students so not pre-school.
What's the difference between a submission period and a competition?
We do run some competitions through Wombat but our submission to our slush pile is more like applying for a job than a competition. When submitting a manuscript for publication you are submitting for consideration to be one of our authors. If you are one of our authors this means you will have a book that we produce, but it is also your book to promote. You as an author need to be involved in the promotion and selling of your book. Receiving a contract is an agreement that keeps going and potentially opens the doors for further submissions.
Separately we run some competitions for writers (generally short stories), but these often incur an entry fee and have a prize and while there will be an agreement if we publish your short story it is not the same as having received a book contract. *** That being said entering our competitions does get your name in front of our editing team.
Do you accept submissions from author-illustrators (picture book or early readers)?
While we do consider author-illustrators our submission opening periods are for manuscripts only. Please submit only manuscripts. In your pitch or description make a note that you are an illustrator as well so we can ask for art if interested.
Do you have an editor to look at the book?
Yes, we have editors that will look at the book. However, ensure your manuscript is well edited before submission to a publisher. Our editing team will then review manuscripts after submission and help produce the best possible work.
Do you offer manuscript appraisals?
Yes, however this is a paid service that is not related to submission. We are happy to do appraisals using our expertise whether you plan on submitting to us or another publisher.
How many titles do you take a year?
We have a growing list of titles each year depending on the nature of the book.
What is your time frame for considering a manuscript?
It will take anywhere between 4 and 9 months.
How do I know the age group of my book compared with my word count?
Preparing your submission may include stating the age group as a target audience. Please research this in advance. Look at the length of other books in the category you are interested in and then decide what age and length is best for your book. We are quite flexible as we look at the story rather than the word count in most cases.
What royalties do you give?
Our royalties are based on the Australian Society of Authors standards.
What do authors pay for?
We are traditional publishers. That means when a manuscript is accepted we pay for all production and publishing costs. You might find as an author you have some marketing experiences, particularly for yourself as a brand.
We don't pay for editorial BEFORE a submission is accepted. So we encourage you to do your hard work editing etc prior to submission. Authors can pay for appraisals with our editing team, but this is not part of submission. If accepted for publication we incur all editing, publishing, art, design and printing costs and you receive royalties of sales.
