Frequently Asked Questions

You can find answers to many of our commonly (and not so commonly!) asked questions here.

Submitting to and Getting Published in the Magazine

Submitting to the Book Contest

Managing Your Subscription

Technical Troubleshooting

Submitting to and Getting Published in the Magazine

What ages is Stone Soup intended for?
In general, Stone Soup is for 8- to 13-year-olds. Good readers under age 8 might also enjoy it. Some readers continue to enjoy it after they turn 14. Our writers and artists are all ages 8 to 14 (submissions are accepted by those still in U.S. eighth grade or its equivalent).

How can I send my work to Stone Soup?
Read our Contributors’ Guidelines for a detailed answer to this question.

I am a teacher. How can I submit my students’ work?
You can submit work by up to ten different students through our classroom submissions portal. However, if you only have a couple of pieces to submit, it would be more cost effective to submit them individually through the genre-specific portal. It costs $3 to submit one story or personal narrative, or one portfolio of poems or art, and we welcome teacher submissions there as well.

What are my chances of getting published?
We receive 200 to 300 submissions a month. We really enjoy seeing everyone’s work, but, unfortunately, we are able to publish only a small percentage of the work we receive in Stone Soup.

Why do you charge a fee for submissions?
Submittable, the program we use to manage our submissions, costs money to use. The submission fee helps us to cover the cost of Submittable. Once the cost of Submittable is paid for, the small profit we do make off submissions helps us pay for the cost of producing the magazine. Stone Soup is published by the Children’s Art Foundation, a nonprofit. We have a small team and a small operating budget. The submission fee is part of what helps keep us in print!

I cannot afford the submission fee. Can I still submit? 
Yes. Please write to us at editor@stonesoup.com, explaining why you are not able to pay the fee at this time, and we will send you a special link to submit without a fee. Please do not email us any submissions. We do not accept submissions via email.

Can I email you my submission?
Please do not email us any submissions. We do not accept submissions via email and will delete the message unread. If you are not able to pay the submission fee at this time, write to us with an explanation of circumstances at editor@stonesoup.com, and we will provide you with a link to submit without a fee.

I have published my poem/story/artwork on my blog. Can I still submit it to Stone Soup?
You may still submit it but only if you agree to delete it from your blog if we accept it for the magazine or the blog.

I see you sometimes publish novellas in the magazine. Where can I submit my novella?
Any novellas or other book-length works we feature in the magazine were submitted to our annual book contest, which is open through the spring and summer of each year. Please submit any longer works to our book contest.

I am not from the U.S. or Canada. Can I still submit to Stone Soup?
Yes!! We have published work by young writers and artists from all over the world, and welcome international submissions.

What rights does Stone Soup purchase for the work it publishes?
Normally, we purchase all rights, but we are happy to make other arrangements when asked.

Does my story or poem have to be typed?
Writing need not be typed, as long as it is legible. If you type your work, please type it double-spaced in a plain, medium-sized font. Remember that all submissions are through our online system, so whether it is typed or handwritten you will need to have your work in an electronic file in order to send it to us. If you do not type yet, it is fine to ask a parent to transcribe the work for you.

May I submit more than one story/packet of poems/set of artworks at a time?
You may submit in multiple genres at once (for example, a set of poems, a story, artwork simultaneously) but not five of the same genre submissions in a row. Please wait to hear back in one genre before submitting in it again. If you have work accepted, we ask that you wait at least three months before submitting again. 

May I illustrate my own story?
Yes, you may submit your story with your own illustrations or those of a friend. Please submit them as a separate entries in the appropriate categories with a note in the cover letter. Please know however that it is possible we will accept a story without the art or vice versa.

May I send the same story to Stone Soup and to another magazine, website, or contest?
Please wait to hear back from us before submitting your work elsewhere. If you have not heard from us within 12 weeks and are anxious to submit elsewhere, feel free to email and inquire about the status of your submission. We will not respond to status queries sent before 12 weeks.

Does Stone Soup hold contests?
Yes, we do! Please see our Current Contests for more details, or you can always go straight to our Submittable page, which includes contests and all specialized categories or themed work we are actively looking for.

What happens when I submit something?

We are a small staff, and we receive 200-300 submissions each month; however, we strive to respond to regular submissions within 10-12 weeks. We do offer an expedited submission option for an additional fee, to which we respond within two weeks.

Often the wait for regular submissions will be much shorter than 10-12 weeks. Occasionally the wait will be longer—usually if it falls during a holiday or vacation period (e.g. late December, August), or if we are having a more involved editorial discussion about your work. Please be patient, and also don’t be discouraged if you hear a “no” the first time . . . or the first few times. We urge you to submit again! Many of our published authors tried several times before getting published.

Note: We will not respond to status queries sent before 12 weeks for regular submissions, or two weeks for expedited submissions.

If my work is accepted to the blog, when will it be published?
Usually within 2-4 weeks; please feel free to follow up with with editor@stonesoup.com if four weeks have passed and you have not heard from us.

If my work is accepted to the magazine, when will it be published?
We plan and produce issues months in advance, so publication is never instantaneous. Putting together an issue does not simply mean slotting in the pieces most recently accepted, but rather finding the pieces that “speak” to each other in some way. For these reasons, you can expect a lag time of at least three months and up to a year (and occasionally even a bit longer) before you see your piece published. This is standard practice for professional literary journals. Thanks in advance for your patience.

If my work is accepted to the magazine, how will I be compensated?
All contributors whose work is accepted for publication are paid with one print copy of the issue in which their work appears. Those who are listed on the honor roll will receive free digital access to the issue in which their work appears.

Where can I send my work after I start high school?
We do not have a publication of our own for older writers, but we do know of some other outlets for teen writers and artists. Where you go will depend on what kind of work you are producing, and we have made a list of some of the publications by and for teens that we know about, with links so you can explore them for yourself. You might also try your own Google search, or ask the librarian at your high school or public library to help you find resources. Please do stay in touch with us and let us know what you are working on after Stone Soup, and tell us what other resources we should add to our page. We also encourage former contributors and readers who have aged out to consider applying for our internship program.

Do you publish any work at all by adults? Book reviews? Artwork?
No, everything we publish is by young writers and artists. Our age limit is 13, or through US eighth grade.

We do welcome some adult bloggers to write for our website, especially educators or authors who wish to share writing tips, or have ideas for writing or art activities based on Stone Soup material that could help other educators. Please contact us if this is something that interests you.

Where does the name Stone Soup come from?
Stone Soup is the name of a folktale that is told in many countries, including Russia, Sweden, and parts of Africa. Most of the versions tell how a pot of water and a stone can turn into a great soup when everyone contributes a little something—a potato, a carrot, some chicken. In Stone Soup Magazine, all our writers contribute a little something to make each issue rich and tasty. Click here to read more about the Stone Soup folktale.

Do you have any job openings or internships?
You can read more about our internship programs here. For job queries we are always open to inquiries from qualified people who want to help us with our projects. Send your cover letter and resume to emma@stonesoup.com.

For more information and advice on how to get published in the magazine, see our page on submitting creative writing and art to Stone Soup.

Submitting to the Book Contest

I have self-published a book. Can I still submit this book to the annual book contest?
No. We only accept unpublished work and cannot accept any work that has already been self-published, whether on a blog or via Kindle or other format.

Can I submit a manuscript that I co-wrote with one (or more) friends?
Yes, you may. Although only the Submittable form only allows you to list one author, you should name all of the authors in your cover letter on the submission form as well as on the title page of your manuscript. Please include ages and parent emails for all authors.

Do I need to be a subscriber to enter the contest?
No, you do not need to be a Stone Soup subscriber to submit to the magazine or to enter any of our contests.

If I am a subscriber, can I submit to the book contest for free?
No, you may not. While we do offer free submissions to the magazine for subscribers, contests have a separate fee that all entrants must pay—this helps us cover the extra labor that judging a contests requires!

If my book doesn’t win the contest, can I still publish it elsewhere?
Yes, of course! As with most contests and publishing submissions, you should not submit or publish elsewhere until the contest is closed. However, if we decline to publish your manuscript, you may do whatever you wish to with your manuscript after the results of the contest are announced.

If I am one of the winners of the contest, can I still submit my manuscript to another publishing house or to a literary agent?
If you are one of the winners, or if your piece is selected for publication in the magazine, you may not submit your manuscript to a publishing house or literary agent. Children’s Art Foundation–Stone Soup Inc. is a publisher, and the prize is that we will publish the book.

Can I receive help on the book from an outside editor?
Yes, you may, so long as that help is truly help and not direction: this is your book, your creative project. It would be fine, for instance, to have someone proofread the book or even offer editorial guidance—asking questions about the plot or advice to refine your writing—so long as you are thinking through this feedback on your own and implementing changes yourself.

Can I submit multiple manuscripts?
Yes, you may, but they must be entered separately, as two distinct entries, and you must pay the submission fee each time.

I have written a work of fan fiction. May I submit to the contest?
We know there is a lot of really excellent fan fiction out there, but we are not seeking fan fiction entries for this particular contest. We are looking for a completely new, original works of fiction and poetry that are the sole creation of the author, who will own its copyright.

Is there a cash prize for the contest?
No, the prize is publication of the winning book(s). However, the winners will receive a standard publishing contract that includes an agreement on royalties.

Will the winning author be paid royalties?
Yes. Authors will have a publishing contract with Children’s Art Foundation–Stone Soup Inc. and this includes agreement on royalties, which are based on a percentage of book sales

Who owns the film rights to the winning work?
Children’s Art Foundation–Stone Soup Inc. does not own film rights. We own the world rights to all the texts we publish. This means we can publish the book in English and also sell foreign rights to international publishers who may wish to buy and translate the book to publish in their own countries.

Can I submit illustrations along with my book?
Yes, you are welcome to submit illustrations in addition to your written story or collection of poems. However, we cannot guarantee that we will publish the illustrations if your manuscript is accepted.

Can I submit a book that ends in a cliffhanger?
Yes, feel free to submit a story that ends in a cliffhanger. However, if you plan on writing a follow-up to the book, we cannot promise that we will publish any sequels.

Subscriptions and Orders

Is the print version of Stone Soup still available?
Yes, it is! We offer home delivery print subscriptions to readers all over the world (press the Subscribe button above to get the full details), and we sell one-off copies and back issues (as well as the Stone Soup Annual and our collection of thematic anthologies, the Stone Soup Books of…) at our online store. Digital-only subscribers who want a paper copy can download a PDF version of each issue and print it at home.

How do I turn off automatic renewal?
If you want to continue to receive the rest of your annual subscription, but do not want to be automatically renewed and charged on the anniversary date, you can switch off automatic renewal.

If you’re not logged in, you can do so by clicking the tab that reads “Sign In” at the top of the page. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be redirected to a page titled “My Account.” From there, click on the tab that reads “My Subscription”.

If you’re already logged in, hover your mouse over the tab that reads “My Account” at the top right corner of the homepage, then click on “My Subscription” from the drop-down menu.

If you have one subscription, you will be directed straight to a page where you may use a toggle to switch automatic renewal on and off.

If you have more than one subscription, click on “Subscriptions,” then select the relevant subscription from the list. Then you can use the toggle to turn automatic renewal off, as outlined above.

How do I change credit cards associated with my Stone Soup Account?
If you’re not already logged in, please do so by clicking on the “Sign In” link on the top right corner of the homepage. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be redirected to a page titled “My Account.” Click on “Payment Methods” to view, edit or delete your current payment methods.

If you’re already logged in, hover your mouse over “My Account” at the top right corner of the homepage, and then click on the tab that reads “Payment Methods” from the drop-down menu.

Do you store credit card information?
No. Stone Soup does not store any credit card information and our staff do not have access to your credit card details. Your credit card information is securely stored by Authorize.net, a division of Visa.

How do I switch my subscription from Digital Only to Print and Digital?
The simplest way to do so at the moment would be to cancel your current Digital Subscription and re-subscribe with the Print and Digital option.

How do I cancel my subscription?
First, log in to your account.

Click on the “My Subscriptions” tab. If you have multiple subscriptions, click “View” on the relevant subscription.

If you wish to end your annual subscription to Stone Soup, click the “Cancel” button.

The process is the same for monthly subscriptions; you may cancel your monthly subscription at any time, but we are unable to refund monthly print or digital subscriptions.

Once you click “Cancel,” the page will reload automatically and display a message that says “Your subscription has been canceled.”

I’d like to be refunded for my subscription.
If you’d like to cancel your annual subscription before the end of the subscription period, please write to us at subscriptions@stonesoup.com. We will prorate your refund based on far into the subscription period you would like to cancel.

If you subscribe monthly, then login to your account and turn off automatic renewal. We are unable to refund monthly print or digital subscriptions.

I’ve just subscribed to the print edition of Stone Soup. What will be my first issue?
If you subscribe in an odd-numbered month, your first print issue will be that of the same month. If you subscribe in an even-numbered month, your first print issue will be that of the following month. Thus, if you subscribe in May, your first print issue will be May/June; subscribe in December, and your first issue will be January/February.

I subscribed to the print edition of Stone Soup but haven’t received any issues.
Depending on when you ordered your subscription, your first print issue could take anywhere from two to eight weeks to arrive.

Can I subscribe to print edition of Stone Soup if I don’t live in the United States? What are the additional mailing costs?
Yes! We offer print subscriptions internationally. For most regions, the mailing cost is included in the subscription price: the subscription price is the same for the USA, Canada and the UK. Some countries incur additional mailing costs, which vary according to the location. These costs are calculated at checkout (based on the address of the recipient of the magazine) and displayed to you for your agreement before your purchase is completed.

Can I subscribe to the digital edition of Stone Soup if I don’t live in the United States?
Yes! Individual, educator, and IP-based subscriptions for schools and libraries are available internationally charged in US Dollars at the same rates worldwide.

How do I buy just one issue of Stone Soup?
You have the option to buy single issues of Stone Soup in our online store.

Technical Troubleshooting

How do I log in?
To log in to your Stone Soup account, click on the “Sign In” link on the top right corner of the page.

Username: Most Stone Soup usernames are email addresses.

Password: If you can’t remember your password, click on the purple “Forgot your password?” link below the button that reads “Log In”.

You will be prompted to input the email address you used to sign up for Stone Soup. In a few minutes, you should receive an email to the address you specified that will provide you with a link to reset your password.

If you don’t receive an email in a few minutes, check in your Spam or Junk folder. If you don’t see it there either, please email us at subscriptions@stonesoup.com and we will change it for you manually.

Why can’t I access the content I want to read?
Casual visitors to our website can read a few items for free, but to access the full range of Stone Soup content you must be logged in to your account and have an active subscription.

Follow the steps in the first question in this FAQ to make sure you have logged in.

If you are logged in but still unable to access any content, please visit “My Account” and check the status of your subscription.

If your subscription is up-to-date and you still cannot access your content, please take a screenshot showing the page you tried to access and the error message that was displayed, and email it to us at subscriptions@stonesoup.com. Please include a brief description of your issue and the name(s) and address(es) associated with your subscription.

I don’t know my login details. How do I find them?
Your login details are included in the confirmation email you received when your subscription began.

If you no longer have that confirmation, you may still be able to log in: most Stone Soup account logins are the email address you or the person who gave you your subscription gave us when they signed up.

If you are still unable to login using your email address, please contact us at subscriptions@stonesoup.com including the name(s), email address(es) and address(es) associated with your account.

I’d like to be removed from the mailing list.
All mailings that we send have an ‘Unsubscribe’ link in the footer. Simply  scroll down to the end of an email you’ve received from Stone Soup and click on the “Unsubscribe from this list” option in the footer. If you ever wish to re-subscribe, you can fill out the “Sign Up for Our Newsletter” form on our homepage. And don’t worry; you will still receive updates about your account, payment details, and subscription.

I’m having a problem with Submittable.
Unfortunately, Submittable is a different service, and we cannot help you with your Submittable questions. Please direct your questions to support@submittable.com or visit their Help Center.

Is your question not answered above? Please refer to our Contact Us page.