Character design
Nebula, Quibbit and Starling were designed once and kept consistent on every page.
For you: design sheets for your characters, with expressions, colours and key details.
Children's stories, published with care.
Starbridge Media is an independent publishing studio founded by author Justin Marshall-Cutts. We bring original stories to young readers, and we give new authors and illustrators the support to do the same.
Author submissions: coming soon See our first releaseAuthor-led
Built by a working children's author.
New voices
Author submissions opening soon.
You keep your rights
Your work stays yours.
Our first release
Nebula and the Glimmernauts: The Signal in the Stars
Book One of an illustrated adventure series for readers aged 6 to 9. A mysterious signal draws Nebula, her glowing friend Quibbit and the living spacecraft Starling beyond the familiar stars, where friendship, humour and courage light the way.
Written and illustrated by Justin Marshall-Cutts
Kindle edition £7.99. Paperback coming soon. Book Two arrives April 2027.
What we offer
Practical support for every stage of a children's book. Everything is tailored to your story, never a one-size package.
Manuscript feedback
A careful, honest read of your story, with clear notes on what to keep and what to sharpen.
Illustration matching
Guidance on finding the right artist for your text, and art direction once the pictures begin.
Design and formatting
Clean, professional layouts ready for Kindle and print.
Your own book page
A dedicated, interactive page for your title, with a preview, characters and a link to buy.
Launch and promotion
Announcements, trailers and launch content that put your book in front of new readers.
Sales guidance
Help with store listings, pricing, categories and keywords so families can find you.
Support from first draft to launch day
Starbridge Media exists because writing for children is a craft, and nobody should have to learn publishing alone.
Author submissions: coming soonYou keep your rights. Your story and your art remain yours.
Plain-language guidance. Clear answers, no jargon, no pressure.
Real attention. Every submission is read by a person.
A growing community. Authors and illustrators who cheer each other on.
Send your work
Once submissions open.
Once submissions open.
We read it
With care and an open mind.
With care and an open mind.
We reply by email
With a decision or questions.
With a decision or questions.
We plan together
Agree how to publish and promote.
Agree how to publish and promote.
Beyond the page
A book is only the beginning. We build experiences around each story so families can enjoy it in new ways.
Live
Book trailers
Short cinematic films that introduce a story in under a minute.
In development
LivePodcast
Conversations with authors and tips for reading together.
Interactive previews
Turn the first pages of a book right on screen.
In development
Schools and events
Author visits, readings and workshops.
In development
Activity packs
Printable colouring pages and puzzles for each title.
In development
Audiobooks
Stories to listen to at bedtime or on the road.
The Starbridge catalogue
Out nowNebula and the Glimmernauts
Book One: The Signal in the Stars
April 2027
Coming soonBook Two
The next Nebula adventure.
Your book here
Author submissions are opening soon.
From the founder
Justin Marshall-Cutts is a UK children's author with a love of imaginative worlds, colourful characters and stories filled with mystery, friendship and adventure. He believes courage and kindness can take us further than we ever imagined.
He founded Starbridge Media as a creative home for his own books, and to make that road easier for the authors and illustrators who come after him.
Want to publish with us?
Author submissions are coming soon. We are catching up on the requests we have already received.
Find out moreWelcome to Nebula's World
Everything about Nebula and the Glimmernauts, Book One, with no spoilers. Pick a planet to begin.
Glimpses of the world
Look inside
Meet the explorers
Tap a card to say hello.
Nebula
Brave · Curious · KindNebula is brave, curious and always listening for the next mystery hidden in the stars. She loves exploring, asking questions and helping others.
Quibbit
Loyal · Funny · BrightQuibbit is bouncy, loyal and full of glowing courage. He chirps, giggles and always stays close when an adventure begins.
Starling
Trusted · DependableNebula and Quibbit's trusted spacecraft, carrying them safely between strange worlds. More than a way to travel, Starling is always there when the next adventure begins.
An adventure written in the stars
A mysterious signal draws Nebula and Quibbit beyond the familiar stars and into a breathtaking world of floating islands, glowing crystals and forgotten secrets.
The Floating Forest
A breathtaking forest of floating islands, glowing trees and shifting paths. The forest seems to be watching how well they work together.
Beyond the Star Door
An ancient doorway leads into a lost observatory where star charts and forgotten secrets hint at a much larger universe.
Echoes of the Glimmernauts
Deep in the Whispering Crystal Caves, memories of long-lost explorers are preserved in light, with lessons of courage, friendship and helping one another.
A Mysterious Signal
When a strange pattern appears among the stars, Nebula knows it is more than ordinary starlight.
Justin Marshall-Cutts
A UK children's author with a love of imaginative worlds, colourful characters and stories filled with mystery, friendship and adventure.
The Signal in the Stars begins an expanding story universe inspired by space, discovery and the idea that courage and kindness can take us further than we ever imagined.
Justin is developing Starbridge Media (starbridge.media) as a creative home for his books and future storytelling projects, with plans to grow the world of Nebula and the Glimmernauts through further adventures.
Next: Book 2 arrives April 2027.
Nebula and the Glimmernauts: The Signal in the Stars
By Justin Marshall-Cutts. Book 1 of the Nebula and the Glimmernauts series. Reading age 6–9.
Kindle edition £7.99
Buy the Kindle editionThe paperback goes live in a few days.
Your story, brought to life.
Starbridge Media helps children's authors and illustrators turn a manuscript into a polished, finished book, and then helps families find it.
Author submissions are coming soon
Thank you for the incredible response. We have received a large number of requests and we are not able to accept new books just yet. We are catching up on the submissions we already have.
Please check back soon. We will open this page for new work when we are ready, so please do not send manuscripts or artwork in the meantime.
What we can produce for your book
Everything below was created for Nebula and the Glimmernauts. The same care can go into yours, shaped around your story.
Illustrated pages
Each spread was planned around the mood of its chapter, from sunset ridges to glowing forests.
For you: art direction and illustrations matched to your text, or guidance for your own illustrator.
Cover and paperback wrap
A front cover made for the shelf, plus a full wraparound for print.
For you: front cover, spine and back cover ready for Kindle and print.
Book trailer
A short film that introduces the story in under a minute.
For you: a trailer built from your artwork, with music.
Your own book page
Nebula's World has a page preview, characters, author notes and a link to buy.
For you: a page like it, built around your book.
Case study: how Nebula and the Glimmernauts was made
Justin Marshall-Cutts created Book One from first idea to finished pages. Here are snippets from the process, so you can see what working with us can look like.
8chapters
4,105words
32illustrated pages
1world to grow
Keep the mystery moving, make Quibbit matter, let Nebula be frightened without making her weak, and make every magical place do a job in the story.The working rule behind every chapter
Watch the editing happen
Tap each card to see how a line changed, and why.
Chapter 1: the first signal
A bright light suddenly shot across the sky.
Chapter 1: why Nebula acts
Nebula wanted to follow it straight away.
Chapter 1: the old ship
little ship Starling
From idea to launch
Find the heart
Decide what the story is really about.
Decide what the story is really about.
Draft and revise
Chapter by chapter, testing every scene.
Chapter by chapter, testing every scene.
Design the characters
One look, kept the same on every page.
One look, kept the same on every page.
Illustrate
Pictures that carry the mood of the text.
Pictures that carry the mood of the text.
Cover and layout
Built for Kindle and for print.
Built for Kindle and for print.
Launch
Trailer and your own book page.
Trailer and your own book page.
Characters first
Full-figure portraits like these keep Nebula and Quibbit looking the same from the first page to the last, and give readers someone to love.
What to prepare for when we open
Choose the kind of work you create to see what we will ask for.
What happens next
You send your work
Once submissions open.
Once submissions open.
We read it
Every submission gets a proper look.
Every submission gets a proper look.
We reply by email
With a yes, a no, or questions for you.
With a yes, a no, or questions for you.
We plan together
Agree how to list and promote your book.
Agree how to list and promote your book.
Submissions are coming soon
We are catching up on requests. Thank you for your patience.
The trailer
Watch the official trailer for Nebula and the Glimmernauts, Book One: The Signal in the Stars.
No sound? Turn your device volume up and make sure it is not on silent.
Love what you see?
Nebula and the Glimmernauts is out now on Kindle.
The Starbridge Signal
Conversations about stories, imagination and growing a love of reading. These are sample episodes while the first recordings are made.
0:00
Demo mode: the audio files are not attached yet, so this plays ambient space music.