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FICTION SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

TickTock is always looking for new talent to join our fiction list. We will look at unsolicited material but, due to the high volume of unsolicited material sent, we cannot acknowledge receipt of manuscripts. Please don't enclose any original material, as we cannot guarantee to return all work sent. We are unable to accept any responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, any scripts that are sent to us, so please keep a copy of your work.

We aim to assess your submission as quickly as possible but there may be a delay of up to three months before we are able to reply. We are not able to offer any editorial advice or feedback concerning your work if we decide not to publish it.

We prefer submissions to be sent via email to editorial@ticktock.co.uk but submissions can also be sent via post. Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of any material.

Please send three sample chapters and a synopsis of your story to:

Melissa Fairley
TickTock Books Ltd
The Old Sawmill
103 Goods Station Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 2DP

Please read the guidelines below before submitting any material.

Novelty pre-school picture books

We do not publish straight picture books, but we will consider picture books that can be turned into novelty pre-school titles (e.g. with flaps, paper engineering, sound chips).

Chapter Books (Junior Fiction)

These are black and white chapter books with a high ratio of artwork to text. Short chapters make these appealing to more confident readers.

Content: humour, fairies and princesses, magic, scary, historical
(e.g. time-travel), mysteries, adventure, school, friendship, sci-fi

Age group: 5–8
Extent: 80–96pp
Text length: 4,000–6,000 words approx.
Age group: 7–9
Extent: 96–144pp
Text length: 7,000–10,000 words approx.

Novels (Older Fiction)

These are full-length novels with fast-paced plots, strong characters and dynamic storytelling.

Content: any subject matter
Age group: 8–12
Extent: 112pp+
Text length: 25,000–50,000 words approx.

Novels (Teen+)

The same brief as for Novels (Older Fiction) but these books can explore certain areas that are inappropriate for younger readers (e.g. horror, sex).

Content: any subject matter
Age group: 12/13+
Extent: 256pp+
Text length: 55,000–115,000 words approx.

ILLUSTRATION SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

We will look at unsolicited illustrations but we cannot acknowledge receipt of manuscripts. Please don't enclose any original material, as we cannot guarantee to return all work sent. We are unable to accept any responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, any illustrations that are sent to us, so please keep a copy of your work.

We aim to assess your submission as quickly as possible but there may be a delay of up to three months before we are able to reply. We are not able to offer any advice or feedback concerning your work if we decide not to publish it.

We prefer submissions to be sent via email to editorial@ticktock.co.uk but submissions can also be sent via post. Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of any material.

Please send your illustrations to:

Faith Booker
TickTock Books Ltd
The Old Sawmill
103 Goods Station Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 2DP

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