Editorial Review and Decision
The first step of acquisitions occurs after a manuscript's submission. A manuscript is brought to our internal editorial team where we carefully read each and every submission. It is then evaluated by a set of criteria to ensure it is a good fit for our target age range. Our editorial team then meets and discusses the manuscripts, recognizing strengths and areas where improvements can be made. After careful consideration, our editorial team determines whether to accept a particular manuscript or if it doesn't seem to be quite the right fit.
With each acceptance, our editorial team will compile constructive feedback for each manuscript and give it to the author. Authors should allow 2–3 months to receive communications about our decision.
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Editorial Agreement
Upon acceptance, a member of our editorial team will then extend their congratulations and present the author with our Editorial Agreement. The agreement a not legally binding contract; it is simply an expression of cooperation to move forward within our acquisitions process. It outlines the expectations of both parties—Make Way for Books and the author—in the coming months and states that the manuscript may evolve based on multiple rounds of feedback (which is addressed in our next step) and subsequent changes made by the author.
Book and Activity Content Development
One of the core features of the Make Way for Books App is explaining parents how each story to our early childhood development outcomes. Our Early Childhood Specialist suggests ways that our readers can interact with each individual story, develops tips for parents, matches the story with fun and engaging activities, and explains what children are learning through the stories and activities. Each story targets different outcomes and activities are chosen from a catalog that is specific to each age group: infant, toddler, and preschooler.
Final Review and Rights Agreement
As the story comes to its final draft, Make Way for Books will extend a Non-Exclusive World Rights Agreement granting us permission to use an author's work while allowing the author to retain the rights after publication. We value the time and commitment our contributors put into their hard work and believe that they should keep full rights in how it is used.
Illustrations Begin
With the book acquisitions process completed, the next exciting part of our process is getting a manuscript illustrated. Character sketches, color testing, and storyboarding are the next steps to get the story publishing-ready. If you are interested in submitting your portfolio, please visit the Illustrators page.
Thank you for your interest!
At Make Way for Books, we strive to maintain a culture of transparency, which is why we've shared an outline detailing our acquisitions process that occurs behind the scenes. It is what authors should reliably expect to happen once their work is submitted. Know that your work is in good hands as it contributes to our mission of delivering original, high-quality literature to young readers.