Publisher Submissions
JLG’s selection team reads and evaluates books in advance of publication date, making selections early enough to join a publisher’s initial print run whenever possible. This coordination helps JLG manage costs and deliver the highest-quality books to our member libraries efficiently and affordably.
Each year, we select books from publishers’ forthcoming titles for three (3) seasonal lists—Winter, Spring, and Fall. JLG member libraries receive new titles from their category selections on a monthly basis.
Category Guidelines
JLG offers more than 70 categories per season. English language categories include both fiction and nonfiction for readers from pre-K through young adult and even adult cross-over books for teens. There are also three (3) Spanish categories: Primary (K-grade 2), Elementary (grade 3-5) and Middle (grade 5-8).
A full list of categories can be viewed here.
Format Considerations
- Most title selections are hardcovers with retail prices of $12.99 and higher.
- Minimum retail price exceptions may be made for categories such as Emergent Readers, Spanish, and Hi-Lo.
- We consider paperbacks for the Paperback Escape Reads High category and the Hi-Lo categories. This is limited to original paperbacks only (no reprints). Paperbacks can also be considered for Spanish and Graphic Novel categories for older elementary and above. Select high-quality paperbacks may be considered for additional high school categories.
Please note that we do not consider:
- Titles submitted directly from the author or illustrator. Only publishers can submit titles for consideration.
- Reissues or reprints (U.S. editions of titles originally published internationally can be considered)
- Board books
- Novelty and gift books
Production, Quantities, and Payments
- Print quantities vary by category and currently range from 175 to 2,000+ copies.
- All internationally printed books must be shipped Free on Board (FOB) and details will be outlined in the agreement when your title is selected.
- Production costs are paid to the publisher based on when books are received in the JLG warehouse.
- Royalties are paid to the publisher based on when the books are shipped to JLG customers.
- Royalty rates are capped at $0.85 per hardcover copy and $0.43 per paperback copy (higher-priced paperback graphic novels follow the hardcover rate).
How to Submit
All submissions should be sent to: [email protected]
When submitting titles for JLG consideration, please include the following:
- Metadata
- Title/subtitle/series
- Author(s)/illustrator(s)
- Publisher/imprint
- Publication date
- Deadline for JLG commitment
- we prefer to join first print runs whenever possible, so please include this date in your submission
- Retail price (US/Canada)
- Format
- Age level
- ISBN
- Summary
- Advance Materials - manuscripts, review copies, or print-ready PDF files
- Please send complete advance materials for the entire book.
- Samples or incomplete sales BLADs (book layout and design) are not sufficient for our review process.
- Due to time constraints, we may not be able to follow up on partial submissions, and they may not be considered.
- File Format
- Please send only PDF copies or links to digital files (no physical materials).
- Flatten visual-heavy PDFs using InDesign (or similar offerings) and save them as “for web viewing” files when possible.
- If file size exceeds your email limits, please send via a large-file email service (e.g., WeTransfer, Dropbox link).
- Delivery
- Send all submissions to [email protected]. This inbox is monitored by our selections coordinator, who may follow up regarding materials or deadlines.
Please note:
- Only publishers can submit titles for consideration, not authors or illustrators.
- Files should be submitted a minimum of one (1) month before the initial print date and at least three (3) months before the publication date (we recommend submitting 4–6 months in advance).
- Submission does not guarantee selection or review.
- Publishers with titles under consideration will be contacted regarding pricing and shipping details before selection is finalized.
- JLG Gold Standard Selection titles will receive a review by one of our professional journals: School Library Journal, Library Journal, or The Horn Book.
Thank You
We appreciate your collaboration and the trust you place in JLG to review and champion your titles. We look forward to receiving your upcoming titles and continuing to bring great books to young readers together.
Sincerely,
The JLG Selection Team
