get published

We have seen an alarming rise in scam attempts in which hackers impersonate Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand employees, authors, and agents in an attempt to attain unpublished manuscripts or personal information.

Some of these scams are quite sophisticated. The hackers are adept impersonators, comfortable with “editorial” speak, and may refer to recent events in the industry to legitimise their requests. Hackers can easily simulate staff with impersonated domain emails. Sometimes the difference in a hacker’s email address is so subtle that it is easy to miss.

It is easy to fall victim to hackers if you are not vigilant. The following cybersecurity awareness tips and reminders are intended to protect you against these attacks.

Be aware of phishing attacks by email:

• Be aware of typos in domain names on received emails
• Do not click links if you are not sure of the source
• Do not reply directly back to original email requests for documents or information.
• Call the source directly or start a separate email with the known email address
• Hover over the email address to be sure it matches the displayed email address
• Be cautious of urgent requests for sensitive information and documents (e.g., draft manuscripts, royalty statements, tax information) and follow the guidelines for sharing those documents below

Be aware of other social engineering attacks (i.e., by phone, on social media):

• Do not share information over the phone if you are not confident of the source on the other end
• Verify the phone number you are speaking to, call back if needed
• Never share credentials or personal information
• Do not click links in social media posts or messages if you are not sure of the source

Sharing documents:

• Call the person you are sending the file to and confirm they are expecting it
• Consider if there is a portal you can access that has the document instead of emailing a copy

We will never ask prospective authors for any form of payment (such as a contribution to print costs) as part of an offer of publication. We will never request bank account information as part of the manuscript submission process. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of an agreement or an email purporting to be from an Hachette employee or claiming a connection to Hachette, email us at [email protected]. If you’ve been a victim of a scam, we encourage you to contact law enforcement right away.

Moa Press is currently closed for submissions. Keep an eye on our social media for when we will open again.

Little Moa is opening for submissions on Monday, 24th November 2025, for one week only.

Our aim is to publish books that are found where kids play. Books so good they are taken and read everywhere a child goes; so beloved they are read over and over again until they are falling apart.

Though we are open to all children’s book submissions, we thought it would be helpful to share what is at the top of our wishlist.

• A picture book series that introduces such an iconic character that kids will want book after book about them and their adventures. Put simply, we’d love to be the home of a character as brilliant as Dame Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary.
• An illustrated Matariki book aimed at the pre-school market. This could include waiata and hand actions to encourage tamariki to show off their kanikani skills!
• A chapter book series set on a farm and aimed at the 7/8 year olds. This story would be full of warmth, humour, and friendship, with a few mishaps and adventures along the way.

We appreciate that that we’re asking you to share your work with Little Moa, so rather than submitting a full manuscript we’re very happy to be sent a teaser ie:

• Approx 300 words from the manuscript that will have us hooked, in the case of picture books, this may be the whole manuscript.
• 100 words about yourself.
• 100 words about possible promotional opportunities.
• Social media handles (if applicable).
• Two books you love and would compare your work to.

We are always interested in hearing from new illustrators who are based in New Zealand. We run the Margaret Mahy Illustration Prize annually, otherwise if you would like to submit your illustration portfolio, please send a link to your website or a PDF of up to 10MB to:

Please note that we will only contact you should we have a suitable project for you at some time in the future.