Submission Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 31 July 2026

These terms apply to all stories, poems, artwork and other creative work submitted to the Beyond Borders anthology initiative.

Beyond Borders is delivered by Big Thinking Publishing, based in Garstang, Lancashire, United Kingdom.

By submitting work, the parent, guardian, teacher or authorised adult making the submission confirms that they have read and accepted these terms.

1. Who Can Submit

Beyond Borders accepts creative work by children and young people.

Submissions may be made:

  • by a parent or legal guardian;

  • by a teacher or authorised representative of a school;

  • by an authorised representative of a community group or organisation; or

  • by a young person where appropriate permission has been provided.

Children should not submit personal information without the knowledge and permission of a parent, guardian or responsible adult.

2. Permission to Submit

The person submitting the work must have permission to do so.

Where work is submitted by a school, group or organisation, the submitting adult is responsible for confirming that any necessary permission has been obtained from the child’s parent or guardian.

By submitting work, you confirm that:

  • the child has agreed to their work being submitted;

  • the appropriate parent, guardian, school or organisational permission has been obtained;

  • the information supplied is accurate; and

  • you are authorised to accept these terms on the child’s behalf.

3. What We Accept

We welcome:

  • short stories;

  • poetry;

  • artwork;

  • illustrations;

  • personal reflections;

  • creative writing inspired by culture, heritage, family, traditions, community or everyday life.

Submission requirements, including word limits, formats and deadlines, will be published on the Beyond Borders website.

Work must be suitable for a children’s anthology and a general audience.

4. Original Work

All submissions must be the child’s own original work.

By submitting, you confirm that the work:

  • has not been copied from another person or source;

  • does not infringe another person’s copyright or other rights;

  • does not contain material used without permission; and

  • has not been created wholly or substantially by generative artificial intelligence.

Reasonable adult support with spelling, handwriting, typing or presentation is permitted, provided the ideas and creative content remain the child’s own.

5. Copyright

Copyright remains with the child who created the work.

Submitting work does not transfer ownership of the copyright to Big Thinking Publishing.

The creator continues to own their story, poem or artwork and may use it elsewhere, unless another agreement states otherwise. Copyright protection applies automatically to original literary and artistic works in the UK.

6. Permission to Publish

By submitting work, you grant Big Thinking Publishing a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to:

  • review and assess the submission;

  • edit, proofread, format and prepare it for publication;

  • reproduce and publish it in a printed or digital Beyond Borders anthology;

  • include it on the Beyond Borders or Big Thinking Publishing websites;

  • display it at exhibitions, events or presentations connected with the initiative;

  • use reasonable extracts or images to promote Beyond Borders and its anthologies; and

  • archive the work as part of the project’s lasting record.

This licence does not prevent the child from using or publishing their work elsewhere.

7. Editing

Big Thinking Publishing may make light editorial changes to accepted work, including changes to:

  • spelling;

  • punctuation;

  • grammar;

  • formatting;

  • layout; and

  • presentation.

We will aim to preserve the child’s individual voice and original meaning.

Where substantial changes appear necessary, we may contact the submitting adult before publication.

Artwork may be cropped, resized or adjusted to suit the publication layout, but we will not intentionally alter its essential character.

8. Selection for Publication

Submission does not guarantee publication.

Big Thinking Publishing may accept, decline or hold submissions at its discretion. Decisions may be based on suitability, available space, editorial balance, quality, safeguarding concerns or the aims of the anthology.

We may be unable to provide individual feedback on every submission.

Editorial decisions are final.

9. Names and Credits

The submission form will explain how the child should be credited.

Depending on the permission provided, work may be published using:

  1. the child’s first name only;

  • the child’s first name and age;

  • the child’s first name and country or region;

  • a chosen pen name;

  • initials; or

  • an anonymous credit.

We will not publish a child’s home address, personal contact details or school contact details alongside their work.

Schools may be named where appropriate permission has been provided.

10. Personal Information

Personal information will be handled in accordance with the Beyond Borders Privacy Policy.

Because children merit particular protection when their personal information is used, we aim to collect only the information reasonably needed to administer submissions and publish accepted work.

Contact information supplied by a parent, guardian, teacher or organisation will be used to manage the submission, obtain clarification and communicate about publication.

11. Sensitive and Safeguarding Content

We want children to express themselves honestly, but we cannot publish every subject in every form.

Submissions must not contain:

  • identifying personal details about another child;

  • private addresses, telephone numbers or email addresses;

  • hateful, discriminatory or abusive material;

  • graphic sexual or violent content;

  • content that encourages harm;

  • defamatory statements;

  • material that places a child or another person at risk; or

  • information that should be referred to a safeguarding professional rather than published.

If a submission raises a serious safeguarding concern, Big Thinking Publishing may share relevant information with an appropriate safeguarding lead, school, parent, guardian or authority where necessary to protect a child or another person.

12. Photographs and Recognisable People

Photographs of children or other identifiable individuals should not be submitted unless specific permission has been obtained from every identifiable person or, where applicable, their parent or guardian.

Big Thinking Publishing may reject photographs or artwork containing recognisable individuals where consent cannot be confirmed.

13. Payment and Royalties

There is no submission fee unless clearly stated otherwise.

Contributors will not ordinarily receive payment, royalties or a share of anthology sales.

Participation is intended to provide children with the experience of contributing to a professionally produced publication and sharing their creativity with a wider audience.

Any complimentary copies offered to schools, contributors or partners will be explained separately and remain subject to availability and project funding.

14. Promotion

Accepted work may be promoted using short extracts, photographs of anthology pages or reduced-size images of artwork.

Promotional use may include:

  • the Beyond Borders website;

  • Big Thinking Publishing channels;

  • social media;

  • press releases;

  • posters and leaflets;

  • fundraising materials;

  • exhibitions; and

  • presentations to schools, partners or supporters.

We will use only the contributor name or credit for which permission has been provided.

15. Withdrawal

A parent, guardian, school or authorised adult may request withdrawal of a submission before the stated withdrawal deadline.

Once an anthology has entered final design, printing, distribution or publication, removal may no longer be possible.

Published printed copies already in circulation cannot be recalled.

Where work has appeared online, we will consider reasonable removal requests, although cached, downloaded or previously shared copies may remain outside our control.

16. Anthology Changes, Delays or Cancellation

Publication dates are estimates and may change.

Big Thinking Publishing may alter the title, format, design, size, release date or distribution arrangements of an anthology.

An anthology may be postponed or cancelled where there are insufficient suitable submissions, inadequate funding, production difficulties or other circumstances outside our reasonable control.

Where a project is cancelled, contributors will retain copyright in their work.

17. Website and Email Submissions

Submitters are responsible for keeping copies of all work sent to us.

Big Thinking Publishing cannot guarantee that electronic submissions will be free from interruption, corruption, delay or delivery failure.

We are not responsible for submissions that are lost, incomplete, damaged or sent to an incorrect address, except where this results directly from our failure to take reasonable care.

18. Behaviour and Communication

We expect all communication relating to Beyond Borders to be respectful.

We may stop corresponding with, or accepting submissions from, any person or organisation that behaves abusively, threateningly or dishonestly.

This will not affect the fair consideration of a child’s work where it is appropriate and safe to continue.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time.

The version in force when a submission is made will normally apply to that submission, unless a necessary change is made for legal, safeguarding or operational reasons.

Any important change affecting an existing submission will be communicated to the submitting adult where reasonably possible.

20. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Any dispute will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, unless applicable law provides otherwise.

These terms are intended to be fair, clear and understandable. UK guidance requires consumer-facing terms and notices to be transparent and not create an unfair imbalance between an organisation and an individual.

21. Contact Us

Questions about submissions or these terms can be sent to:

Beyond Borders
Big Thinking Publishing, Hoole House Barn, Garstang, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Email: beyondborders@bigthinkingpublishing.co.uk
Website:www.beyondbordersanthology.org