Small press
Tilbury House Publishers
Children's, Diverse and BIPOC voices, Fiction
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Tilbury House
Tilbury House Publishers takes children's book submissions from authors without an agent, by email only. It publishes board books to middle grade, welcomes diverse voices and replies within six months if interested.
Tilbury House Publishers is a children’s book publisher and a sister imprint of Sleeping Bear Press in Cherry Lake Publishing Group, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It publishes board books, beginning readers, picture books and middle grade, in fiction and nonfiction.
Its picture books often explore cultural diversity, social justice, mindfulness, science and nature. Tilbury House publishers review the text on its own, so you do not need illustrations. Submissions go to a shared Sleeping Bear Press email address.
What Tilbury House is looking for
- Board books and beginning readers
- Picture books on diversity, justice, mindfulness, science and nature
- Middle grade fiction and nonfiction
- Stories from diverse authors
Publishes
- Children's
- Diverse and BIPOC voices
- Fiction
- Independent
- Middle grade
- Nonfiction
- Picture book
Readers
- Board book
- Early reader and chapter book
- Middle grade
- Picture book
How to submit to Tilbury House
From its own guidelines- Write a cover letter in the body of the email: your name, postal address, publishing experience, word count, a short summary and comparable titles.
- Attach the manuscript as a Word file.
- Use the subject line format on the Tilbury House submissions page and send it to the address listed there.
- Wait up to six months. It replies only if interested.
Is Tilbury House right for your book?
A good fit if
You have a children's manuscript with a clear message or subject, and you can name comparable books and say how yours is different.
Look elsewhere if
You want to mail a printed manuscript or follow up by phone. Tilbury House takes email only and asks for no follow-ups.
Questions about Tilbury House
Does Tilbury House Publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts?
Yes. Tilbury House Publishers reads children's manuscripts sent directly by authors, with no agent needed. Send it by email only, with your cover letter in the message and the manuscript attached as a Word file. Follow the subject line format on its submissions page.
Do I need illustrations to submit a picture book to Tilbury House?
No. Tilbury House reviews the text of a picture book on its own merits and considers art separately. Writers who are not illustrators should send the manuscript only. Illustrators may add a portfolio if they wish. Tilbury House pairs texts with illustrators itself when it acquires a book.
How long does Tilbury House take to respond?
Tilbury House responds within six months if it is interested in your manuscript. If you hear nothing after six months, it has decided to pass. It asks authors not to send follow-up emails or call about a submission. Keep writing, and send the book elsewhere once six months have passed.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
