Children’s Book Agent (Volunteer)

Description

Children’s Book Agent (Volunteer)

PromisePress | Editorial & Publishing Office

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Type: Volunteer

About Mentor A Promise & PromisePress

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a NYC-based nonprofit serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression.

PromisePress is MAP’s publishing and narrative division, dedicated to developing, producing, and amplifying children’s books that are trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and rooted in dignity. Our books aim to reflect children’s lived realities while opening doors to imagination, safety, and hope.

Role Overview

The Children’s Book Agent supports PromisePress by helping position MAP-developed children’s books and authors for broader visibility, partnerships, and distribution. This role focuses on identifying appropriate publishing opportunities, advising on market positioning, and supporting outreach to publishers, distributors, and strategic partners.

This is not a traditional commercial agent role. It is a mission-driven, advisory and advocacy position centered on ethical representation, child-centered storytelling, and alignment with MAP’s values.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise on market positioning for MAP children’s book projects
• Identify appropriate publishers, imprints, distributors, and submission opportunities
• Support outreach strategies to publishing partners and industry stakeholders
• Provide guidance on submission materials, pitches, and proposals
• Advocate for ethical, trauma-informed representation of MAP authors and stories
• Track submissions, responses, and partnership conversations
• Collaborate with the Editor-in-Chief, Children’s Books Lead, and Acquisitions Editor
• Ensure all representation aligns with MAP’s mission, consent standards, and child-safety commitments

Qualifications

• Experience in children’s publishing, literary representation, or publishing acquisitions
• Strong understanding of the children’s book market (picture books, early readers, and/or middle grade)
• Ability to assess both creative quality and market fit
• Strong written communication and relationship-building skills
• Alignment with MAP’s mission and dignity-centered publishing values

Preferred Skills

• Experience as a literary agent, editor, or publishing consultant
• Familiarity with submission processes and publishing contracts
• Experience working with mission-driven or nonprofit publishing projects
• Commitment to inclusive, culturally responsive storytelling

Commitment

• Volunteer role
• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred
• Fully remote with optional NYC-based collaboration

What You’ll Gain

• Meaningful experience representing mission-driven children’s literature
• Collaboration with editorial, creative, and education teams
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The opportunity to help ethically place stories that center children’s dignity and lived experience

How to Apply

Interested candidates must apply directly through Idealist and submit:

• Resume (required)
• Cover letter (required) describing relevant publishing or agent experience and interest in MAP’s mission

Help bring children’s stories rooted in care, truth, and imagination into the world—ethically and responsibly.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.