Guidelines for Submitting Proposals

Magination Press® publishes psychology-based books covering a broad range of topics of concern to children and teens. These include everyday situations, such as starting school and the growing family, as well as more serious psychological, clinical, or medical problems, such as divorce, depression, anxiety, asthma, attention disorders, bullying, death, and more.

Magination Press books are distinguished by their psychological and emotional accuracy and complexity. We are as interested in the child's inner experience of the problem as its practical resolution. We want to see the evolution of the child's feelings, expressed in his or her thoughts.

There should be no magical solutions but a realistic working-out of the problem and an emotional coming to terms with it. The coping and resolution suggestions must also be comprehensive. We are not interested in proposals that offer a single, albeit charming or clever, solution.

Most of our books are written by PhD psychologists, school counselors, or mental health professionals. Many books are also written by MD physicians. Although doctorate-level credentials are not a requirement, the author should have expertise in the topic area.

All of our picture books include a comprehensive Note to Parents on the subject of the book, written by a doctoral-level psychologist. When the author of the story is not a psychologist, Magination Press commissions the writing of the Note.

Types of Books We Publish

  • Picture books for young children (ages 4 to 8)
  • Middle school readers for children (ages 9 to 13)
  • Nonfiction books and workbooks for older children (ages 9 to 13 and teens)

Proposals Submitted to Magination Press Should Include

Brief Synopsis

Provide a brief summary of the story or non-fiction work. Be sure to specify the psychological issue or situation you are addressing.

Complete Manuscript

Please send a complete story or non-fiction manuscript, table of contents, and all end matter (reference list, additional resources, afterword). We do not accept proposals on the basis of a query letter or partial manuscript.

Audience

Specify the intended age of the reader, and the situations and uses you envision for the book.

Market

Please describe as thoroughly as possible the market of your book. Consider addressing these questions:

  • What need does the book fill?
  • What are the benefits to its readers?
  • What are the other books available on this topic, and how is yours different and better?
  • Is this book aimed at a school market? Therapists? Parents? Medical doctors? Other markets? All of the above?

Author's Credentials

Include a resume or curriculum vitae.

Artwork

We select illustrators and direct the art for our books. It is not necessary to submit dummy books or sample illustrations. However, if an illustration is telling part of the story, be sure to include a sketch or a description of the art in the manuscript. If you know an illustrator you might like to work with, you may include samples. If you are the illustrator as well as the author, please include art samples.

Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope

If we decline your proposal and if you wish to receive your materials back, you MUST include a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage for its return. Otherwise, we will dispose of it.

Submission Process

Authors should review our catalog or browse our website for a list of books we have published.

Should a book idea fit with our list, please prepare the complete proposal as outlined above and send it to the following address:

Acquisitions
Magination Press
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002-4242

Please note: We do not accept manuscripts by email or on disk. Because of the high volume of submissions we receive, we cannot respond to authors of submitted proposals or acknowledge receipt. Authors of books selected for review by our editorial advisory board will be contacted by Magination Press.