Orca Book Publishers About Founded in 1984, Orca Book Publishers is an independently owned Canadian children’s book publisher of award-winning, bestselling books in a number of genres. With over 1,000 titles in print and more than 80 new titles a year, Orca prides itself on publishing Canadian authors and bringing them to a wider market. Orca publishes everything from beautifully illustrated board books and picture books to middle-grade and young-adult fiction. We strive to produce books that illuminate the experiences of people of all ethnicities, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQ+. Our goal is to provide reading material that represents the diversity of human experience to readers of all ages. Orca aims to help young readers see themselves reflected in the books they read. We are mindful of this in our selection of books and have a particular interest in publishing books that celebrate the lives of Indigenous people. Providing young people with exposure to diversity through reading creates a more compassionate world. Orca also offers five different series of high-interest, low-reading level (hi-lo) fiction for those readers facing literacy issues. The series are Orca Currents, Orca Sports, Orca Limelights, Orca Soundings and Rapid Reads. Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to Canadians. The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting 120 days, assume your submission will not be accepted. Country of Publication & Year Established Canada Established in 1984 Publication Medium Print Publication Print Publication AI Policy Unknown AI policy Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed Dates:Will be open to submissions from 01 February 2027* (approx. 138 days from now) through 28 February 2027.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Children, Middle grades, Young adults, All nationalities, Canadians.Genres: General Fantasy Open to all/most SubgenresLengths: Novelette: 14,000 - 15,000 words. Novella: 15,000 - 40,000 words. Novel: 40,000 - 50,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Humorous, Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Children/Family. Nature/Environment: Environmental issues, See guidelines. Sports/Recreation: General, See guidelines. Other: See guidelines.Payment:Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.Submissions:Method: Submission manager. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed Query first. We are looking for unique, stand-alone projects that will have broad appeal to young North American readers. Material should be appropriate for juvenile and young adult readers.Dates:Will be open to submissions from 01 February 2027* (approx. 138 days from now) through 28 February 2027.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Children, Middle grades, Young adults, All nationalities, Canadians.Lengths: Book: No specific word count limits known.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Humorous, Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Children/Family. Nature/Environment: Environmental issues, See guidelines. Sports/Recreation: General, See guidelines. Other: See guidelines.Payment:Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.Submissions:Method: Submission manager. Reprints: Unknown.Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.Media: Text. Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment. Go to publisher's website Report: Submission/Query Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Facebook FacebookInstagram @orcabook Support this Publisher: Buy Book(s) For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Orca Book Publishers Submission Statistics The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics. Filter: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Group by submission Accuracy We have received 1 report within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Pending 1 response is pending (17 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.) The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted. Most recent response reported was received on 17 Jan 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 06 Aug 2025. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 04:00 UTC (5 hours, 46 minutes ago). Work submitted here was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted here also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Before SubmittingWe cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.For book publishers, it is standard to submit a cover letter, synopsis, and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.Be professional, patient, and persistent. DatesLast Updated: 31 Aug 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only