The Lucky Penny Program

The Lucky Penny ProgramThe Lucky Penny ProgramThe Lucky Penny Program

The Lucky Penny Program

The Lucky Penny ProgramThe Lucky Penny ProgramThe Lucky Penny Program
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See a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing path

See a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing pathSee a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing pathSee a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing path

See a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing path

See a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing pathSee a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing pathSee a penny, pick it up… A traditional publishing path

The Ultimate KidLit Mentorship Experience

The Lucky Penny Program is an invitation-only, high-touch mentorship designed for children’s book creators whose manuscripts demonstrate strong publishing potential but require expert guidance to reach a fully publishable level. 

This exclusive program provides individualized development, professional editing, and a traditional publishing contract with The Little Press, an award-winning independent children’s book publisher based in New Jersey.  The Little Press publishes multiple acclaimed titles and has earned recognition from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Foreword Reviews, and Midwest Book Review. Authors selected for the Lucky Penny Program receive a publishing contract that mirrors The Little Press’s traditional acquisition agreements and enjoy the same professional production, distribution, and marketing support as all titles on the publisher’s list.

About The Lucky Penny Program

What the Lucky Penny Program Includes

What the Lucky Penny Program Includes

What the Lucky Penny Program Includes

  Participants receive a comprehensive, start-to-finish traditional publishing experience, including:

  • 1:1 manuscript coaching and development
  • Professional editing (developmental and line-level as needed)
  • Professional illustration
  • Book design and production
  • Hardcover print edition and eBook edition
  • Trim size determined collaboratively and based 

  Participants receive a comprehensive, start-to-finish traditional publishing experience, including:

  • 1:1 manuscript coaching and development
  • Professional editing (developmental and line-level as needed)
  • Professional illustration
  • Book design and production
  • Hardcover print edition and eBook edition
  • Trim size determined collaboratively and based on the needs of the story
  • High-quality professional printing
  • Traditional distribution through Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
  • Full marketing and promotional support from The Little Press staff
  • 40 author copies
  • Enhanced royalty rate: 50% of net receipts

    Lucky Penny Program authors become part of The Little Press family, benefiting from the same credibility, industry access, and long-term support afforded to traditionally acquired authors.

Investment

What the Lucky Penny Program Includes

What the Lucky Penny Program Includes

$5,800 total program cost, which includes:

  • One-on-one manuscript development and coaching
  • Professional editing
  • Negotiation and contracting of a professional illustrator 
  • Full art direction and illustration design oversight by The Little Press
  • Illustration, book design, and production
  • Hardcover and eBook formats
  • Professional printing of a minimum

$5,800 total program cost, which includes:

  • One-on-one manuscript development and coaching
  • Professional editing
  • Negotiation and contracting of a professional illustrator 
  • Full art direction and illustration design oversight by The Little Press
  • Illustration, book design, and production
  • Hardcover and eBook formats
  • Professional printing of a minimum of 1,000 hardcover copies
  • Full marketing and promotional package, aligned with support provided to traditionally acquired titles
  • Ongoing marketing and promotional guidance from The Little Press team
  • Full traditional distribution


There are no additional production, illustration, or publishing fees beyond this cost.

Program Timeline (24- 36 Months to Publication)

Program Timeline (24- 36 Months to Publication)

Program Timeline (24- 36 Months to Publication)

The Lucky Penny Program follows an industry-standard timeline that prioritizes quality, collaboration, and market readiness:

(Below based upon 24 month timeline)

Months 1–6

  • Intensive manuscript development
  • Editorial coaching and revision
  • Illustrator search and selection

Months 6–18

  • Illustrator contracted
  • Full illustration process 

Months 18–20

  • Fina

The Lucky Penny Program follows an industry-standard timeline that prioritizes quality, collaboration, and market readiness:

(Below based upon 24 month timeline)

Months 1–6

  • Intensive manuscript development
  • Editorial coaching and revision
  • Illustrator search and selection

Months 6–18

  • Illustrator contracted
  • Full illustration process 

Months 18–20

  • Final editorial review
  • Book design and layout
  • Full metadata development (BISAC codes, keywords, comparable titles, pricing, and market positioning)
  • Sales discussion and pitch preparation with the distribution sales team
  • Pre-release marketing strategy development

Months 20–24

  • Advance marketing and promotion
  • Distribution setup and catalog placement
  • Official hardcover and eBook release at Month 24

The Outcome

Program Timeline (24- 36 Months to Publication)

Program Timeline (24- 36 Months to Publication)

 At the conclusion of this two-year mentorship, participants emerge as traditionally published authors with a professionally edited, illustrated, designed, printed, marketed, and distributed children’s book in both hardcover and eBook formats. The Lucky Penny Program is more than mentorship—it is a guided, transparent path into profession

 At the conclusion of this two-year mentorship, participants emerge as traditionally published authors with a professionally edited, illustrated, designed, printed, marketed, and distributed children’s book in both hardcover and eBook formats. The Lucky Penny Program is more than mentorship—it is a guided, transparent path into professional children’s publishing, created for creators ready to invest in their work and their future.


By invitation only. Limited placements available.

How Manuscripts Are Invited into the Program

The Lucky Penny Program is by Invitation -Only

Manuscripts considered for the program are selected from work already submitted to The Little Press through our established submission and pitch channels. Each year, The Little Press participates in a number of curated submission opportunities and industry events, including:

  • Girl Power Hour Conference (held annually on October 11)
  • JollyCon (held annually in December)
  • Additional submission calls, pitch opportunities, and conference-based initiatives throughout the year

Through these channels, we receive a high volume of manuscripts. From this pool, we may invite select creators into the Lucky Penny Program when a manuscript demonstrates clear publishing potential but would benefit from additional development prior to publication.

At this time, the Lucky Penny Program is not accepting open submissions. This does not preclude the possibility of open submissions in the future; rather, our current approach allows us to thoughtfully curate invitations from manuscripts already under review.

Disclaimer: Participation in any submission event, pitch opportunity, or review process does not guarantee an invitation to the Lucky Penny Program or a publishing contract, and all invitations are extended solely at the discretion of The Little Press.

Why We Offer the Lucky Penny Program

At The Little Press, we are deeply committed to discovering and nurturing new talent and new voices in children’s literature. As an independent publisher, we work intentionally and thoughtfully to bring as many worthy stories to market as possible—but like many small presses, our financial and production resources are finite.

Picture books, in particular, are among the most resource-intensive formats to publish. Beyond the creative investment, they require significant financial commitment for professional illustration, design, and offset printing, as well as a substantial time investment over multiple years. Because of these realities, we often encounter manuscripts that truly deserve to be published but that we are unable to acquire through our traditional list alone.


The Lucky Penny Program allows us to bridge that gap.

This program enables The Little Press to offer its professional expertise, editorial guidance, production oversight, and distribution infrastructure to exceptional manuscripts that may not fit within our traditional financial capacity—while still maintaining the quality, standards, and integrity of a traditional publishing experience.


Through the Lucky Penny Program, we can:

  • Support more creators with strong, publishable work
     
  • Bring deserving stories to readers that might otherwise remain unpublished
     
  • Maintain professional publishing standards without compromising our core list
     

The Lucky Penny Program is mission-driven, selective, and intentionally limited. It exists to expand opportunity, not shortcuts—providing a thoughtful, transparent path to publication for creators who are ready to invest in their work and partner closely with a professional publishing team.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Little Press is dedicated to discovering and supporting new talent and new voices in children’s literature. As a small, independent publisher, we work hard to bring as many deserving stories to market as possible—but our financial and production resources are limited.

Picture books, in particular, require significant investment in illustration, design, and offset printing, as well as a multi-year production timeline. We regularly encounter manuscripts with strong publishing potential that we simply do not have the capacity to acquire through our traditional list alone.

The Lucky Penny Program allows us to extend our editorial expertise, production oversight, and distribution infrastructure to these exceptional projects while maintaining professional publishing standards.

Yes—with an important distinction.

Authors in the Lucky Penny Program receive a traditional publishing contract that mirrors the terms offered to traditionally acquired titles at The Little Press, including professional production, traditional distribution through IPG, and marketing support.

The difference is that authors participating in the Lucky Penny Program invest in the production of their book, allowing The Little Press to take on projects we otherwise could not due to financial constraints.

The Lucky Penny Program is invitation-only and highly selective. Manuscripts are chosen because they demonstrate clear commercial and artistic publishing potential, not because an author is willing to pay.

Unlike vanity models:

  • Authors do not choose vendors or manage production
  • All editing, illustration, design, printing, distribution, and marketing are publisher-led
  • Books are published under The Little Press imprint
  • Titles are distributed traditionally and supported alongside the publisher’s core list. 

The program exists to expand opportunity—not to bypass professional publishing standards.

Picture books are the most expensive children’s format to produce. They require:

  • Professional illustration
     
  • Extensive art direction and design
     
  • High-quality offset printing
     
  • Long production timelines
     

For small presses, this limits the number of picture books that can be acquired each year, regardless of manuscript quality. The Lucky Penny Program helps offset these constraints while preserving quality and care.

The program is designed for creators who:

  • Have a manuscript with strong publishing potential
  • Are open to professional editorial development
  • Understand the realities of small-press publishing
  • Are ready to invest in their work and partner closely with a publishing team

Participation is by invitation only.

No. Lucky Penny titles receive the same level of professional care, production standards, distribution, and marketing support as all other books published by The Little Press.

The Lucky Penny Program is designed to remain high-touch and mission-driven. Limiting participation ensures that each project receives the time, attention, and resources necessary to meet professional publishing standards and succeed in the marketplace.

The Lucky Penny Program is invitation-only and is not currently open for direct submissions. Manuscripts considered for the program are selected from work previously submitted to The Little Press through our conference-based submission opportunities and other special events held throughout the year.

Invitations are extended only when we believe a manuscript is a strong fit for the Lucky Penny Program and complements our existing publishing list. Participation in any submission event does not guarantee an invitation or a publishing offer.

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