Attention middle-grade writers! Great Plains Press’s Yellow Dog imprint seeks non-fiction book submissions for a new middle-grade series that feature individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada’s prairie provinces—Echoes from Our Past.
Your backdrop may be (for example) the Battle of Batoche in 1885, the formation of the Order of Sleeping Car Porters in 1817— the first Black labour union in North America—or the first major Alberta oil strike in 1947. It may be something we would prefer to turn away from, such as residential schools, Japanese internment placement, the KKK in Saskatchewan. Our shame, and how we emerge from it, is as much a part of what makes us who we are as our successes.
Yellow Dog's interest for this series is in a significant individual; the one with the first whisper, a first step, a tentative finger raised to answer a need. Your hero may be known, but Yellow Dog is also fiercely interested in the stories of the under-recognized, forgotten, ignored, perhaps marginalized.
How you tell their stories is up to you. It may be a straight-up biography, a creative recreation, or something else entirely. This series will not follow a standard format but will celebrate and encourage the artistry and style of the writer. The common thread is truth—history, and (most important) your subject. Sing their stories to life in that energetic/mysterious/humorous way you do to capture the interest of middle-grade readers.
Yellow Dog is eager to hear from both experienced and emerging writers. Your cover letter should include: your subject and their contribution to a moment in Canadian Prairies history; how this historical moment has impacted our Prairie/Canadian identity; what draws you to this story, and why you are the best person to tell it. Share your plan—how the story will unfold. Include a sample chapter.
Submissions may be sent to info@greatplainspress.ca ATTN Anita Daher. All will be acknowledged. Authors should be prepared to submit a full manuscript on request.