Want to see your book on our shelves?
We love discovering beautiful, meaningful stories for kids—and we’re always excited to hear about new books from creators and small publishers.
That said, we’re a tiny but mighty team, and we mainly stock titles through traditional distributors and publishing partners.
We know publishing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and there are more ways than ever to get books into the world. If you’ve self-published or gone a nontraditional route, we’re still open to hearing from you! But before you reach out, please read the full guidelines below.
We’re only able to review submissions that meet all the requirements.
Books must meet the following criteria:
A visible spine with title and author name
Your book must be professionally bound with a spine that clearly shows the title and author. If readers can’t find your book on our shelves, we can’t help them discover it!
A unique ISBN and scannable barcode
Your book needs a 13-digit ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and barcode so we can track inventory and reorder when it flies off the shelves.
For young readers
We’re a children’s bookstore, so we only carry books written for kids/young people and their grown-ups to enjoy together. We do not accept adult book submissions.
We do not accept books that are:
Published through Amazon
This includes books made using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or CreateSpace. If you’re self-publishing, we recommend a platform like IngramSpark that supports indie bookstores.
Pitched in person or mailed to the shop
We can’t review drop-ins or surprise packages. Any books mailed or left at the shop without our request will be treated as donations.
Created using AI-generated content
We believe in human-made stories, words, and illustrations. We do not accept books that use AI-generated text or artwork.
Ready to submit your book for stocking consideration?
Please fill out the form below and tell us more about your book. We do our best to review every submission, but due to the number of inquiries we receive, we’re only able to respond if we choose to move forward. If you haven’t heard from us within a month, you can assume we’ve passed.
If you’ve confirmed your book meets all the above guidelines, please fill out this form to submit your book for consideration.
Want to connect with readers? Let’s host a reading together!
Even if your book doesn’t meet the requirements for our shelves, we love celebrating local authors and small publishers through events. If you’d like to host a reading or story time in our space, we’d be happy to talk! Authors who organize an event are welcome to set up a table to sell their books directly during the event.
It’s a wonderful way to share your story with our community—and get your book into kids’ hands. Email us at hello@bluebirdplay.com for event inquiries.
Thanks so much for thinking of Bluebird Play! We’re honored you’d like to see your book in our store—or in the hands of our little readers at an event. 💙