Submit your manuscript
If you have searched "publishers accepting submissions UK", you already have the hard part done: a manuscript. What you are looking for now is an open door — a publisher you can send it to without a literary agent, without joining a two-year querying queue, and without paying a hybrid press thousands upfront. This is the plain version of your options, and where FossPress fits.
There are really only three ways a children's book gets published in the UK, and "accepting submissions" means something different at each one.
| Traditional publishers | Hybrid / paid presses | FossPress (open submissions) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can submit | Usually agented only; a few open windows | Anyone who pays | Anyone with a finished manuscript |
| Typical wait to hear back | 3–12+ months | Fast | Fast — an open door, not a slush pile |
| Upfront cost to you | £0 | £2,000–£10,000+ | £0 upfront |
| Advance paid to you | Sometimes (small, for children's) | No | No advance — rev-share instead |
| Who runs the launch | The publisher (for their lead titles) | Varies | FossPress runs it |
| You keep your copyright | Often signed over | Varies | Yes — copyright and non-book rights stay yours; book rights licensed for the term |
Traditional publishers rarely take unsolicited manuscripts — most children's lists are agent-only, and the few open-submission windows (some smaller and independent presses) mean a long wait and long odds. Hybrid or "partnership" presses will accept almost any book, but you pay for it, often several thousand pounds upfront, and the marketing you are promised is variable. Both routes leave most first-time authors stuck: no agent, no budget, and a finished book with nowhere to send it.
FossPress accepts submissions directly from authors — no agent required, no slush-pile wait. But it is honest to be precise about what we are, because it is not the same as a traditional publisher:
Getting accepted is the start, not the finish. Where a paid press takes your money and a DIY route leaves you to do everything, FossPress publishes the book and runs the launch — the part most authors underestimate:
All of it at £0 upfront on rev-share: we only earn when your book sells, so if it doesn't sell, you haven't paid us to try. That is the deliberate difference from a paid press — our incentive is your sales, not your signing fee.
There is no form to post and no query letter to agonise over. Your submission is the early-access request on our author portal — tell us your name, your email and where your book is up to, and we pick it up from there. No agent, no fee to find out.
Submit your children's book → First, how publishing works
Most large children's publishers take agented submissions only, though some smaller and independent presses run open-submission windows, usually with a long wait. FossPress accepts submissions directly from authors year-round with no agent needed, on a rev-share model with £0 upfront rather than a traditional advance. Which suits you depends on whether you want an advance and an imprint, or a book that is published and launched now without upfront cost.
No, and we are clear about that. FossPress is a launchpad, a publishing platform that publishes your book and runs its launch on rev-share with £0 upfront, so we earn only when your book sells. We do not pay advances and we do not acquire a curated list on literary merit. What we offer is an open door for a finished children's book and a full launch behind it, with you keeping your rights.
No. There is no submission fee and no upfront cost, and publishing on the free plan never costs you money out of pocket, because FossPress earns a share of the sales it drives for you. There is an optional premium tier that unlocks extras like a Foss-provisioned ISBN, multi-platform distribution and automated marketing, but submitting and getting started is free.
Because it is an open door rather than a slush pile, you are not waiting months for a rejection slip. Start the early-access request on the portal and we pick it up from there, with no agent and no query-letter lottery.
New to all this and want the full picture first? Read how to publish a children's book in the UK, or see more author guides.
