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Books
Every Child an Author
Early Reading Talk
Resources
Store
Contact

Every Child an Author

Every child has a story worth sharing.

Every Child an Author is a children’s literacy initiative created by Poppy Yayakos to celebrate young writers, nurture creativity and give children aged 12 and under the opportunity to see their stories come to life in print.

Children are invited to submit their original stories to Poppy for consideration in an annual published collection featuring the voices, imaginations and ideas of young authors. Each story must be no more than 500 words and only one entry per child can be submitted within that year.

Submissions close on 30 June each year (books following this date will be added to the collection of the next year), with the annual collection prepared for publication towards the end of the year. Selected stories will be compiled into a special book celebrating the creativity, ideas and achievements of young writers.

The completed collection will be published through an online bookstore, allowing families, friends and community members to purchase a copy at the printing cost, without an additional profit margin added to the price.

Whether it is a magical adventure, a funny story, an imaginative tale or a story inspired by everyday life, every submission is an opportunity for children to share their ideas, develop their writing skills and discover the joy of storytelling.

Because every child has a story to tell, and every young author deserves the opportunity to be heard.

Submission Guidelines & FAQs

Submission Requirements

Each submission must include:

The initiative is open to children aged 12 years and under at the time of submission.

Each story must be a maximum of 500 words.

Stories exceeding the word limit may be returned for editing before they can be considered for publication.

Submissions close on 30 June each year.

The annual collection will be prepared for publication towards the end of the year.

Stories received after the closing date will be considered for the following year's collection.

Submission does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

All stories must be the child's own original work

Stories must not be copied from published books, websites, other authors or another person's work.

Children may receive age-appropriate assistance with spelling, punctuation and writing; however, the ideas, characters and storyline must remain their own.

Any illustrations submitted must also be original or submitted with appropriate permission.

Stories must be suitable for a children's audience.

Submissions must not contain explicit content, graphic violence, inappropriate language, discriminatory remarks, hateful material or other content considered unsuitable for children.

Stories should encourage creativity, imagination, positive expression and respectful storytelling.

Poppy reserves the right to decline any submission that does not meet these requirements.

All submissions will be reviewed before acceptance.

Poppy may proofread and make reasonable editorial changes to spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and clarity.

Editing will aim to preserve the child's original voice, ideas and intended meaning.

Stories may be returned for revisions or declined if they require substantial changes or do not meet the submission guidelines.

All stories are subject to review and selection.

Stories will be considered based on originality, suitability, readiness for publication and the requirements of the annual collection.

Poppy reserves the right to decline submissions that do not meet the guidelines or publication requirements.

Accepted stories will be compiled into an annual collection, with each child credited as the author using their approved name or pen name.

The child retains ownership of their original story.

By submitting a story, the parent or legal guardian grants permission for the story to be reviewed, edited as outlined above and reproduced in the annual collection if selected.

Stories will not be materially rewritten or used for unrelated purposes without appropriate permission.

Any additional use of a story beyond the agreed publication, including promotional use, will require separate permission where applicable.

A parent or legal guardian must provide consent for a child to participate and for their story to be published if selected.

The parent or guardian must approve the child's author name or pen name before publication.

A child's photograph, school, location or other identifying information will not be published without separate permission where applicable.

Personal information collected through the submission form will be used to administer the initiative, communicate with the parent or guardian and coordinate publication.

The annual collection will be published through an online bookstore where families and other interested readers can purchase copies.

Books will be offered at the printing cost, with no additional profit margin added by Poppy.

The final price will depend on the printing and production costs set by the publishing or printing service.

Any applicable shipping, handling, taxes or other charges imposed by the bookstore or printing provider may be additional.

Families are not obligated to purchase a copy for their child's story to be considered.

Poppy will oversee the review, editing, selection and preparation of the annual collection. Decisions regarding suitability, editorial readiness and inclusion will be made with the aim of maintaining a high-quality, child-friendly publication that celebrates young authors.

By submitting a story, the parent or legal guardian confirms that they have read and accepted these terms and conditions and authorises the review and potential publication of the child's work as outlined above.

Supporting early readers to enjoy reading books.

All rights reserved.

poppyyayakos@outlook.com

© 2025

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