Shipping
Your tracking number is automatically emailed to you once the shipping label is made. If you opted to receive a text message, it will be sent that way. If you lose your tracking information, let us know and we’ll find it for you.
Domestic orders will most likely ship USPS Priority, which usually takes 1-3 business days. Weekends do not count as business days. Occasionally orders need to go via UPS Ground, which takes a smidge longer. Both services have door-to-door tracking.
International orders: the official word from USPS is that international shipments “generally take between 7–21 days to arrive, although the USPS does not guarantee delivery dates or times.” It’s reasonable to expect that your package will arrive in that time frame; unfortunately, don’t be surprised if it takes a month or two, or even longer. It shouldn’t be that way, but it’s something that’s way outside our control. If your address has a history of not getting packages, let us know and we’ll add insurance at no cost to you.
Use the USPS tracking number that's sent to you. Occasionally, tracking will appear to stop once the package leaves the US. In nearly all cases, your package is still merrily on its way to you, albeit without tracking on the USPS website.
If this happens, try using your country’s postal service to track it. Use the same number. Sometimes the USPS number gets picked up by the destination country and tracking will continue. If that doesn’t work, check with your local post office.
Check with your local post office. They might be holding it for you but neglected to tell you they have it, or left you a message you didn’t get. Bring your tracking number to the post office; tracking numbers have a way of making missing things suddenly appear. Also, check with your neighbors to see if they’re holding it for you.
No. Sometimes these fees are assessed upon delivery, and sometimes they aren't. We suggest you assume they will be, so you aren't surprised by them. Your country may have an online tool you can use to estimate what you might owe upon receipt of your package. For example, here’s one for Canada.
Products
Yes! See the wholesale page for more info.
The quick answer is that Storymatic Kids is the all-ages version. It's like a G-rated movie that everyone can enjoy. The language and situations in Storymatic Classic is just sophisticated enough that it starts at around age 12, or around 8th grade. There’s nothing dirty or ribald in Storymatic Classic, but the words are longer and the content can be more serious. Younger kids can and do use Storymatic Classic.
The longer answer is that physically, the Kids cards are thicker and brighter, with rounded edges (for small hands). The font is cleaner and a little larger (for early readers and ELL students). There are 20 blank cards so you can make up your own content and add it into the mix.
The Classic booklet is focused around writing activities. The Kids booklet has that same focus, but it also has some kinesthetic (improv) and visual (drawing) activities.
Conceptually, Kids is consistently upbeat. For example, Classic has "something is wrong with the water." That can be a serious problem. Kids has "mermaids in swimming pool," which is still a problem, but not quite as serious. Classic has "large wild animal,” while Kids has "befriended by hippo." Again, both are problems that can move a story forward, but they aren’t quite in the same league of problems.
Other Things
Possibly! Send Brian a note and let him know what you have in mind.
We're not really set up for that kind of thing. But we appreciate what it's like to have an idea and the desire to make a thing. When I (this is Brian, breaking the narrative wall again) was first making the Storymatic, it didn't occur to me to query a publisher like the way you would if you were trying to sell a book. There were a lot of things that didn't occur to me, frankly. I knew very, very little about how to make something and what you did after you made it. I reflect on this just about every day. Vaune and I spent hours and hours hand-stamping the first Storymatic boxes, and we still use the same lightbulb stamp when we ship a box, so that we always remember how this whole thing began. Anyway, my point is that even though I'm likely not in a position to make or publish your game, if you need a little advice or encouragement, send me a note. Please be patient if I don't get back to you right away.