About us
LibraryCall provides Dial-A-Story and other phone and web based services to libraries and schools. The Storytime Commons is a shared repository of audio stories created by and licensed to LibraryCall. All audio content in the Commons is available for use by LibraryCall subscribers and may also be presented by LibraryCall in a podcast format. Our team works to ensure that every story in the Commons is high-quality and respectful of all people.
Submission guidelines
We’re looking for contemporary stories and traditional story adaptations by diverse authors with lived experiences and cultural competencies in the following areas: Asia/Pacific Islands/Asian-Americans; Black/African Americans; First/Native Nations/American Indian/Indigenous; Jewish Americans; Latinx/Hispanic/Latin Americans; Middle Eastern/North African/Arabs.
Seasonal and celebration story themes we’re interested in licensing include Lunar New Year, Kwanzaa, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Holi, Easter in Mexico and other Spanish speaking traditions, ghost stories from Mexico, Pride, Juneteenth, Rosh Hashanah, Dia de los muertos, Diwali, Black History Month, and Hanukkah.
Stories should be original and aimed towards children ages 2-10.
We would prefer to work with writers who can also effectively read and record their own stories, but we will consider accepting written manuscripts without accompanying audio recordings.
Maximum word count 2,500
Languages accepted English, Spanish. We will also consider other languages commonly spoken in the U.S.
Payment We pay a $50 flat rate per story and an additional $25 for the author’s audio recording of the story.
Copyright
You (the Rightsholder) grant to LibraryCall (the Licensee) a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, unrestricted, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish, republish, excerpt, remix, distribute, sell, license, transfer, transmit, and publicly display and perform copies of, and otherwise use the Recording. The Rightsholder’s work cannot be libelous or infringe upon any copyright, right to privacy, proprietary or any other right of any person, corporation or entity. The Rightsholder shall retain all right, title and interest in and to the Work, including without limitation, copyrights, trademarks and any other rights and interests.
How to submit
Email Madeline Walton-Hadlock at madeline@galecia.com with the following:
- A copy of your story manuscript (in Google Doc, Word, or PDF format)
- A 30-60 second audio sample of you reading your story (MP3 or MP4 format). We will consider submissions of stories without audio recordings.
- A short bio, including a description of what qualified and inspired you to write your story