Catholic Kids4Kids Contest FAQs
I'm a teacher, can I make a bulk submission on behalf of my class?
Please fill out our Contact form and select "Contests" in the Service dropdown. Please indicate the ages and the themes that you would like focus on and we will arrange something for you.
Where can I see what I have submitted or make corrections?
Thank you for participating in our contests. This project is very new and more features are coming. We hope to add a smoother upload process and a login portal to keep track of your family submissions soon. At this time, if you need to submit a correction, please submit your corrected work on the form with a note explaining that it's a correction in the comments section. If you need to know what you have submitted, provide your contact information and question on our Contact form.
What information do you collect about my child?
As little as possible. For submission, we do require first and last name, age and state. We will never publish the last name; we have it solely for our records to keep track of content and to award prizes. We do not sell the information of anyone aside their credit (first name, age, state) in a book, if their entry is chosen. Furthermore, all children 13 and under must submit a signed parental consent form with their submission in order to be considered. Any submissions from children 13 or under that do not have a signed parental consent form will be deleted without being read. We do require an email for the parent/guardian so that we can contact them on the status of their child's submission and to later acquire an address for mailing a prize, should a prize be awarded.
What can a 0 year old or a toddler submit?
For infants/toddlers (ages 0 - 2), this age group is just for fun! No prizes will be awarded, but anything used in the book will still be acknowledged. They can submit scribbles - we can utilize things like this into background textures of a page. For instance, the design on the Catholic Kids4Kids logo was taken from the scribbles of a two year old. This age group can also fingerpaint/handprint/footprint something with your help or you can submit a cute thing that they say, or you can share a story about them. Maybe they unsolicitedly say goodnight to their favorite saint, etc.
In a future publication, should there be enough interest, we would like to create a book dedicated to children who were miscarried. The theme would center around honoring the memory of these infants, where submissions would include prayers, drawings, poems, etc., from the siblings of the little one(s). In addition, we would allow submissions of the first name(s) and date(s) [month/year] of the child(ren) for a special dedication. This dedication will not be eligible for a prize, and will be subject to space availability. Please email us if you are interested in this book possibility.
What are the age categories that will be judged and awarded a prize?
The following age groups are used in determining winners. One winner for artwork, and one winner for writing will be selected from each group, provided enough submissions are received that are eligible.
- 3 through 5
- 6 through 9
- 10 through 13
- 14 through 18
Wouldn't the 14-18 age group be considered too old for a "kids" book?
Maybe. After the initial contests, we will be able to better gauge the best average age for Catholic Kids4Kids. If we receive enough submissions from this older age group, we may consider creating a new series just for them, and if possible, with partnering sponsors, a scholarship program. Meanwhile, we feel that this age group can add value to the quality of our current series and we see no reason to exclude them.
Why are your runner-up submissions only offered a discount?
We are a small family-owned business and are hosting contests for fun. Our hope right now is to make enough sales through our Etsy site to cover costs of hosting and annually publishing four books created from our seasonal Catholic Kids4Kids contests. Other products created and sold related to the contests are to additionally help support, perpetuate, and improve the contest. Any donations are appeciated!
My family is not Catholic; may we still submit content?
We do not ask about your Catholic status. All submissions will be judged according to the current Marian, virtue, and saint categories. However, only content in alignment with the dogmas of Catholicism will be selected for publication. In a situation of ambiguity, we may ask for a resubmission or clarification. For instance, a child in innocence may write: "Mary has many children", meaning that we are all her spiritual children as opposed to Mary having a number of physical children. Catholics believe in Mary's perpetual virginity. So as to not imply that Mary had more biological children in addition to Jesus, which is heretical for us to say, we might ask that they resubmit their text to read: "Mary has many spiritual children", etc. That being said, not all submissions need be "religious". For instance: a theme about "creation" can include drawings about your child's favorite bird, or a theme about valor can include a fictional tale about dragons. As long as the submissions are not opposed to the dogmas of the Catholic faith, they are eligible.
What if multiple top submitters are from the same family? Will they all receive books?
Yes. The top submitters for each category will each recieve a copy of the book. We believe that each child deserves to have a copy of their winning submission. However, if the family wants, they can choose to donate any of the copies to be sent to the immediate runner-ups. Now, a child can only win once per season. No child will recieve more than one book per season. In the event that multiple entries are selected to be published from the same child, and the child happens to win one of the categories, his/her other entries become ineligible for the top prize for the other categories.
How come my child keeps submitting but never wins nor is their submission ever incorporated as a runner-up?
Due to the nature of the contest, and the limitation of space, we are unfortunately unable to publish every submission. Please follow these guidelines to improve your child's chances:
- Do not submit anything contrary to Catholic dogma.
- If you are under 13, you must submit a signed parental release with your work.
- Don't submit requesting anonymity. Anonymous entries can be published, but can't win prizes.
- Have a clear connection to the theme.
- Be original. Do not plagiarize from books or the internet or elsewhere.
- Be creative. (For a theme on gardens, most people will probably submit flower drawings; instead, perhaps submit an illustration of a praying mantis, or other components of a garden. In a story about St. Joseph, instead of retelling the story from Scriptures, your child can write about one of his virtues, or something he is the patron of, or why he is special to your family, etc.)
How are the themes chosen?
The themes are chosen at the discretion of the publisher. However, we are collaborating with families to determine interest and appropriateness. We want the contest to be both fun and challenging. We are open to saint suggestions, particularly those that may be lesser known. These Marian titles, virtues and saints are currently being considered for future themes. Feel free to email us to request a title, virtue or saint that you would like considered.
Marian Titles: Destroyer of Heresies, Mother of Mercy, Our Lady of the Lilies, Our Lady of Pompeii/Lady of the Rosary, and Our Lady of Sorrows.
Virtues: Charity, Diligence, Fortitude, Graditude, Hope, Loyalty, Prudence, and Wisdom.
Saints/Biblical Figures: Agnes, Andrew, Ann, Apollonia, Benedict, Bernadette, Casimir, Catherine of Siena, Charles de Focauld, Cosmas, Damian, Dismas, Dominic Savio, Elizabeth of Hungary, Gabriel the Archangel, Felix of Cantalice, Francis, Gregory the Great, Helena of the True Cross, James the Greater, James the Lesser, Jochiam, John the Baptist, John of the Cross, Jonah, Jude Thaddeus, Judith, Julian the Hospitaller, Louis King of France, Leo IX, Luke, Mary Magdalene, Michael the Archangel, Nicholas, Pius V, Rahab, Raphael the Archangel, Rose of Lima, Simeon, Sylvia, Veronica, and Zelie.
Copyright questions
Who owns the copyright of the book?: X-Iota Development owns the copyright of the final product. All entries will receive credit in the book for their submission. Furthermore, by submitting an entry, you, the parent, are verifying that your child has not plagiarized any content and that they are not submitting any work already under copyright.
How long does the publisher reserve the right to publish a submitted work?: X-Iota-Development reserves the right to publish any work submitted here exclusively for the period of 1 year from the date of submission. Any work may be freely used by the submitter after that year elapses. If X-Iota Development would like to use a work after that year has elapsed, we will contact the submitter requesting either permission to use the original or ask the submitter to re-submit their work.
Other uses of submitted works: X-Iota Development reserves the right to use all artwork and submitted materials in other marketing materials (such as stickers, flyers, etc.). A representative from X-Iota Development will contact the email address corrlated to any submission to notify of the use of submitted materials as a courtesy. X-Iota Development will own works created from submissions and will issue no royalties or other compensation to the submitters outside of the prizes detailed in other FAQs.
Do you offer external advertising or sponsorship opportunities for the contests?
Yes! But because the purpose of the contest is to publish content created for kids by kids, we will not have any advertising in any of the books, except as either a logo or recognition on a dedication/thank you page, or on the contest section of this website. Unfortunately, this is all that we are able to offer. We will only offer this opportunity to like-minded businesses as this is a Catholic publication. Email us for further details or to discuss alternate partnerships.