FAQs
WHAT WE DO
Answer:Woodbine House is a publisher specializing in books about children with special needs. Our titles within the Special-Needs Collection cover AD/HD, autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, early intervention, inclusion, special education, communication skills, and more. Since 1985 we've prided ourselves on publishing books of the highest quality and best value for parents, children, therapists, health care providers, and teachers. Read About Us for more information.
Answer: We will try to answer any question you might have, even if we do not publish a book that addresses your question. We can direct you to many sources of information—our books, authors, and disability organizations—that can best answer your questions.
- To find a book on our site on a particular subject, either enter a keyword in the search box, or click on the subject categories listed in the header—Down Syndrome, Autism, ADD & ADHD, Children's Books—which comprise the majority of our titles.
- To contact an author, email us your request by clicking on Contact in the header or footer.
- To see a list of hyperlinked disability organizations and author websites, click on Resource Links.
WHO WE SELL TO and DISCOUNTS
Answer: Yes. Individuals may prepay by credit card for online, phone, and fax orders, and by credit card or check for mail orders. See the Shipping and Handling section below to calculate that expense.
We offer periodic online sales and discounts for new and forthcoming books, for special promotions during particular disability awareness months, and other promotions of our choosing. The best way to stay abreast of our online specials is to subscribe via the Sign up for our email list section on the homepage.
Answer: We sell to libraries, support organizations, schools, hospitals, and other nonprofits. Although these groups may order online using a credit card, it's possible that the order total may need to be recalculated due to our bulk quantity discount available to nonprofits or the shipping and handling calculation which is based on the shipment's weight and destination (see Shipping and Handling sections). If a recalculation is necessary, we will notify you. These groups may also order via phone and fax with a credit card, and by mail with a credit card or check.
In addition, we accept purchase orders for phone, fax, and mail orders. Those are billed at 30 days net.
We apply the following Bulk Quantity Discounts for qualifying non profits (note: this discount does not combine with any online sale):
5-19 books=20% off; 20-49 books=30%; 50-99 books=40% off; 100+=42%
Answer: We sell to resellers such as bookstores, school supply dealers, catalogers, and wholesalers. Call 800-843-7323 for discounts and terms. We ship FOB, Brentwood, Maryland.
CONFERENCE ORDERS
Answer: It's easy to have our books available to sell at your conference! For no cost up front, we'll send your organization the books you want; after your conference, return the unsold stock to us, and we'll finalize the transaction. Please contact our office at 800-843-7323 to discuss arrangements.
BACKORDERS
Answer: You can place a backorder for any item not yet published or one which is currently out of stock. Just add the item to your cart. Your order total at the checkout screen will include a charge for the title, but we will not charge your credit card until we actually ship the book to you. Once we've receive the item at our warehouse, we'll send out your backorder within a 48-hour period.
Note: There is a Shipping & Handling Surcharge for backordered titles when the order is a mix of in-stock and forthcoming titles. The surcharge also applies to orders that include out-of-stock titles (more than 1). For more information, check the Shipping and Handling section.
FOREIGN ORDERS, DISTRIBUTION, and RIGHTS
Answer: No, but we do have foreign distributors serving customers in Canada, UK & Europe, and Australia. To order, contact:
CANADA
University of Toronto Press Guidance Centre
www.utpguidancecentre.com
UNITED KINGDOM & EUROPE
Gazelle Book Services
www.gazellebookservices.co.uk
AUSTRALIA
Silvereye Educational Publications
www.silvereye.com.au
Answer: If you're an organization or publisher outside the U.S. inquiring about the rights to one our books, contact Woodbine House at info@woodbinehouse.com or our Foreign and Subsidiary Rights agent, Writers House (www.writershouse.com, 212-685-2400).
Ebook
SECURITY and PRIVACY
Answer: All credit card transactions through Woodbinehouse.com are done through SSL encryption making scanning of credit card information very difficult to impossible. Further, the files storing credit card data are accessible only through a secure SSL connection. In addition, this data is double encrypted making theft difficult even if the system were accessed illegally. Last, we purge credit card data permanently after 15-30 days.
Feel free to use the website to look through our product selection and then place your order by mail (Woodbine House, 6510 Bells Mill Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817), fax (301-897-5838), or phone (301-897-3570; 800-843-7323). A downloadable and printable order form can be obtained by clicking on Catalog.
Answer: Absolutely not. We respect your privacy completely. No information you provide to us is rented, sold, or shared.
Occasionally, we will send you email announcements of forthcoming books, online sales, and other information that we think you'll find interesting. Of course, you'll only receive these email announcements if you've opted to do so by signing up for our mailing list when you become an online customer. If ever you'd like to unsubscribe from our email list, click on the unsubscribe link of any email we send you.
PAYMENT METHODS
Answer: Presently, for online orders we accept AMEX, MasterCard, VISA, and Discover. At this time, we do not accept purchase orders online. If you're a school, library, or bookstore wanting to order with a purchase order, please submit your order via mail (Woodbine House, 6510 Bells Mill Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817), fax (301-897-5838), or phone (301-897-3570; 800-843-7323). If you'd like a downloadable and printable order form, click Catalog. (Note: Online sale prices are available for online purchases only.)
SHIPPING and HANDLING
Answer: We usually ship orders via UPS Ground Delivery or U.S. Postal Service. We choose for you based on factors such as weight, travel distance and time, expense, and whether you've provided a street address or post office box number. If you have a preference for either type of delivery, please indicate that within the Order Notes box as you check out.
Regular Rates: All single book ground shipments for online orders incur a fixed shipping fee of $5.50 and a $1.00 handling fee. Each additional book incurs an additional $1.00.
Expedited Shipping: For expedited shipping options and rates, please call us at 800-843-7323 or email us at info@woodbinehouse.com.
Shipping & Handling Surcharge: For orders that include both in-stock and backordered books (out-of-stock or forthcoming titles), in-stock books will ship immediately and you will only be charged S&H for books included in that shipment. Backordered titles will be billed and shipped as soon as available and will include a S&H surcharge of $3 per shipment. Note: the surcharge does not apply when the order consists of just one out-of-stock or forthcoming title.
RETURNS
Answer: We do not want you to keep a Woodbine House book that does not meet your needs. Woodbine House will gladly give you a refund or credit for the purchase price at anytime. We only ask that books returned to us be in saleable condition and you enclose a copy of the invoice or reference your invoice number. Mail book returns to: Woodbine House, c/o IFC, 3570 Bladensburg Road, Brentwood, MD 20722.
CATALOGS
Answer: We're happy to mail you a print catalog or send you a bulk quantity for distribution to your organization. To order a single copy or multiple copies of the catalog, click on Contact in the header or footer to email us your request.
We also offer a downloadable version of our print catalog. Click on Catalog on the homepage. Note: our catalog contains only a partial selection of our book collection; the entire collection is presented on this website.
SUBMISSIONS
Answer: Woodbine House accepts submissions from published, unpublished, agented, or unagented authors written for and about children with particular developmental disabilities. Our books are primarily for a parent audience. Read the Submission Guidelines below for more information.
General Book Submission Guidelines
Woodbine House specializes in books about developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism. We are especially receptive to books that are written expressly for parents or other family members of children with disabilities. We also consider books written for individuals with disabilities, professionals, or a general audience. (For books for children, see Children's Book Submission Guidelines below.)
You need not be previously published or have an agent to submit a book proposal. However, it is essential that you have hands-on experience with one or more children with disabilities and that your book reflect that experience.
Our current needs include the following:
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- parents’ guides to raising children with specific disabilities
- books focused on specific issues related to a given disability (e.g., communication skills)
- practical guides on topics that concern parents or teachers of children with disabilities in general (e.g., special education, sibling issues)
- books for children and adults with disabilities, written at an appropriate reading level
- reference books on disability-related topics
- memoirs written in a literary vein about living with a disability or about parenting or teaching a child with a disability
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To submit a proposal, please send as many of these elements as possible:
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- the table of contents
- 2–3 sample chapters
- a list of books in print on the subject, explaining how your book differs from the competition
- a list of potential markets, including specific organizations and groups of individuals that might buy your book
- a vita or biographical note describing your qualifications to write this book
- samples of previously published or unpublished writing, if desired
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Manuscripts should be typed and printed out without a watermark (e.g., “draft” or “do not copy”). Manuscripts with watermarks will not be read. Please let us know if you are making a simultaneous submission.
Address submissions to:
Acquisitions Editor
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd.
Bethesda, MD 20817
If you wish to have your proposal returned, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough to accommodate the manuscript. Otherwise, enclose a stamped #10 envelope or email address for a reply. Allow 12 weeks for a response. Please note that calling to check on the progress of your manuscript will not speed up the response time.
Children's Book Submission Guidelines
The only children's books we publish are books for or about children and teens with disabilities.
Our current needs include the following:
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- Picture books or board books for or about young children with developmental or intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, etc.)
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- Books about children with developmental or intellectual disabilities for siblings or peers
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- Hi-lo (high interest, low reading level) books on topics that interest older children, teens, and young adults with disabilities
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Some Woodbine House Preferences:
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- We are unlikely to publish books in which talking animals or inanimate objects play the roles of children with disabilities.
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- We do not publish books that are written solely to impart a message about people with disabilities to people without disabilities. Examples of these messages include: “People with disabilities have feelings too”; “Everybody is different, and that's OK!”; “People with disabilities make good friends."
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- We prefer stories with narrative drive or plot (conflict/resolution) rather than “what it's like to have” or “a day in the life” type stories.
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- We frequently receive manuscripts that were written to help siblings or classmates understand the differences or experiences of a particular child with disabilities. We are unlikely to publish a book of this nature unless it addresses universal concerns in a way that will be useful or informative for many children and their families.
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- We do not publish books expressing a religious viewpoint.
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- Given the cost of illustrations, we are less likely to accept books that require elaborate, full-color illustrations and more likely to accept submissions that need only simple line drawings or photographs (or no art at all). However, if you are an accomplished illustrator and can illustrate your own book, we will certainly consider your artwork along with your text.
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We publish very few children's books. A book has to really captivate everyone on our staff for us to publish it. Do not take it personally if we reject your manuscript. Perhaps it will appeal to another publishing company with different needs and preferences.
To submit a children's book, please send the entire text. If your manuscript includes illustrations, please send a few representative originals or color photocopies. No submissions will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage for the return of materials.
Address submissions to:
Acquisitions Editor
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd.
Bethesda, MD 20817
COMMENTS and SUGGESTIONS
Answer: To send us your comments about a particular book or to offer a suggestion, click on Contact in the header or footer.
If you'd like to offer a review of one of our books, please click on the Review tab while on a particular book's page.