Organizations
American Indians in KidLit “Established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books. Dr. Jean Mendoza joined AICL as a co-editor in 2016.”
The Brown Bookshelf “The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad Black voices writing for young readers.”
KidLit Nation “KidlitNation is a volunteer-run organization founded in 2016 to provide education, resources, and opportunities to creators of color. Since then they have provided scholarships, mentorships, and webinars all funded by generous donations.”
Latinx in Publishing “Join Latinx in Publishing in supporting and increasing the number of latino/a/x in the publishing industry, and promoting literature by, for, and about latino/a/x people.”
People of Color in Publishing “People of Color in Publishing is a grassroots organization created by book publishing professionals dedicated to supporting, empowering, and uplifting racially and ethnically marginalized members throughout the industry, we seek to create a safe and inclusive space celebrating and promoting diversity. Through a planning committee and network of chaired subcommittees, we advocate and foster career development and advancement of people of color (including Native/Indigenous) professionals’ work.”
We Need Diverse Books “We Need Diverse Books™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.”
The Word A Story Telling Sanctuary A non-profit organization working to build a publishing community that will fight for inclusivity.
Publishers
Denene Millner Books “Denene Millner Books publishes books that celebrate the everyday humanity of Black children and families. Submissions can be works of fiction or nonfiction, from board book and picture book (newborn +) to young adult (protagonists eighteen or under).”
Just us Books “In over 30 years of operation, Just Us Books has become more than a children’s book publishing company; it’s an institution and remains one of the nation’s few Black-owned publishers. It continues its mission grounded in the same belief that helped launch the company three decades ago: Good books make a difference.“
Kazoom Books “We see you. We hear you. We tell your stories We are Kazoom Kids Books, publisher of multicultural interactive ebooks for children ages 5 – 8.”
Kokila “By centering stories from the margins and making space for storytellers to explore the full range of experiences, we deliver books that inspire and entertain readers, and add nuance and depth to the way children and young adults see their place in the world. Kokila will publish work for children and young adults across all formats.”
Lee and Low “LEE & LOW BOOKS is the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the country. We are also one of the few minority-owned publishing companies in the United States.”
Levine Querido “Levine Querido publishes two lists: The Arthur A. Levine list, seeking out the writing and artwork of exceptionally talented creators, with a distinct focus on building a platform for previously underrepresented voices, and the Em Querido list, a partnership with the renowned Dutch publisher to find the most outstanding authors and artists from around the world, aiming to keep the legacy of Emanuel Querido alive and flourishing.”
Lil’ Libros “In a world with a shortage of bilingual books for children, two mothers began their mission to introduce bilingualism and Latin American culture through picture board books. Lil’ Libros was created to inspire parents to read to their children and encourage them to do so in two languages.”
Rick Riordan Presents “Our goal is to publish great middle-grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to let them tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage.”
Contests, Awards, and Mentorships
Children’s Book Academy Scholarship “Our scholarships are designed to help bring more diversity of all kinds into the children’s literature field and are currently offered to folks who identify as LBGQTI, having a disability, being a person of color, or being low income.”
Highlights Diversity Fellowship in Children’s Literature “The Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellowship in Children’s Literature is a 24-month professional development and mentorship program for people of color and Indigenous authors or illustrators who are actively pursuing publication within the children’s publishing industry.”
Highlights Muslim Storyteller Fellowship “The fellowship aims to further that bridge-building mission by creating space for more diverse, authentic Muslim narratives for children and young adults, and by addressing common misperceptions of those narratives in the children’s publishing industry.”
Lee and Low’s New Voices Award “The New Voices Award is given annually by children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color or Indigenous/Native writer.”
Lee and Low New Visions Award – “Middle Grade/Young Adult Manuscripts. Established in 2012, the New Visions Award is given annually to an unpublished author of color or Native/Indigenous author for a middle-grade or young adult manuscript.”
New Voices in Non-Fiction Grant This award is open to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who have never published a nonfiction book in the children’s book market.
WNDB Black Creatives Mentorship “The Black Creatives Mentorship for Black Creatives will introduce Black writers to the ins-and-outs of the publishing industry through one-on-one mentorship and programming with other industry professionals designed to develop their networking skills as well as hone their craft.”
WNDB Walter Dean Myers Grant “The Walter Dean Myers Grant program was established to provide grants of $2,000 each to promising diverse writers and illustrators who are currently unpublished. Since 2015, we have awarded 26 grants, and we are set to award three new grants in 2021.”
The Word Editor-Writer Mentorship “The Editor-Writer Mentorship pairs upcoming writers from underrepresented groups* with experienced book publishing editors!”
Urania Smith 