Last Updated: November 30, 2025

Stone Soup Magazine (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our visitors, subscribers, and contributors—especially the young people whose creative work we celebrate. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or interact with our services.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Subscription Information: When you subscribe to Stone Soup, we collect your name, email address, mailing address (for print subscriptions), and payment information.
• Submission Information: When young writers and artists submit their work, we collect the contributor’s name, age, parent/guardian contact information, and the submitted content.
• Account Information: If you create an account, we collect your username, email address, and password.
• Contact Information: When you contact us, we collect your name, email address, and any information you choose to provide in your message.
• Newsletter Sign-ups: We collect email addresses from those who opt in to receive our newsletter.

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: We may collect information about how you access and use our website, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on pages.
• Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, remember your preferences, and analyze site traffic.

2. Special Protections for Young Contributors

Stone Soup is dedicated to publishing the creative work of young people up to age 13. We take special care to protect their privacy:

• We require parent or guardian consent before publishing any work by a minor.
• We only publish the contributor’s first name and age with their work, unless additional information is specifically authorized by a parent/guardian.
• We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without parental consent.
• Parents/guardians may review, modify, or request deletion of their child’s information by contacting us.

We comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and take our responsibility to protect young creators seriously.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process and fulfill magazine subscriptions
• Review and publish submitted creative work
• Communicate with contributors and their parents/guardians about submissions
• Send newsletters and updates to those who have opted in
• Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
• Improve our website and services
• Process donations and issue tax receipts
• Comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Service Providers: Third parties who help us operate our website, process payments, fulfill subscriptions, and send communications (e.g., Stripe for payments, mail services for print delivery).
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights and safety.
• Published Content: When a submission is accepted for publication, the contributor’s first name and age will appear alongside their work in our magazine and website.

5. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to:

• Keep you logged in to your account
• Remember your subscription status
• Understand how visitors use our site
• Improve site performance

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information, including encryption, secure servers, and limited access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in our emails.
• Parental Rights: Parents/guardians may exercise these rights on behalf of their children.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at editor@stonesoup.com.

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Published works become part of our magazine’s archive and may be retained indefinitely as part of our literary collection.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Stone Soup Magazine
P.O. Box 83
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
Email: editor@stonesoup.com