Penny Candy Books is a publishing company focused on children’s picture books that was founded in 2015 by two poets who met in graduate school. It is a newer company but they seem off to a good start with interviews in various established publications and by publishing eight books, most to positive reviews by places like Kirkus. Their plan from here on out is to publish 5-8 books a year.

Their mission statement is as follows “Penny Candy’s mission is to publish children’s literature that reflects the diverse realities of the world we live in, both at home and abroad. This means seeking out books by and about people and subjects that speak to a broad range of human experience.”

On their submission page they go into further detail “In the spirit of penny candy, Penny Candy Books offers affordable, eye-catching children’s books that promote the value of diversity—in authors, characters & stories, and readers. We believe children’s literature must reflect the diverse realities of the world we live in. We’re interested in complex stories that raise questions rather than simplistic stories with easy answers. Kids are too smart for the latter. ”

Their website is beautiful, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. It is easy to buy books on the site, which is always a good sign. They even mention their print distributor – they work with Publishers Group West, which is owned by Ingram.

They accept all submissions through the submission manager Submittable. Their submission guidelines are clear but brief. I really encourage anyone who is thinking of submitting to browse their back catalog to get a better feel for what they publish. They regularly close and open to submissions, with no fixed reading periods.

Bio: Emily Harstone is the pen name of an author whose work has been published internationally by a number of respected journals. She is a professional submissions adviser. You can follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/emilyharstone/