Call for Submissions: Esther 2025 (Vibal Publishing)

Esther, Vibal’s new imprint on children and youth literature, is calling for manuscript

submissions for its 2025 slate. Focusing on empowering stories for young readers, we are interested in original unpublished manuscripts that reflect Filipino traditional and contemporary cultures, represent impactful narratives that respond to social and political struggles that the youth face, and respond to the appeal in national and international markets.

For this call, we are specifically interested in the following themes:

Regional languages: stories that are written in regional languages by members of the community being represented (with accompanying translations in English or Filipino)

Disability: stories that portray social realities experienced by people with disability towards empowering them and making the world understand their struggles and power

Sustainable development goals (SDGs): stories that help children understand the SDGs set by the United Nations, as well as stories that situate these SDGs to the everyday experiences and struggle of the Filipino child (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)

Vibrant Philippine cultures and traditions: stories that showcase underrepresented cultures, traditions, trade, livelihood, art, and traditional and contemporary experiences that reflect the Filipino way of life

Social and political issues: stories that reflect how children and young adult make sense of the social and political realities happening around them

Manuscript Submission Guidelines:

1. Works can be written in English, Filipino, and other regional and indigenous languages. For works written in languages other than English or Filipino, there should be an accompanying translation in English or Filipino.

2. Works can be written for the following reading groups:

a. Wordless picture books (WL)- 14 spreads with full illustrations. Include a 50–100-word synopsis. (This is the only category that requires complete illustrations.)

b. Early-grade picture book (EG)- 100–500 words (with visual narrative/illustrator guide as needed)

c. Picture book for Intermediate Readers (IR)- 1000–1500 words

d. Poetry for Children (PC)- a suite of 10–12 poems

e. Middle-grade chapter books (MG)- 5,000–15,000

 

f. Youth literature (YL)- Books target 12–18 year-old readers. It can be an anthology of short stories, a novellas, or a full-length novel. Must be 15,000 words and up.

3. Works representing specific cultures and experiences should be well-researched, written responsibly, and mindful of representations. Please declare in your submission if the work has been consulted with the community or if you need our help in doing so.

4. Works should be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .pdf files. The submission should contain a title and a one-page synopsis, followed by the actual manuscript. After the manuscript, provide a short bionote. Ensure that your manuscript is proofread before submitting your work.

5. In submitting works, please compose a short cover letter (as a separate document or in the body of the email), explaining your inspirations, processes, and other considerations in writing the work.

6. Send your submission to rpelaez@vibalgroup.com with the subject “Submission_[Reading Group Code]_[Theme]_[Title].” For example, “Submission_EG_SDGs_[Title]”

7. Please note that, for this specific call, we are prioritizing the themes mentioned. A separate open call for other themes will be announced in the future. You may submit more than one submission.

8. Deadline for submission is on June 9, 2025.

At Esther, we aim to value partnership with creators, responsible portrayals and representations, and high-quality work. As we start a new era in children and youth literary production, we shall champion collaborative engagement with our prospective partners. If you have what it takes, come publish with us. This imprint is separate from Vibal’s Chikiting Books.

For more details, you may reach out to rspelaez@vibalgroup.com or get in touch with the imprint's editor-at-large, Cheeno Marlo Sayuno, at cheenosayuno@gmail.com.

With Esther, we make empowering stories shine!

 

Editor-at-large

Cheeno Marlo M. Sayuno, PhD, is a children’s book creator and scholar in children’s literature and communication. He is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an Associate Professor (on leave) at UP Los Baños. He holds degrees in Mass Communication (Cavite State University), Communication Arts (UP Los Baños), and Communication (PhD, UP Diliman).

Dr. Sayuno has received awards from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards,

PBBY-Salanga Prize, Normal Awards for Gender-Inclusive Literature, and the National Book Award for co-editing Bata, Hiwaga, Bansa. He has published books with major Philippine publishers and authored research in communication and media.

He serves as Assistant Secretary of the Philippine Association for Communication and Media Researchers, Treasurer of Supling Sining, and is a member of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature. His forthcoming book on children’s transmedia engagement will be published by Palgrave Macmillan.

As editor-at-large of Esther, he continues to champion children’s and YA empowerment through literature and media, both in the Philippines and beyond.

For other concerns, feel free to reach out to rspelaez@vibalgroup.com or get in touch with the imprint's editor-at-large, Cheeno Marlo Sayuno, at cheenosayuno@gmail.com.