More Than Books: A Space for New Stories
This project was born from Sophie and Denise’s dream of creating something bigger than just an online bookshop.
We believe that many children and young people have incredible stories to tell, ideas that deserve to come to life, and a creativity that, when given support and opportunity, can inspire others. Sometimes, all it takes is a little encouragement and an environment where their stories can be heard.
That is why we have created a space to discover and celebrate new authors, giving visibility to stories created by children and young people, while encouraging the joy of reading, writing and creating.
A story can begin with an experience, a feeling, a question, a dream or a discovery. It can start with a few words, a character, an image, or simply the desire to tell a story that has not yet been told.
We want to show that you do not have to wait until you are older to start writing. Every great story begins somewhere — and, very often, it begins with a child or young person who simply believes they have something to say.
Here, every story matters. Every voice deserves to be heard. And we want every child and young person to discover the power of their own words.
Have a story to tell? Send us your book and become part of our community.
Before submitting your manuscript, please read our Frequently Asked Questions and Policies to learn about the participation guidelines and understand how the submission process works.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
We created Sophie Books & Co. to celebrate the voices and creativity of children and young people. These guidelines explain how manuscript submissions work and what we look for.
1. Submitting a Manuscript
We accept manuscripts from authors aged between 6 and 19.
Manuscripts may be written in Portuguese or English.
If the author is under 18, the manuscript must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian on the author’s behalf. Authors aged 18 or 19 may submit their manuscripts themselves.
We welcome picture books, short stories and books for young readers, as well as other types of children’s and young people’s literature.
2. Authorship and Copyright
The person submitting a manuscript must be the author or have the necessary permission to submit it.
By submitting a manuscript, you do not transfer your copyright or ownership of the work to Sophie Books & Co.
You must have the necessary rights or permissions for any text, images, illustrations or other material included in the submission.
3. Content We Cannot Accept
To help keep our community safe and appropriate for young readers, we cannot accept works that contain, promote or provide instructions for:
• explicit sexual content or pornography;
• sexual exploitation or sexualisation of children or young people;
• serious violence or dangerous acts;
• illegal activities;
• hate speech or discrimination against individuals or groups;
• criminal organisations or activities;
• the manufacture of weapons, explosives or other means of causing harm;
• illegal drug use;
• suicide or self-harm;
• sexual abuse or exploitation; or
• other content that could put readers at risk or conflict with our community guidelines.
We may also decline a manuscript if its content is not appropriate for its intended age group.
4. Privacy and Personal Information
Please do not include unnecessary personal information in the manuscript or submission.
Where the author is under 18, the submission must be made by a parent or legal guardian.
Personal information provided through the submission process will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
5. Age Range and Content
When submitting your manuscript, please indicate the age group you believe your book is most suitable for.
Our team will also consider the intended age range when reviewing the manuscript. The recommended age range may be different from the one suggested by the author.
6. Editorial Review
Every manuscript will be read carefully by our team.
We may consider:
- the quality and originality of the writing;
- the story, ideas and characters;
- suitability for the intended age group;
- the overall presentation of the manuscript; and
- whether the work could be a good fit for Sophie Books & Co.
Submitting a manuscript does not guarantee that it will be included in Sophie Books & Co.
Policy - todas as políticas em Inglês.pdf
7. Response to Your Submission
We aim to respond to every submission by email within 10 working days.
If the manuscript is ready to move forward and meets our guidelines, we will contact the author or, where applicable, the parent or legal guardian to discuss the next steps.
If a manuscript needs further development before we can consider including it in Sophie Books & Co., we will explain what could be improved.
If we are unable to accept a manuscript because it does not meet our guidelines or is not suitable for inclusion, we will also provide a response.
8. Withdrawing a Submission or Included Work
You may contact us if you wish to withdraw a manuscript that is still under review.
If a work has already been included in Sophie Books & Co., you may contact us to request its removal. We may also remove a work where necessary for legal, safety or editorial reasons.
9. Rights to Your Work
Submitting a manuscript does not transfer copyright or ownership of the work to Sophie Books & Co.
Any arrangements concerning the use or inclusion of a work will be discussed separately with the author or, where applicable, their parent or legal guardian.
10. About Sophie Books & Co.
Sophie Books & Co. is a space created to encourage children and young people to read, write and share their creativity.
Our goal is to discover and celebrate new voices and, where appropriate, give their stories an opportunity to reach new readers.
We cannot guarantee that every submitted manuscript will be included.
11. Changes to These Guidelines
We may update these guidelines from time to time to reflect changes to our submission process, website or community standards.
The most recent version will always be available on the Sophie Books & Co. website.
12. Our Commitment
We want the submission process to be welcoming, respectful and encouraging.
Every story represents an idea, a voice and a creative effort. We will treat each submission with care and consideration.
Thank you for trusting us with your story.
Frequently asked questions
Who can submit a manuscript?
We created SophieBooks & Co. to celebrate young voices, so we welcome manuscript submissions from children and young writers aged [X–X] who have a story they'd love to share with the world — picture books, short stories and early chapter books are all welcome.
Because our authors are children, we ask that a parent or legal guardian submits the manuscript on the child's behalf, or reviews and approves the submission together with them.
[We currently accept submissions written in Portuguese, English, or both.]
[We're not able to consider manuscripts from adult authors at this time — SophieBooks & Co. is dedicated exclusively to publishing children's own stories.]
Every submission is read with care by our team, and we'll get back to you within 10 business days.
What happens after I submit my book?
Once you've uploaded your manuscript through our submission form, here's what happens next:
- Confirmation — you'll receive an email confirming we've received your submission.
- Review — our team reads every manuscript with care and attention, looking at the story, the age-appropriate content, and how well it fits with SophieBooks & Co.
- Response — within 10 business days, we'll get back to you by email with our feedback and decision.
If we'd love to move forward with your story, we'll reach out to the parent or guardian on file to talk through [the next steps, including editing, illustration and publishing details]. If your book isn't the right fit at this time, we'll still do our best to share thoughtful feedback — every young writer deserves encouragement.
Is there a fee to submit?
No — submitting your manuscript to SophieBooks & Co. is completely free. We'll never ask for a payment to review, consider or provide feedback on a submission.
If your story is selected for publication, we'll walk you and your parent/guardian through what's involved, including any next steps, at no cost to submit.
If you're ever contacted by someone claiming to represent SophieBooks & Co. and asking for a fee to publish or review your book, please don't send any payment — reach out to us directly at sophiebooksandco@gmail.com to confirm.
Do you accept submissions from outside the UK?
Yes! While SophieBooks & Co. is based in the UK, we welcome manuscript submissions from young writers anywhere in the world. Great stories come from everywhere, and we'd love to read yours no matter where you call home.
Submissions can be written in Portuguese or English — if your child writes in another language, feel free to include a short summary in English or Portuguese so our team can review it.
Just keep in mind that if your book is selected for publication, [shipping, formats and availability of the printed edition may vary depending on your country] — but eBooks and audiobooks are available worldwide.