If you’re interested in writing Australian Kid Lit, you’ve probably noticed that the community is kind and welcoming, but that getting published is not easy. Obviously working on and improving craft is key, but that’s a topic for another post. Here’s how to get in front of publishers, agents and editors and start building publication credits.
If you know of any that I’ve missed, please let me know so I can add them!
- Conferences
- Pitch Days
- Competitions
- Anthologies
- Magazines
- Slush Piles
Conferences
There are many writing conferences and festivals in Australia, but only three that I know of centred around kids literature. All of them require booking conference or camp tickets in order to be eligible to enter their competition or purchase pitches or assessments. These conferences all involve professional development, and improving writing, illustrating, marketing and more. However, they’re also how to get in front of publishers.
Kid Lit Vic
Location: Melbourne (Naarm)
Timing: May
Website: https://www.kidlitvic.com/
Kid Lit Vic includes in-person panels and speakers, as well as opportunities for pitches, assessments and up close and personals with publishers. There is little to no online access, although recordings are available afterwards for about a month.
CYA
Location: Brisbane (Meanjin) and Online
Timing: July
Website: https://www.cyaconference.com/
CYA (Children, Young Adult, and Adult Writers’ and Illustrators’ Conference) is a one-day conference with two panel options at most time slots. There are online and in-person tickets. CYA also offers bootcamps, a competition and assessments.
CYA has recently been put on hold while the lovely and hard working organisers deal with some health issues.
Sketch & Scribe
Location: Torquay (Doonmarnwaring) and online
Timing: September
Website: https://www.sketchandscribefest.com/
Sketch & Scribe, run by Stef Gemmil, is in its second year and includes 2 professional development days (with in person and online tickets), a competition, coachcamps and pitches.
Kids and YA Festival
Location: Sydney
Timing: August, biennially
Website: https://writingnsw.org.au/writing-nsw-festival-programs/2025-kids-ya-festival/
This festival from Writing NSW brings publisher pitches, author and illustrator panels and book signings.
Pitch days
Pitch days are opportunities for how to get in front of publishers outside of the conferences. They are short, ranging from 3 to 15 minutes, and most are paid but there are occasionally free ones as part of writers festivals.
Pitches are also available as part of the Sketch & Scribe and Kid Lit Vic conferences.
SCBWI NSW Professional Development Day
Location: Sydney
Timing: June
Website: https://scbwiaustraliaeast.com/events/2026/6/13/scbwi-nsw-professional-development-day
SCBWI NSW Professional Development Day is a fun and stimulating day of professional development, and includes the opportunity to pitch to two publishers for some lucky members. The pitches are free, included in the ticket price.
ASA Picture Book Matchmaker
Location: Online
Timing: Feb (applications) – April (pitches)
Website: https://www.asauthors.org.au/picture-book-matchmaker/
The Picture Book Matchmaker gives picture book authors and illustrators the opportunity to deliver a 6 minute pitch to an agent or publisher. Applications open in February, with a $20 fee for the assessors. If successful you are then given the opportunity to book a $30 pitch with your match.
ASA Virtual Literary Speed Dating
Location: Online
Timing: June (bookings)-July (pitches)
Website: https://www.asauthors.org.au/events/literary-speed-dating/
When they call it speed dating, it really is super speedy, with each $30 booking getting you a 3 minute pitch with an agent or publisher. These sessions are for completed manuscripts only. Pitches for picture books should go through the Picture Book Matchmaker (above), however junior fiction, middle grade, young adult and adult manuscripts are all eligible to be pitched during Virtual Literary Speed Dating.
Competitions
Just Write For Kids “Pitch It!” Competition
An annual national competition designed to help children’s book creators sharpen their commercial hooks. Entrants submit written pitches, which are judged directly by Australian publishers looking for new talent. Find more information about it here.
There are also competitions as part of Sketch & Scribe and CYA conferences.
Anthologies
There are lots of anthologies and poetry collections that are published each year, but it often means being tapped on the shoulder by an editor who is already familiar with your work. How to get in front of publishers and editors before you’re already successful is not easy. Sign up to industry newsletters and follow kidlit leaders on social media to make sure you don’t miss out on open calls. And get those early publishing credits to your name where ever you can!
The anthologies below are reputable, publish regularly and are well worth submitting to.
Just Write For Kids: Picture It Anthologies
Storm Cloud Short Tales Anthologies
Rhiza Edge Short Story Competition
I wasn’t sure whether or not to include this one in the list of competitions or anthologies.
Magazines and Blogs
Paid
The School Magazine (AU)
High Five (US)
Free
Australian Children’s Poetry Blog (AU)
Tyger Tyger (UK)
Dirigible Balloon (UK)
Slush Piles
Slush piles are not the most efficient way to get in front of publishers. They often open for only a small window, once a year, and receive hundreds or even thousands of submissions during that time period.
However, they are FREE, which is fantastic, and many agents and publishers are reading through them on weekends and after hours. We are very lucky that in Australia it is still possible to send un-agented manuscripts to some top publishing houses.
I don’t have the space to include a full list of publishers and their open submission windows, or the time to keep that list updated. But below I have included a handful who are open all the time.
Allen & Unwin’s Friday Pitch
Location: Online
Website: https://www.allenandunwin.com/about/submission-guidelines/children-young-adult-submission-guidelines
Despite the name, the Allen & Unwin Friday Pitch is actually more of a slush pile. You can send through the first chapter of your junior, middle grade or young adult manuscript, along with a 300 word synopsis any day of the week. Picture books need to wait until their picture book portal opens for a two week period every second year (mid-2027 is the next window).
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