Submission Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in Picnic Heist Publishing. As a boutique publishing house, we celebrate cultural heritage, foster unity, and bring more beauty into the world through the power of storytelling. Our list centers on picture books that are emotionally resonant, artistically ambitious, and grounded in lived experience. We actively support authors and illustrators as they create exceptional picture books that inspire, challenge, and delight young readers while honoring the humanity that connects us all.

Looking ahead, we are reviewing submissions with an eye toward our 2028 publishing list. While we are still finalizing some Spring and Fall 2027 titles, we are not planning to add additional projects to the 2027 list at this time.

What We’re Looking For

Picnic Heist is rooted in cultural heritage and shared humanity. We are especially drawn to stories that grow out of personal experience, memory, or tradition. We believe this is where the deepest artistry lives and where stories most strongly resonate with readers. Specifically, we’re looking for:

Picture book manuscripts with strong narrative arcs, compelling characters, and emotional depth
Stories that celebrate cultural heritage, shared traditions, and human connection
Manuscripts that are carefully crafted, thoughtfully revised, and demonstrate a strong understanding of the picture book form
Work that has ideally gone through multiple rounds of revision, whether independently, with critique partners, or with an editor

While we do not impose a strict word count, we expect submissions to reflect a high level of polish, professionalism, and familiarity with contemporary picture books.

What We’re Not Looking For

To help writers determine whether Picnic Heist is the right home for their work, we want to be clear about our boundaries. At this time, we are not considering:

Anything other than picture books
Previously published or self-published manuscripts (rights-reversion projects are considered by invitation only)
Animal-only stories that do not have a clear cultural grounding or human context
Concept books (e.g., ABCs, counting, colors, shapes)
Holiday-focused books
Manuscripts that closely resemble existing or currently popular picture books. If the core idea, structure, or execution feels familiar to us, it is unlikely to be a fit
AI-generated manuscripts, in whole or in part

How to Submit

We accept submissions electronically. Please include the following materials to help us evaluate your work:

A cover letter introducing yourself and your manuscript, including how it aligns with Picnic Heist’s mission.
A complete manuscript in Word or PDF format.
A brief synopsis of the story (3-4 sentences).
Any relevant biographical information, including writing experience, published works, or accolades.

Where to Submit

Please email your submission to hello@picnicheistpublishing.com with the subject line:
“Submission – [Manuscript Title] by [Your Name]”