Roseanne Baxter Frank

Hi! I’m Roseanne (she/her) and I’m thrilled to be acquisitions editor for Blue Whale Press. Full STEAM ahead!

I hold a degree in Elementary Education and an MS in Reading and Clinical Diagnosis. I spent most of my teaching time in the early childhood classroom and I adore the littles. I am a freelance editor and from that, I found that I loved working with authors to help them polish their manuscripts for publication. I am also a children’s author, so I understand all about hitting that submit button! There are amazingly talented writers & author/illustrators out there and I want to see you!

Chapter Books are a milestone for the independent reading journey, and they prepare children for longer and more developed, emotionally engaging Middle Grade stories that keep kids hooked to be life-long readers.

I’m also considering Hi-Lo books; I think all levels of readers should have great stories available. Above all, books should have an engaging narrative and elicit the visual, either for great illustrations or for the reader’s imagination.

What I’m Looking For:

I’m a bit of a nerd and I have wide interests. My wish list is hyper-specific but maybe it will spark ideas. I always think about what I would have liked to have read as a kid. So here it goes:

STEAM chapter & middle grade books & a picture book or two.

• I’d love to find a mini- Indiana Jones, archeology/paleontology series.
• A pint-sized, crime solving, mathematician as in NUMB3RS (TV show) series.
• I’m fascinated by cryptozoology & lost worlds.
• Anything astronomy/space related.
• Art theft detectives, letting art play a role in any story line.
• Stories that tackle art, art history, art theory.
• Imagination/Creativity to solve problems in a school setting.
• Time travel.

If you think it’s too weird to send to anyone, send it to me.
Please no AI in any form. We want human creativity!
You can also learn more about me at rbfrank.com!

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to bit.ly/QueryManagerRoseanne

At this time, I am open to submissions at certain times of the year, so keep an eye on Blue Whale’s social media where it will be announced. Check out our website for detailed information about our Wish List and how to submit.

Submissions should be sent through QueryManager only. Email submissions will not be read.

Make sure your manuscript is proofread for errors. It would be well advised for your story to have gone through revisions with feedback and critique from fellow authors or editors in the children’s writing field.

Please adhere to these Word Count guidelines.

Chapter Books (ages 6-9) – 5,000 – 10,000
Middle Grade (ages 8-12)– 20,000 – 50,000
Hi-Lo – 15,000 – 25,000

If you have a series, or a potential series, send one story and in the body of your query include a description of the evolution of the stories and how each story will be related.

​Format your manuscript as follows:
Times Roman 12 Point, Double Space, One-inch margins all around.
Include your name and title in the header.
Include your name and contact information, word count, genre, and age level at the top of the first page.

In your bio, please include any prior publications (including self-published books) and any organizations you are a member of or writing groups (ie. SCBWI, 12 x 12, Highlights Foundation workshops), and any information you think is relevant to your writing.

Please submit to QueryManager Only – bit.ly/QueryManagerRoseanne
Email submissions will not be read.

Guidelines & Details