Submission Guidelines

Starfish Bay Publishing operates under two imprints: Starfish Bay Children’s Books and Tiny Seed Publishing.

Tiny Seed Publishing is currently running two programmes that are open to unsolicited authors.

• Author Supported Traditional Publishing Programme
• Secondary Publishing Programme.

If you are interested in learning more about these programmes, please visit the Tiny Seed website:

https://tinyseedpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/

All unsolicited authors whose submissions are accepted by Tiny Seed will become solicited authors, allowing them to participate in any of the programmes operated by our Starfish Bay Children’s Books imprint.

The Starfish Bay Children’s Books imprint operates traditionally and only accepts submissions from solicited authors. We have five programs that are available to solicited authors only.

Traditional Publishing Programme

We greatly appreciate all authors who have participated in our Author Supported Traditional Publishing Programme and Secondary Publishing Programme, as well as those whose work will be included in these programmes. To show our gratitude, these authors will now be considered solicited authors.

Since 1st January 2025, our Starfish Bay Children’s Books imprint has only reviewed, selected, and published picture books that have been submitted by solicited authors. Starfish Bay covers all costs, including editing, illustration, design, printing, sales, marketing, and distribution, while authors receive royalties generated from book sales.

We have reserved 50 spaces for solicited authors, along with additional places for Signed Authors, in our 2025 Traditional Publishing Programme. We are very pleased to announce that the following solicited authors have joined our Traditional Publishing Programme since 1st January 2025:

• Tata’s Shoes, by Ester Reato
• Silver’s Pirate, by Katie Aaron
• Where Have These Jeans Been?, by Adele Hunter
• Too Loud Cicada, by Audrey Crowfoot
• Learning to Fly, by Andrew Dittmer
• Finding Kharm after the Storm, by Kelly-Anne Norman
• Emus Don’t Fly, by Sue Bormann
• There’s room for just one in my tree…and that’s me!, by Kylie Tull
• If I Were A… by Lorna Stallman
• Please, Not the Alphabet Book! by Anna Brotherson
• Ant’s Don’t Dance by Bethea Todhunter
• Grampires by Emma Fraser
• Dog by Joanne Vernon
• From Grandad, With Love by Karyn Miller
• Chubby Cheeks by Robert Marrone
• Can You Speak Ballet? by Rhonda Ooi
• Acorn‘s Away by Sarah Tonkin
• Prickly Pete by Jennifer Seal
• Muffin McFluff: Catnap Catastrophe by Millie Lewis
• Tremendous Trevor’s Spooky Adventure by Ben J. Melen
• Our Bushwalk by Teagan Bouma
• The Dog of Awning Dell by Harison Butler
• Hannah’s Hat, by Cheryl  Polonski
• Selena’s Spooktacular Specs by Millie Lewis

Signed Authors Programme

Our Signed Authors Programme offers a select group of solicited authors long-term publishing opportunities and additional benefits. Participating authors are known as Signed Authors. The following options are available under this programme:

• This programme requires Signed Authors to provide a temporary loan of $9,000, which will be returned in full within two years with no conditions.
• Signed Authors will receive 360 complimentary hardback copies of any book they have published (or will have published) by Starfish Bay. These copies can also be assigned to different titles.
• Signed Authors will be guaranteed 8 traditional publishing offers if they submit more than 12 picture book manuscripts to Starfish Bay within 6 years.
• Signed Authors will be guaranteed 1 traditional publishing offer if they submit more than 2 picture book manuscripts to Starfish Bay each year from the 7th to the 12th year.
• If we were unable to honour the number of guaranteed offers for a Signed Author, we will provide an additional 200 complimentary hardback copies of any book they have published (or will have published) by Starfish Bay for each missed offer.
• Starfish Bay will support Signed Authors in building a professional author website, covering all design costs. If a Signed Author already has a website or does not require one, we will provide an additional 100 complimentary hardback copies of any book published by Starfish Bay.

All books approved under this programme will follow the same processes and procedures as our Traditional Publishing Programme, with the same team of editors and art directors.

Author Website Support Programme

This programme offers Solicited Authors support in building their own professionally designed website to showcase their work. Here are the benefits and requirements this programme offers:

• Participating authors must provide a temporary loan of $4,000, which will be returned in full within two years with no conditions.
• Signed authors will receive a professionally designed website to showcase their books, at no cost.
• Signed authors will receive 160 complimentary hardback copies of any book they have published (or will have published) by Starfish Bay. These copies can also be assigned to different titles.

Bologna Author Experience Programme

Starfish Bay regularly attends international book fairs, showcasing our titles to publishers and foreign rights agents worldwide. To allow Solicited Authors the opportunity to experience Bologna Children’s Book Fair with us, we have introduced the Bologna Author Experience Programme. Here are the benefits and requirements this programme offers:

• Participating solicited authors must provide a temporary loan of $16,000, which will be returned in full within one year with no conditions.
• One return flight ticket to Bologna (up to $2,000).
• Accommodation in Bologna (up to $1,000).
• Three Traditional Publishing contracts.
• 200 complimentary hardback copies of each book.
• Participating authors may spend up to three hours at our stand during the fair to introduce their books to visitors.

We will be able to accommodate two authors per day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. As the fair lasts four days, we can accept a maximum of 8 authors per year.

To ensure fairness, this programme operates on a first-come, first-served basis. We are currently accepting applications for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 Bologna Children’s Book Fairs.

Author Testimonials

We love hearing from our authors about their experience working with us. Karen Hendriks, author of Vesper Jones and Marshmallow had to say when she visited our stand during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2025, where she met our Deputy Publisher, Matthew Long, and her book’s illustrator, Francesca Corso:

“I am beyond excited. I was lucky enough to meet Francesca at the Starfish Bay stand. I am so excited about Vesper. Lots is happening but I am so pumped for my books with Starfish. I love how you get me and my writing. It is awesome seeing our world in action. You are my book family. All my interactions have been great, and I have really enjoyed everything so far.”

Karen is the author of the following Starfish Bay picture books:

• Vesper Jones and Marshmallow, illustrated by Francesca Corso, publication date: 5th August 2025
• A Christmas Beetle Wish, currently in the editorial process
• Mirabel Shines, currently in the editorial process
• Spud’s Mars Mission, currently in the editorial process
• Summer Fun Fair, currently in the editorial process
• Saving Pearl and Reef, illustrated by Leanne Argent, currently in the illustration process, established publication date: 6th April 2026
• Enid Thinks Outside the Shell, illustrated by Jason Hart, currently in the illustration process, established publication date: 6th July 2026