Cardinal Rule Press: Market Spotlight
For this week’s market spotlight, we look at Cardinal Rule Press, a publisher of children’s literature and nonfiction books for parents.
Cardinal Rule Press produces high-quality children's literature that empowers children through timeless messages of hope, courage, and the Golden Rule.
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The editors say, "We are a traditional publishing company located in southeast Michigan that produces a select number of books each year; all of which make a difference in the world while reflecting modern-day diversity. Cardinal Rule Press leads the way in providing messages that empower families, schools and communities through inspirational children's books and educational programs and events that support our books' powerful themes."
They pay authors a negotiable advance followed by earnings twice a year for world rights. Their books are distributed by IPG.
What They're Looking For
The editors say, "We publish realistic fiction and are dedicated to producing books that allow children to see themselves within the pages. We are looking for creative, realistic fiction picture books. The query letter is important to us because we ask that writers submit comparable titles with their manuscript. We want to know that writers are doing market research before submitting their book to us. We are also looking to represent diverse voices."
Specifically, they are considering:
- Children's realistic fiction picture books (word count up to 1,000 words)
- Nonfiction books for parents (word count up to 70,000 words)
How to Submit
They are currently open to submissions November 1 to February 1. Prospective writers should submit a cover letter and manuscript by email to submissions@cardinalrulepress.com.
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Picture books are one of the most delightful—and important—genres in all of literature. In this course, you'll learn how to write a winning picture book narrative, envision it with illustrations, and put together a picture package that a publisher will really notice. Plus, you'll receive feedback on each assignment from your instructor and have the chance to participate in the peer critique section of the workshop with other classmates.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
