Publisher Profile: The Little Press
The CBC asks Michele McAvoy, Founder & Publisher, questions about the publisher.
How did your publishing house start out?
The Little Press started in 2016 as the business through which I self-published my first book, My Superhero Grandpa. This was my beginning in the kidlit industry as a whole. From there, I studied the art and business of children’s literature. In 2020, after being traditionally published myself and learning the ins and outs of the industry, during a global pandemic, I decided to take the leap and open The Little Press as a traditional publisher. As a writer, attorney, and educator, a children’s publishing company is my perfect brain baby (and my happy place).
What is your publishing house most known for?
Our mission is to bring new talent and new voices to the kidlit industry. I got my big break through small independent presses, which allowed me to attend book events with my colleagues from the Big Five. To children, a good book is a good book. They don’t look for the logo on the spine. With The Little Press, I want to be able to give the gift of publication to debut and early career creatives. I guarantee you, the creatives we have will go on to have big careers in the industry.
Where in the country is your house based? What do you love about being based there?
We are located in New Jersey, right outside of NYC (you can see the city from my town). We are the only independent traditional children’s publisher in New Jersey, that I know of. There were a few, but they have either stopped publishing new books or closed their doors completely. I was born and raised in New Jersey (yes, I say “cawfee”), so I have pride in my state.
What conventions and conferences does your publishing house usually attend?
We attend a variety of conferences throughout the year, either in person or through proxy with our distributor, editors, or creatives. In the past, we have attended ALA, NCTE, Children’s Institute, as well as regional ABA conferences like NEIBA. We are always assessing opportunities each year and look forward to introducing booksellers, librarians, educators, and caregivers to our beautiful books.
How many employees does your house have?
There is 1 full-time employee, and that’s me! The rest of our team are freelance, part-time employees, and I couldn’t do all the things that we do without them. There comes a time in a small business when delegation is key, and I’m so happy to be in a place of growth where we can bring in talented and passionate people. Everyone on our team loves children’s literature!
How many books does your house aim to publish per season/year?
Per year, we publish 4-5 books.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
We publish Picture Books through Young Adult.
What are some of your house’s publishing priorities over the next few years?
We have a packed schedule for the next few years. Being that we only publish 4-5 titles a year, and I have a hard time turning down great stories, we have a lot going on. That said, we are really excited about growing our digital offerings. Our new distribution with IPG (started March 1st) comes with expansive digital distribution through Bookwire. All of our titles release in eBook format. We also partnered with Robin Reed Voice Over in California to produce audio books for some of our titles. Additionally, we recently signed a distribution partnership with Overdrive which services digital books for libraries. We are really excited about the growth of our digital market and hope to take more advantage of this market share.
Which title has your house recently rallied behind?
We rally behind all of our titles; that’s a big part of our mission. Everyone gets attention. But a book that sold fantastically well for us last year was Broommates. Broommates is about two sister witches who are opposites but are forced to share a room and a broom. Chaos ensues, and in the end, they have to figure out the magic of compromise. It’s written in fantastic rhyme by Lynne Marie and Brenda Reeves Sturgis and is the illustration debut of Nico Ecenarro. We are going into our 3rd printing, so there will be plenty of copies for the fall 2025 season! (Order now!)
Which title does your house feel deserved more love than it got?
SKRUM, written and illustrated by Bernard Gumz (debut), is hysterical and the art is fabulous. The creator of Paw Patrol and Bob the Builder, Keith Chapman, said that “SKRUM is going to be a MONSTER hit with kids!” (Can you believe we got a blurb from Mr. Chapman! And, yes, it’s on the front cover.) SKRUM is about old man, Sir Barnabus Wellington Hayes, who is running from a SKRUM (a big purple monster) for 300 days. Throughout the book, Barnabus runs for his life to find out that perhaps the SKRUM doesn’t want to harm him after all. It’s a story about facing your problems head-on, wrapped up in an 80’s cartoon-inspired picture book. It’s an 80-page picture book at $18.99, with a beautifully embossed cover, which is a steal! With debut authors, it’s often more difficult to get the word out about their amazing work and I think that SKRUM deserves a lot more love!
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
We are buzzing about Birthday Bash! which releases in September. It’s about Kiko the mouse who lives on a houseboat and is disturbed by a buzzing bug getting in the way of his birthday party preparations. In an attempt to smash the bug, Kiko ends up smashing holes in his houseboat. It’s a humorous story about managing big emotions. This book is a must as a birthday party gift.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library?
Dark Skies by Lindsey Hobson and illustrated by Makenzie McCarthy (her debut) is about light pollution and Dark Sky Parks layered with intergenerational relationships (a girl and her grandpa). This book was published in collaboration with One Little Earth, an environmental non-profit connecting kids to nature. Dark Skies is a perfect story to help kids become environmental stewards. It would be especially poignant during Earth Day and other environmental awareness days. Dark Skies releases in October and pre-orders are up on Bookshop!
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a classroom? Which grade?
Hank’s Change of Heart written by Cindy Williams Schrauben and illustrated by Sasha Richards (her U.S. debut) is great for classrooms during National Kindness Month (November) and Random Acts of Kindness Week (February), and is relevant year-long to teach kindness. Hank loves hearts and collects anything that is shaped like a heart. But hoarding hearts isn’t what it’s really about. Hank learns to share his obsession, which means so much more than keeping it all for himself. Hank’s Change of Heart‘s sweet spot would be in 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. This title releases in November, in advance of World Kindness Day on November 13th.
Which of your frontlist tiles would you like to see get more attention from bookstores?
Good Luck, Puck!, written by Donna Marx and illustrated by Daniel Sulzberg (debut), is a title that should be flying off of the shelves! (pun intended). We love this story on the heels of the Winter Olympics in 2026. Puck is frustrated, doing all of the work while his team gets all of the credit. So, Puck decides to leave the hockey team and try his hand at other sports where he can bask in the limelight. Good Luck, Puck! takes kids on a journey through the various winter sports and, in the end, celebrates being a team player. There’s no book out there like it!
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
Moonsong, written and illustrated by Denise Gallagher, is a lyrical story about a girl who befriends a tiger. It’s about connecting with nature and with each other. The artwork is magical and the cover is adorned with sparkles; it’s a piece of art.
Cabby Potts, Duchess of Dirt written by Kathleen Wilford (debut) is a historical fiction middle-grade novel set in 1870s Kansas. Cabby Potts was named to the Kansas Notable Book List and Kirkus called it “a rousing read.” This book is fantastic for American history, as I learned more about homesteading than I ever knew. Cabby Potts, Duchess of Dirt, has humor, heart, and a dash of romance.
Emet’s Box, written and illustrated by Jeni Chen (her debut), is about young Emet who loses color in his life when he decides to stop doing what he loves (making art) to focus on more important things. This was Jeni’s debut and allowed her to become more involved in her art community. Unfortunately, we lost Jeni to cancer, and I hope that we can continue to get Emet’s Box in the hands of young readers as a lasting legacy of Jeni’s beautiful artwork.
What else would you like to tell us about your house and the amazing work you all do?
I want to say that I am honored and thankful for this interview and for the opportunity to showcase the work that we do at The Little Press. Bringing new talent and new voices to children’s literature is important for everyone. For the children who get to immerse themselves in their stories and the creatives themselves, who get to break into a business rife with rejection, closed doors, and strict gatekeepers. Publishing isn’t for the faint of heart, with tiny margins and big competitors, but it’s important work. If everyone could make supporting indie publishing a “thing” by buying just one book a month from an indie press, it would make a HUGE difference, not just for our bottom lines but for the lives of our creatives and the kiddos who need their stories.
Thank you, The Little Press!
