Use the Author/Filmmaker Submission Form to submit your work for review and consideration to be placed in the library’s collection. One need not be a CPL member to use the Author/Filmmaker Submission Form.

Guidelines for Submission:

All authors, filmmakers, and agents are eligible to submit works for review, with preference given to works created by authors and filmmakers living and working in New York State.

CPL will accept submissions for titles published during the current and previous calendar years. Prepublications are not accepted for consideration.

CPL considers the following media types and formats for review:

Print – hardcover and paperback books (hardcover is preferred); CPL will only purchase picture books in hardcover due to their durability.

AV – DVDs and Blu-ray; CPL cannot, at this time, add streaming content to the collection.

CPL only accepts submissions via the Author/Filmmaker Submission Form. If the Library receives a copy of your work via mail, email, or drop off/hand delivery, the copy is not considered a valid submission and will not be reviewed.

Uploading a synopsis and sample of the work to the form: Synopses, print samples, and digital samples must be PDFs. AV samples must be MP4s. Synopses must be 500 words or fewer (approximately one single-spaced page). Book chapters must be 4000 words or fewer (approximately 15 double-spaced pages). Use the font Times New Roman with a font size of 12. If you are submitting a picture book for review in PDF, upload the entire work with a maximum file size of 64 MB. Movie trailers must be no longer than three minutes. CPL relies on the synopses and samples of the work uploaded to the form, not copies of the work, during the review process (except for picture books).

CPL applies the same selection and review standards to all collections for which the Library purchases. (Refer to CPL’s Collection Development Policy for more information on selection guidelines.) The submitted work has, ideally, been professionally proofread, edited, and critically-reviewed by third-party, objective sources. Reviews should be unpaid and unsolicited. (Examples of objective review sources include publications such as Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, or Library Journal.)

CPL does not guarantee your submission will be selected for inclusion in the Library’s collections. If CPL selects your submission, a CPL representative will contact you requesting a copy of the complete work to further evaluate for inclusion in the Library collections. Please do not reach out to the Collections Department to inquire on status of the submission review. Due to the volume of submissions, CPL does not contact creators/form submitters to provide status updates or to alert the party if their work is not selected.