Fiction and Non-Fiction Submissions
At Moa Press, we are constantly looking for new authors. We accept submissions from everyone, whether you are a debut, established or self-published author, and whether you are agented or unagented. To help us get to your submission, please follow our guidelines carefully.
We are looking for books with a strong New Zealand connection – either the author is from New Zealand or a resident in New Zealand, or the book has a strong connection in terms of setting/character/content.
We are not open to novellas, poetry, or screenplays.
Due to the huge number of submissions we receive, there are limitations to what we can do and we hope you understand this.
Please read our Submissions FAQ here before sending us your manuscript.
What To Do:
Complete the below contact form.
Note: Only submissions received through this form will be read and no hard-copy submissions will be accepted. Hard copy submissions will not be returned. We cannot give feedback or answer questions or phone calls about the submission process. Please read the submission guidelines carefully and submit accordingly.
What Will Happen
You will receive an acknowledgement of your submission and it will be read and considered by one of our editors or publishers. If you have not heard from us within 2 months of submission regarding your submission, then we have decided not to pursue your manuscript further. Due to the huge volume of submissions we receive, it is not possible for an editor or publisher to discuss your submission by phone or by email and we are not able to provide feedback on unsuccessful submissions or explain why we have reached this decision.
If At First You Don't Succeed
There are a number of organisations that help writers improve their writing skills, assess their work and provide professional development opportunities. The New Zealand Society of Authors is a good place to start.
Children's Submissions
Little Moa is open for submissions four times a year.
We are accepting submissions for commercial graphic novels for children between the ages of 5-12, in any fiction genre that have a New Zealand connection.
Submissions will next be open Thursday 9th May 2024.
Due to the number of submissions we receive, we can only accept one submission per person – if more than one manuscript is submitted, we will only look at the first one.
Get your manuscript ready
When we reopen, we will be looking for books that:
- Are about New Zealand children’s experience
- Are targeted at children from newborns to those finishing primary school
- Have less than 3000 words
You will also need to provide a brief 100 word synopsis and brief biography, including any previous publishing history, writing experience or awards.
If your work is a picture book, unless you are an illustrator, or wish to illustrate the story yourself, please only send text. If you are plan on doing your own illustrations, you will also need to upload a copy of sample artwork (not original artwork).
Keep an eye on @LittleMoaBooks on Facebook and Instagram for a reminder.
Illustration Submissions
We are always interested in hearing from new illustrators who are based in New Zealand. We run the Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize annually, otherwise if you would like to submit your illustration portfolio, please send a link to your website or a PDF of up to 10MB to:
Please note that we will only contact you should we have a suitable project for you at some time in the future.