Frequently Asked Questions

  • Stories From first collects real-life stories from specific communities, then creates beautiful, giftable books. Each collection gathers short, heartfelt, funny, meaningful stories and pairs them with thoughtful design and illustration.

    Our first collections are Stories from the Classroom, Stories from Nursing, and Stories from Parenting.

    To learn more, go to our About Page.

Submitting a Story

  • You can submit your story through our submission form at: storiesfrom.com/submit


  • Anyone over 18 years of age with a true story can submit. You do not need to be a professional writer. We're looking for real moments: funny, touching, surprising, emotional, ordinary, unforgettable, or deeply human.

  • We're looking for short real-life stories that capture a meaningful moment. A good story might make someone laugh, cry, remember, nod along, or say, "That is exactly what it feels like."

    The best submissions are specific. Tell us what happened, who was there, why it mattered, and what stayed with you.

  • Most stories should be roughly 250 to 600 words. That's long enough to tell a complete moment, but short enough to fit the style of the book.

  • Of course! If you have a great story but would rather tell it out loud, you may submit an audio or video file, just choose that option on the submission form. Please know that audio or video submissions will be transcribed, edited, and shortened if selected.

  • No. We care much more about the story than perfect writing. If your story is selected, we may lightly edit it for clarity, grammar, length, and flow while preserving your voice and meaning.

  • No. Stories From is built on authentic human stories, so submissions should be written or told in your own words. Please do not use AI tools to generate, draft, rewrite, embellish, or invent any part of your story. Basic spellcheck, grammar correction, and speech-to-text tools are okay.

  • Generally, the person connected to the story should submit it themselves. If you are helping someone submit because they are not comfortable with the form, make sure they know what is being submitted and have agreed to it.

  • Yes, as long as it is your own story and you have the right to submit it. Please let us know if it has appeared publicly before.

  • Yes! You may submit multiple stories, especially if they are meaningfully different from each other. Just do a different submission for each of your stories.

Selection & Editing

  • No. Submitting a story does not guarantee publication. Each collection has limited space, and stories will be selected based on fit, quality, variety, tone, and the needs of the book.

  • We look for stories that feel specific, memorable, emotionally honest, and well-suited to the collection. We also consider variety, length, tone, and how the stories work together as a complete book.

  • If your story is selected for publication, we'll contact you before the book is finalized. Published contributors will receive one free copy of a special Author's Edition of the book featuring their story.

  • Possibly. Selected stories may be edited for grammar, clarity, length, and flow. We will not intentionally change the heart of your story. If your story is selected, Stories From may adapt, excerpt, illustrate, design, publish, promote, and otherwise use the story as part of a book or related materials.

    Our goal is to help the story read beautifully while keeping it true to your experience.

  • For selected stories, we may contact contributors during the editing process if meaningful changes are needed. Minor edits will be made without additional approval, but we'll treat each story with care and respect.

  • If you need to withdraw a story, contact us as soon as possible. We'll do our best to honor withdrawal requests, but once a story has moved into final editing, design, printing, or publication, withdrawal may no longer be possible.

Books, Rewards & Giving Back

  • Yes. Everyone who submits a story will receive 10% off a future Stories From book order, whether or not the story is selected for publication. This unique discount code will be emailed when our first collection is available for purchase.

  • No. Contributors are not paid royalties, revenue share, licensing fees, reuse fees, residuals, profits, or other financial compensation. Current contributor rewards are a 10% discount on a future Stories From book order for eligible submitters and one free Author Edition copy if your story is selected for publication.

  • The Author's Edition is a special version or copy of the book provided to contributors whose stories are selected for publication. Published contributors will receive one free copy as a thank-you for being part of the collection.

  • We're currently collecting stories for our first collections. Release timing will depend on the number and quality of submissions, editing, design, illustration, and production. Join our email list or follow us on social media for updates.

  • Stories From books will be available online when each collection launches. More details will be shared as we get closer to release.

  • Yes. We donate 10% of profits from every Stories From book to a nonprofit connected to the community featured in that collection. For example, classroom books support education-focused organizations, nursing books support healthcare-related causes, and parenting books support nonprofits helping families and children.

  • We'll announce the nonprofit partner for each collection before or at the time that book becomes available for purchase.

  • Yes. We welcome suggestions for nonprofit partners connected to each collection's community. While we cannot guarantee a suggested organization will be selected, we're always interested in learning about strong, mission-aligned nonprofits.

  • Yes. We're open to partnerships with schools, hospitals, parent groups, nonprofits, associations, and community organizations that want to help collect, share, or support meaningful stories.

  • Yes. If your organization has a community full of stories, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us with a few details about your group and the type of collection you have in mind.

Rights, Privacy & Permissions

  • By submitting your story or related materials, you are assigning the rights to your submission to Stories From. This means Stories From can review, edit, adapt, illustrate, publish, promote, sell, and otherwise use your story as part of Stories From books and related materials. More information can be found in our Contributor Submission Agreement.

  • Stories From needs these rights so we can responsibly edit, design, illustrate, publish, promote, distribute, and sell curated story collections without needing to renegotiate permissions at every step of the publishing process.

  • Not automatically. Your legal name is collected for rights, release, and communication purposes. If your story is selected, you may indicate your preferred public credit, such as first name and state, first name only, anonymous, or "contact me before deciding."

  • You may request that your story be published anonymously or with a limited public credit. Stories From may determine the final form of attribution for consistency, privacy, legal, editorial, or design reasons.

  • No. Your contact information is used for submission review, follow-up, discounts, contributor communication, and Stories From updates if you opt in. Stories From will not sell your personal information.

  • Yes, but please be thoughtful. You are responsible for making sure you have the right to share the story and that it does not include private, confidential, protected, or identifying information without permission. When in doubt, change names, remove specific details, or describe people more generally.

  • Please protect their privacy. Do not include details that could reasonably identify a student, patient, minor, coworker, family member, or other private individual without permission. For healthcare stories, avoid patient names, dates, facilities, rare medical details, or anything else that could identify a patient. For classroom stories, avoid protected student information or details that could identify a student.

  • Yes. Real stories can be funny, tender, complicated, heartbreaking, or hopeful. We welcome meaningful stories, including emotional ones. That said, Stories From is not the right place for graphic, hateful, exploitative, or highly private material.

  • Stories From will not publicly release audio or video clips featuring your voice, image, or likeness without separate permission, unless the submission has been transformed into written, edited, excerpted, or illustrated story content.