Editorial Guidelines

Tilbury House narrowed its editorial focus several years ago, and we would appreciate receiving only queries and manuscripts that fit within our current areas of interest. We receive hundreds of unsolicited manuscripts each year; it's a time-consuming task to read and answer them all—although we sometimes find a gem! Please familiarize yourself with the kinds of books we publish. We look forward to seeing your manuscript and appreciate your interest in Tilbury House.

Children's Books

We are primarily interested in children's picture books (for ages 7-12) that:

  • Deal with issues of cultural diversity (global), nature, or the environment (we don't publish "general" children's books about animals, fables, or fantasy).
  • Appeal to children and parents and offer enough learning content so that they will also appeal to the educational market.
  • Will sell to the national (not just regional) market
  • Offer possibilities for developing a separate teacher's guide (written by an educator) that will expand the focus of the book, offer additional information, and suggest learning activities and approaches.

Adult Books

Much of our effort goes into our children's books, and it was difficult in the past to effectively market a diverse adult list. As a result, we decided to limit our new adult books to non-fiction about Maine or the Northeast, particularly books that are documentary or about Maine's history. Because the market for these books is small, we often seek out co-publishing arrangements with museums, historical societies, or other organizations; this helps us produce high-quality books that might not otherwise be published, and benefits both parties.

Please do not send us fiction, short stories, memoirs, or poetry. Browse our book pages on this website to get a good idea of the kinds of books that interest us. If your manuscript doesn't seem like a good fit for Tilbury, you'll find guidance in books like Writer's Market or Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market to help you locate a more likely publisher.

What to send

  • A query letter (a short, concise letter about your project) is a good start, or send a partial manuscript and outline, unless you feel we must see the entire manuscript to adequately assess it. For children's books, we prefer to see a complete manuscript. If you query us by email, please put "Book Query" in the subject line, and do not send an attachment. We will not open attachments.
  • Work not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be answered. If you want your materials returned, please be sure to enclose adequate postage, otherwise they will be recycled.
  • If you are making simultaneous submissions to other publishers, please note this in your query letter.
  • Please be patient with us; it usually takes us a month or so to respond.

We appreciate the opportunity to read your work. Thank you for your interest in Tilbury House, and for considering us as a possible publisher.


  • Jennifer Bunting, Publisher
  • Audrey Maynard, Children's Books Editor
  • Karen Fisk, Associate Children's Book Editor
    (Karen replies to queries and submissions)