Best Friends: Dr. Prakash Amte and his Animal Friend, a Leopard. Photo by Arun N. Toké
Youth (ages 7 to 18) are invited to send their poems, stories, essays, artwork, and also photo essays for our consideration. Please note that we’re now accepting submissions for publication both in the print issues and on our website. All art—paintings and drawings, and photos—can be published in full color on the website. Youth Awards and other contests and special features have deadlines as below. We will publish the ten winners of the Youth Honor Awards and Haiku/Tanka Contest in our Awards Issue. Please read more details by clicking on the Youth Awards. The 2024 Contests have been announced (The deadlines for 2025 are: May 5 for both contests).
2024 Youth Awards: Winners published in the Awards 2024 Issue
2024 Haiku Contest: Select entries published in the Awards 2024 Issue
Send your contest entries/submissions to: editor(AT)skippingstones(DOT)org
or by snail mail to: Skipping Stones, 166 W. 12th Ave, Eugene, Oregon 97401 USA
Regular Submission Guidelines for Youth
Writings (essays, stories, letters to the editor, riddles and proverbs, etc.) should be sent to us via email (preferred manner) or via postal mail (your creation must be typed or neatly handwritten) and limited to 1,000 words and poems up to 30 lines. We encourage writings in other languages, but with an English translation, if possible. And, we love illustrations! Please send either electronic files or the originals of your drawings, paintings, or photos if mailing to our address. Include your name, age, and address along with your submission. We welcome electronic submissions, and prefer .doc, .docx or .pdf files. Art and photos can be sent as .jpeg, .png, or .tiff files. Please DO NOT send us attachments as zip.files.
We also welcome your original, creative submissions for our various contests: Youth Honor Awards, Annual Asian Celebration Haiku Contests, etc. See details in those sections.
Tell us about yourself in a cover letter. What is your cultural background? What languages do you speak or write? What is important to you? What are your dreams and visions for the future? What inspired you to write or create your submission? We might even print part or all of your letter!
If you have used help of AI tools, we need to know. But do not send AI generated essays. We want your original creations! We may edit your work for space or clarity. We will contact you if we edit your work substantially. If you would like a reply from us, or your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Allow at least four months for our reply. We are not responsible for unsolicited submissions.
Skipping Stones holds first serial rights for publishing in our magazine and other products, including electronic products. If you are under 18, we will ask for a parental permission email, if selected for publishing. And upon acceptance, you must wait to publish your work elsewhere until after it is published in Skipping Stones. We also keep non-exclusive reprint rights for all material published in Skipping Stones. We may reprint or allow others to reprint or excerpt (with your byline, of course!) pieces published in the magazine, including by electronic means.
Email Submissions to editor(at)skippingstones.org (with or without .doc , pdf , jpeg, or tiff attachments).
Snail Mail: Editor, Skipping Stones, 166 W. 12th Ave., Eugene, Oregon 97401.
If you would like a reply from us or your work returned, include a self-addressed envelope with postage stamps. Submissions that do not include SASEs will be recycled, if we do not publish them. Allow four months for our reply. When your work is published in Skipping Stones, you will receive two complimentary contributor’s copies of that issue. We can send you two earlier issues if we publish your work on the website, if you request.
Ideas for Submission
Share your culture by explaining why a belief or tradition is important to you. Describe your city/village/home. Write and/or illustrate an article on an upcoming theme. Write about a community project you organized, or your experiences in a culture or country. What are your favorite ethnic foods? (Send us the recipe.)
Ideas for Submissions:
- Cultural or Regional Celebrations: First-hand descriptions (with photos or illustrations)
- Writings accompanied by children’s artwork
- Bilingual submissions or writings introducing (using words/phrases from) other languages
- Folktales, hospitality customs, recipes, music, folk art and architecture from around the world
- Living Abroad and Immigration: Your memorable experiences
- Cross-Cultural Communications: Ways we express ourselves through language, proverbs, tales, songs, body language, symbols, etc.
- International Humor: Jokes, funny stories, riddles, games, cross-cultural mix-ups, etc.
- Photo Essays on a country or region
- Families and Community: Getting along, unique gatherings or projects, intergenerational experiences, multilingual families
- Creative Problem Solving and Peace-Making
- Cooperative Games, Quizzes, Riddles, Puzzles
- Life as a Minority: Challenges and successes
- Living with and Understanding Disabilities
- Unforgettable Moments: Times of transformation or revelation.
- Inspirations or Role Models in your life
- Right Livelihood: Earning a living while helping the world.
- Technology: Its impacts on the planet.
- Sustainable Living: Our Mission, Purpose and Challenges. How can we care for the Earth and all its inhabitants?
- Nature: Unique ecology, resource conservation, endangered species, fighting pollution
- Taking Action: Reports of or suggestions for children’s involvement in community, ecology or social justice; actions to improve the world
- Raising Caring Kids: Improving self-awareness and self-esteem; encouraging creativity, non-violence and tolerance; being a role model
- Any other multicultural, social, international or nature awareness theme that you wish to write about!