Children’s Book Agent; Volunteer

Promise Press | Editorial & Publishing Office

Children’s Book Agent (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Volunteer

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. Promise Press 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.

The Children’s Book Agent supports Promise Press 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

• 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

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.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please email us directly at hr
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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.