Deidra Purvis

I’m the acquiring editor for children and teen books at Free Spirit Publishing, an imprint dedicated to providing children and teens with the tools they need to think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world. I acquire board books, picture books, and nonfiction strategy books for older kids and teens. I want to see picture books and social emotional learning (SEL) books that are new, exciting, and relevant. I’m most interested in picture books that are lyrically written, engaging, and about a topics that are deeply relatable and different from what we’ve seen before.  I’m also seeking more SEL, self-help, and strategy books for older kids and teens, written by experts in the field, on topics that are personally relevant to the reader.

Submission Guidelines

Free Spirit Publishing is committed to uplifting diverse voices with books that are relevant and inclusive for the youth we serve. We are especially seeking manuscripts from authors of diverse representation; including race, ethnicity, culture, religion, social class, LGBTQ identities, ability, and physical differences.

We Are Looking for Strong Proposals for Ages Birth through Eighteen in the Following Categories

PICTURE BOOKS WITH ALIGNMENT TO AN SEL TRAIT OR STRATEGY

Authentic, high-interest, and lyrically written picture books reflecting contemporary experiences of children from diverse cultures, backgrounds, religions, and identities; and that also align with a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) trait or strategy.

GIFTED & SPECIAL EDUCATION

Books on academic, social, and emotional development for young people of all ages with diverse learning needs, including gifted students and students with learning differences, ADHD, behavioral difficulties, or autism spectrum disorders.

BULLYING PREVENTION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Picture books and books for kids and teens, and resources for teachers, counselors, and other educators, to help young people understand, prevent, and respond to bullying incidents. We will also consider fiction for kids and teens that relates to these topics.

CHARACTER EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Picture books and books for kids and teens to help young people build character, discover their leadership potential, and engage in their communities. We will also consider fiction for kids and teens that relates to these topics.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Board books for infants to age 4 and picture books for ages 3 to 8 that focus on social skills and getting along, early learning, character education, self-esteem, and other topics related to positive early childhood development. We will also consider fiction that relates directly to these areas of focus.

COUNSELING & SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Picture books and books for kids and teens to help children and teens deal with grief and loss, health and wellness, depression and other mental illnesses, stress, social skills and friendship, anger management, LGBTQ issues, manners, family, self-confidence, and more. We will also consider fiction for kids and teens that relates to these topics.

Note: Due to the large volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to respond personally to each query. Please review our publishing categories carefully. If you think your work may be a fit for Free Spirit, you may submit a proposal according to our guidelines.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS

• Books with animals or mythical creatures as the primary characters
• Poetry
• General self-help for adults
• Nonfiction material with religious or New Age content, or books with religious messages outside of the representation of religious practices

If your proposal is in any of the above formats, it is not right for us—even if content themes overlap with those we publish.

Submitting a Proposal

Agents may submit proposals to me directly at acquisitions@freespirit.com. I also accept submissions directly from unagented authors. If you are an unagented author, please upload your submission on Submittable:

Guidelines & Details