Dear Claudia…
You’ve done the work, now it’s time to do the homework. Study the Literary Market Place to figure out which publishers handle your kind of material—your themes, storytelling styles, and genres. Study books in stores to see which houses published the ones most like yours. Do the same for agents, if you decide to go that route, as agents are in the LMP and are often mentioned in a book’s acknowledgments. Then join the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators: www.scbwi.org. This national organization’s resources, forums, chapter speakers, and national conference presentations will educate you about the biz, the rules, and the players as you move into this next phase. Attend their chapter meetings and conferences to network with other writers and, potentially, agent and editor guest speakers. Your submission path will become clear as you immerse yourself in the children’s book community.
Happy writing!
The Editor
Claudia,
It’s really important to research the houses and/or agents before you submit to them. Learn as much as you can before you approach them in person or via query letter.
Best wishes!
Check out the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, a book that lists most of the book and magazine publishers. Good luck.