Journal of Young People's Writing 2006 – submissions
Learning Media is publishing, for the Ministry of Education, a collection of writing by year 1–6 students to be distributed to New Zealand schools in 2006. Please send in your students' best writing by the end of term 4 2005 (20 December).
Notes for writers and teachers
- Contributions for this issue may be from any students who are in years 1–6 at the time of writing them. In most cases, the teacher or school will send in their students' work and should only select those items that they consider most suitable, although students may send in their own work if they wish.
- Most of the issue will be in English, but we would welcome original work in Māori or a Pacific language. (Please include an English translation.)
- Contributions may be handwritten. Photocopies are acceptable if students want to keep their original work.
- Contributions should be sent to: The Editor, Journal of Young People's Writing, Learning Media, Box 3293, Wellington. The name of the writer, their year level and age, their home address and phone number, and the school's name and address must be on every sheet. All contributions (or sets of contributions) will be acknowledged.
- Contributions should arrive at Learning Media by the end of term 4 2005 (20 December).
- Because of the number of contributions we receive, it will not be possible to return scripts or to give editorial comment. However, if you are sending photos or special work that you would like back, mark these items accordingly, and they will be returned to you.
- Contributions may be of any length up to a maximum of 800 words.
- Students should be helped to realise that this is not a competition. As well as looking for lively, interesting material, we will be trying to select items that give, for example, a balance of subjects, styles, gender roles, and ethnic viewpoints. It is inevitable that some excellent items have to be sacrificed when producing a miscellany of this nature. We therefore ask that teachers avoid raising their students' hopes too high.
- Most children write best from personal experience, about people they know and events they feel strongly about. We will be looking for items in a range of genres, including poetry and drama.
- Virtually all Journal of Young People's Writing material is subject to some degree of editing. With these contributions, we will follow our standard practice of negotiating with the writer about any editorial changes that seem necessary.
- For every item accepted for this issue, the writer's school will be paid. The money may be given to the writer or shared between the writer and the school as seems most appropriate in the particular circumstances. The copyright will remain the property of the writer.
- Contributors are welcome to send in illustrative material (their own or another student's) with their work, and it will be considered. In most cases, however, after making space and layout decisions, our art editors will commission illustrators for the items we select to publish.
Essential
Most of the material will originate from the normal classroom written language programme, so it is accepted that teachers may have given their students some advice, encouragement, or editorial assistance. However, it is important that the submitted material is substantially the children's own work.
