Submissions

We like working with imaginative people
who want to create new and fantastic stories!

We like working with imaginative people
who want to create new and fantastic stories!

AUTHOR

At Pratham Books, we publish books that enrich the reading experience for a child. We select manuscripts based on several parameters. Selected stories may not have all of the following attributes, but we do look for scripts that match most of them.

  • Original and engaging
  • Indian setting
  • Interesting plot and characters
  • Diverse
  • Fiction, creative non-fiction, non-fiction

Word Limit:

  • Level 1: 50-150
  • Level 2: 150-200
  • Level 3: 200-500
  • Level 4: 500-1,000

Submit manuscripts to [email protected].

We evaluate manuscripts twice a year. We try our best to respond to all submissions but because of the sheer volume, we are sometimes unable to get back to everyone.Since we don’t want to keep you hanging, if you don’t hear from us within two months, you may assume that your manuscript has not been selected.

Illustrator

We believe that illustration aids reading comprehension in diverse ways. Each of our books is unique and employs a different illustration style to best complement the story. When submitting your work, we ask that you follow the guidelines below:

  • Send us an email with your contact information and a link to your website or portfolio.
  • Attach only one or two low-resolution JPEGs that best represent your work. This is the best way to catch our eye!
  • Due to the large number of queries we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to everyone; but please be assured that we do look at all submissions.
  • If we are interested in your work, we will keep your information for future reference and will contact you if we have a project that might suit your style.

Submit artwork to [email protected].

Author + Illustrator

If you are an illustrator or artist with an illustrated book / manuscript you would like us to consider, please submit according to the guidelines for Author and send to[email protected].

We believe in open content.

Most of our books are licensed under the Creative Commons licenses, which free our stories – allowing anyone to distribute or change the work to a context relevant to them. A child in a remote village may not have access to many books in her mother tongue, but a teacher could repurpose the work and make this possible. By allowing your work to be licensed under a CC-BY 4.0 license, you can give wings to your stories and truly democratise the joy of reading for children across the world.

My child has written/illustrated a book. Can Pratham Books publish it?
We don’t usually publish books by children. You can upload the story on our digital content platform, StoryWeaver.

Do you publish chapter books?
No, we only publish picture books.

Why was my manuscript not selected?
This would be because it did not meet our criteria or our requirement for the year.

Can I call to check the status of my manuscript submission?
We are unable to answer calls about manuscript submissions.

Who will illustrate my manuscript, if selected?
We will commission an illustrator, if your manuscript is commissioned.

I have a manuscript in a regional language. Can I still submit it?
Yes, we welcome submissions in any Indian language.