“Children like to write more than many adults realize,” says Linda Radke, owner of Five Star Publications who co-founded Kids Can Publish University with Lynda Exley, an award-winning editor and writer. “It’s just a matter of giving them incentives to motivate them to stay interested in writing and develop a desire for continuous improvement. Because nothing is more exciting for a child than to see his or her “winning” byline in print, we developed a monthly Kids Can Publish contest for first- through ninth-graders.”
Children can enter writing or drawing assignments they've already done for their classrooms or create something new for the contest, and they can enter as often as they wish. Entries are broken down into age categories and genre, including editorials, nonfiction articles, fictional stories, poems, cartoons, photos, etc. Each month, Kids Can Publish selects the best pieces in each age divisions to publish online. Only the very best entries are published, making it an honor to be chosen. Winners also receive a Kids Can Publish: Write on! wristband.
“We are actively seeking sponsors for better prizes, as well as book sponsors for a yearly contest we would like to offer children, whereby the winner gets his or her book physically published,” adds Radke. “Because I have published books by several authors who wrote their books at ages 13 and younger, I know there are kids out there with talent enough to write wonderful books, and I would like to help them get their manuscripts out in the world.”
To enter the monthly Kids Can Publish Contest, children must send their entries in with an official submission form that requires a parent’s permission to submit. The submission form and entry instructions can be downloaded from www.KidsCanPublish.com. Kids Can Publish University, a division of Five Star Publications, also offers teachers resources, workshops and grant-writing information.
