About Us: Author Guidelines

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Please note that we do not accept electronic submissions.

Adult and Young Adult Books

At present, our list is composed primarily of reference and “how-to” books with step-by-step instructions on practical subjects including: art; body, mind, and spirit; business; ceramics; crafts, including paper crafts; culinary arts, including wine and drink; fiber arts, including knitting, crochet, sewing, and embroidery; games and puzzles (especially crosswords, logic puzzles, and I.Q. builders); gardening; hobbies; health and fitness; house building and construction; language; lettering, including calligraphy; lifestyle; magic; natural history; new age; reference; science; sports; pets; and woodworking.

Sterling does not publish fiction, and we rarely publish non-illustrated books.

Children’s Books

Sterling’s juvenile list focuses primarily on non-fiction, including: crafts; hobbies; games; activities; origami; optical illusions; mazes; dot-to-dots; science experiments; puzzles (math/word/picture/logic); chess; card games and tricks; sports; and magic.

We also publish fiction in the following categories: riddles and jokes; ghost stories; mystery and detective short stories; board books. We are currently building our picture book list and would welcome full manuscripts.

We are not, at this time, accepting any children’s fiction except in those categories listed above.

Submissions Guidelines

Please write to us explaining your idea and enclose an outline and a sample chapter of the proposed book (typed and double-spaced, please) along with sample illustrations where applicable. We do not accept electronic (e-mail) submissions. Be sure to include information about yourself with particular regard to your skills and qualifications in the subject area of your submission. It is helpful for us to know your publishing history—whether or not you’ve written other books and, if so, the name of the publisher and whether those books are currently in print.

Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. We will not return any materials submitted to us unless you specifically request that materials be returned and include, along with your submission, a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Please note that, due to the volume of mail received, we cannot guarantee the return of unsolicited material. Please do not send original art or irreplaceable work of any kind; while we will make every effort to return your submissions, we are not responsible for any loss or damage.

Submissions should be sent to the attention of the category editor, e.g., the material on a woodworking book should be addressed to the “Woodworking Editor”; a craft book proposal should be addressed to the “Craft Editor”; and so on. All children’s book submissions should be sent to the attention of the “Children’s Book Editor.” Submissions should be sent to:

Category Editor
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
387 Park Avenue South, 10th floor
New York, NY 10016-8810

We will contact you as soon as we are able via either letter or telephone. Please do not attempt to call us regarding your submission. Given the volume of submissions we receive, it may take several months for us to reply.

Thank you for your interest in Sterling.