We’re constantly looking for outstanding picture books, early chapter books, and middle-grade fiction and graphic novels for kids. (By the way, we don’t handle message-driven stories or textbook materials, mood pieces, and nonfiction for the educational market.)

We represent everyone from award-winning authors and illustrators to gifted newcomers. And we’re eager to team up with fabulous artists who may not write. We’re especially attracted to people who have something to say to children and teens, and we admire creative risk-takers who aren’t afraid to try something new or to shake things up.

If you’d like to explore the possibility of working together, please email a query letter to rick@risingbear.com. Be sure to include a synopsis of your story, what makes it special, and a little about your background as a writer and/or illustrator. Also, if we’ve met at a conference, class, or workshop, or you’ve been referred by one of our friends, please let us know. If you’re submitting a picture book, simply paste your text directly into the body of the email. And if you’ve written a longer work, please paste the first three chapters into your message.

Sorry, we don’t accept attachments, but it’s very helpful to us if you include links to examples of your work, especially if you’re an illustrator. Although we’d prefer an exclusive look at your submission for six weeks, that’s not essential. But we’d appreciate it if you’d let us know whether you’ve contacted other agents or editors. And please, no snail mail unless we specifically request it.

We know how much work goes into creating a manuscript or an illustration, and we wish we could personally respond to each and every query. But unfortunately, it’s impossible given the sheer volume of submissions that we receive. If you don’t hear from us within six weeks, it means your work isn’t the right fit for us at the present time.