Submission Guidelines

Writers ages 14 and under are invited to submit stories, articles, essays and poems for posting on the "Work by Kids" page. Word count maximum for stories, articles and essays is 1000 words and poetry should be no longer than 39 lines, including stanza spacing. Work displaying violence, inappropriate language or topics unsuitable for all audiences will not be considered. This does not mean you should not take risks with your work. Strong opinions and strong characters provoke thought. Just keep it clean. Ask for parental permission before sending and follow guidelines exactly to be considered for posting. Authors retain all rights. Work will not be altered in any way. Email addresses are not shared with anyone. Ever.

• Use 10-12 pt. type in either Times Roman or Courier, black only. Double space your manuscript and indent paragraphs. No graphics.
• Center the title, "By", your first name and age at the top of the piece. Please use only first name. (I know it's not your full byline but it keeps you safe)
• Send your manuscript via the message box on my contact page with WORK BY KIDS in the subject line. No attachments. Attachments will be deleted. You must have a valid return e-mail address to be considered.

Work must be original. For story ideas, see the "Prompts for Young Writers" page. Each quarter a particularly outstanding body of work will be selected for a special prize.