General

What is New Moon Girls?

New Moon Girls is an online community and print magazine for girls ages 8 & up. Safe, positive, and advertising-free, we help girls develop their full potential through self-discovery, creativity, and community. By expressing themselves and sharing their own poetry, stories, artwork, videos, and other creations; engaging in meaningful, adult-moderated discussions; and challenging cultural stereotypes of physical beauty, members build self-esteem and positive body image. New Moon girls are girls who want their voices heard, their dreams respected, and their creativity celebrated. No other child-created magazine & website approaches the kudos--including seven Parent's Choice Foundation Gold Awards (the latest in 2008), the prestigious 2006 Association of Educational Publishers Golden Lamp Award, awards from the National Association for Multicultural Education, Folio, iParenting.com, Working Mother, Center for Women Policy Studies, and many others--earned by New Moon Girls. Read More about New Moon Girls magazine's many other Awards.

Is it safe?

Absolutely. In fact, it is safer than many other sites for girls. As part of our commitment to creating a safe online environment New Moon Girls is moderated by adults and complies with all aspects of the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

How do I join New Moon Girls?

To join New Moon Girls online, ask your parent or guardian to read our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Safety Policy. Then click Register at the top of any page. Membership includes 12 months of online access and 6 print issues for $44.95 per year and must be paid using a valid major credit or debit card.

How much does it cost?

A one-year membership at New Moon Girls costs $44.95. The membership includes 12 months of online access plus 6 print issues of New Moon Girls magazine.

When will I get my magazine?

New Moon Girls is bimonthly magazine, with new issues published by the first of January, March, May, July, September and November. Our shipping schedule has 3 mailings per issue. When you place an order, your first magazine will ship with the next scheduled mailing. Since New Moon Girls is a bimonthly magazine, please allow approximately 4 to 6 weeks for your first issue to arrive.

What is your refund policy?

If you no longer wish to receive New Moon Girls, you can cancel at any time. You will receive a refund proportional to the unused remainder of the membership. Please email subscriptions@newmoon.com for customer assistance.

How does New Moon Girls compare to Facebook and MySpace?

Unlike those sites, New Moon Girls does not allow posting of personal information and all comments are moderated by well-trained adults. New Moon Girls is a safe place for girls to post their creations, share them (or not) as they please, comment on other girls' creative efforts, and explore our vast archive of educational and inspirational articles.

What are the benefits of New Moon Girls?

New Moon Girls helps girls learn, grow, and reach their full potential while having fun and supporting each other. Girls develop their writing and artistic talents, share their insights, develop critical thinking and media skills--all while learning to appreciate their own and others' strengths and abilities. And they learn from the strengths and abilities of other girls and dozens of inspirational women of yesterday and today. New Moon Girls helps girls build self-worth, self-esteem, and positive body image grounded in what's real and really important--rather than in the superficiality by which girls are so frequently urged to judge themselves and others.

Who is behind New Moon Girls?

New Moon Girl Media, Inc.(NMGM), the original and leading girl-centered media creator for girls ages 8 to 15. Through safe, advertising-free, girl-led products, New Moon Girl Media brings girls' voices to the world, helping girls develop their full potential through self-discovery, creativity, and community. New Moon Girl Media provides innovative, award-winning content through our pioneering Share the Power method of keeping girl decision makers at the center of all our media products. A privately-held corporation, New Moon Girl Media is the market leader in products that help girls recognize and resist stereotypes and negative media messages, and support each other in a positive environment. Read more about Who We Are.

What does "Girl-Led" mean?

It means that girls are at the center of everything we do. For example, since its birth in 1992, New Moon Girls magazine has been edited by a Girls Editorial Board of girls who are the same age as the magazine's readers. Now both the magazine and the website are led by the Girls Editorial Board.

How is New Moon Girls making a difference?

New Moon Girls stands apart because its impact is made by the product itself. We go beyond other websites--ones that give lip service to telling girls they can be more, while selling them superficial products that stereotype and diminish girls. New Moon Girls provides tools and spaces where girls can actually be more right now in their daily lives. Instead of promoting competition between girls for temporary status, New Moon Girls online and in print helps girls learn about themselves, mentor each other, be inspired by peers and powerful women, and reach their full potential as healthy people who make positive contributions to their families and communities.

What age is New Moon Girls for?

New Moon Girls is for girls ages 8 & up. But it is up to girls and their parents to decide when a girl is ready to join or graduate from New Moon Girls.

I'm not 8 yet, but I want to join New Moon Girls. Am I too young?

New Moon Girls content is created to be developmentally appropriate for girls ages 8 & up. But it is up to girls' parents to decide when their daughter is ready for membership at New Moon Girls.

Do you offer any tools to help parents manage their child's time online?

We encourage parents to be deeply involved in their daughter's internet time and talk openly with her about internet use and safety--on this and every other website their children visit. And now we offer Daughters.com: the best information resource in print or on the web for parents of girls. Daughters.com has more than 250 articles for parents raising girls, including information on practical, enforceable strategies for navigating online media with girls, as well as proven steps to counteract negative media messages regardless of the medium.

What if my question isn't in the FAQs?

If you've read our FAQs and still can't find the answer to your question, email help@newmoon.com. You can also ask other girls for help through our "Ask a Girl" department and the Shout Out! message boards.

What do I do if I'm having a problem with my account?

First, post your problem in Ask A Girl - lots of times other members can help you. If that doesn't work, email help@newmoon.com. When you email, include a detailed description of the problem. Also copy the url from the top window on your browser of the page where you had the problem. Our staff works Monday to Friday, except holidays.

Who is Luna?

Luna is the Spirit of New Moon. All girls and women have a little bit of Luna in them! You can see different girls' ideas of how Luna looks in New Moon Girls magazine. Email us your drawing of Luna! Send it to submissions@newmoon.com.

How do I find something on the website?

Use the Search Box that's on every page and type in 2-4 words and then click search. If you want to find a girl's room, type in her first name in the Search Box. If you want to find a story or poem or video type in the title or a couple words that would be in the text.

What are "My Room," "My Stuff," and "My Wall"?

Your room is your own special space to tell other girls about yourself. To update it or change it, simply sign in, click on the "My Room," tab on the right, and then click "Edit my room." Your stuff is where you upload your creative work-writing, photography, artwork, audio, or video. To add something to your stuff, click the "My Stuff" tab when you're signed in, and then choose what type of work you'd like to add and follow the instructions from there. Your wall is where you can receive sticker messages from other girls! Click "my wall" when you're signed in to see if you have any new messages!

What is a sticker? How can I give one or get one?

Stickers are a safe and fun way for girls to talk to each other. Just click on a girl's name or avatar (Luna Tic) anyplace it appears on the site. This will bring you to a girl's room. Click on the tab to go to her "wall" and then click on "add sticker." The more you participate on the site, the better your chances are of getting stickers! So go ahead: leave comments, join discussions, give stickers, and post your own work!

Why doesn't the stuff I post to the site show up right away?

For your safety, adults moderate everything sent through New Moon Girls. When you post something to the site, it will not show up publicly until an adult moderator has approved it. Most items are approved within 24 hours.

My Girl2Girl Talk is not working. What should I do?

If you do not have your parents' permission, you can't use Girl2Girl Talk. If you do not have pop-ups allowed for www.newmoon.com, Girl2Girl Talk will not work correctly. If you are having trouble using Girl2Girl Talk, first READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS. If you are still having trouble after that, email help@newmoon.com.

Why didn't something I posted get approved?

Most often, a submission or post is rejected because it includes or asks for personal information. Other reasons include inappropriate language, including copyrighted material, bullying, or put-downs of specific people or groups of people. If something you posted does not show up within 24 hours and you feel certain it wasn't inappropriate, try uploading or submitting it again.

Why do adults have to look at what I'm writing before it goes online?

New Moon Girls is a safe place for girls ages 8 - 12 +. Adults look at everything before it goes public to make sure girls are not sharing or asking for information that could lead someone to them offline. Adults also make sure there is no teasing or other hurtful behavior.

How can I give a comment to another girl?

New Moon Girls love receiving feedback on their work! To leave a comment on something, just type it into the "comments" box beneath the item you're viewing, then click "submit comment." Remember that New Moon Girls work hard on their creations, so please don't leave unkind comments!

Can I design my own sticker or avatar?

Although girls must choose from the pool of avatars (Luna Tics) available when they fill out their rooms, you CAN submit your drawing to be added to the pool. If you'd like something you drew to be considered for an avatar or sticker on New Moon Girls, read these guidelines.

I tried to post a story but it disappeared! Can you find it for me?

For safety, our log-in system will automatically sign you out if your account has been idle for a long time (you've only been on one page of the website without visiting other pages). This sometimes creates a problem when girls are writing long stories as they will be on the story submission page so long that they get logged out. To keep from losing your work, always highlight what you've written, copy it, and then paste it into a word processing document (like Microsoft Word). Then, if you find you've been logged out and the story you were working on is lost, you will still have it in a document on your computer and can copy and paste in into a new story submission at New Moon.
There are also other reasons a story can get lost. Sometimes there may be a problem with your Internet connection or service provider. And occasionally there may be problems on the website that cause temporary outages or downtimes. We usually can't find stories that disappear. That's why we want you to save your work before submitting it!

Is there a way to chat with other girls on the site?

You can talk to other girls on the site with comments, stickers, message board posts, Girl2Girl Talk (instant messaging), and in Luna's Chatterbox.
During scheduled chats in Luna's Chatterbox girls sign in to chat with other members in "real time." Adults moderate the chats. Watch the front page for announcements of scheduled chats. Girl2Girl Talk is our real-time instant messaging feature. It is not moderated, but uses filters to help prevent inappropriate sharing. You must have your parents' permission to use Girl2Girl Talk. Click the Launch Girl2Girl Talk button on most pages of New Moon to send a permission request to your parents.

How do I find my friend on New Moon Girls?

Type your friend's name into the search box in the top right corner of your screen.

What are the Shout Out! message boards? How do I start a new topic?

This is where girls have discussions about nearly everything under the sun! They're organized into different categories so you can find the subjects you're interested in. To start a new conversation, click on "new topic" at the top of the forum.

How much content by girls can non-members see?

Non-members can view articles, artwork, video, poetry, and letters to get an idea of what New Moon offers. They can't leave comments or stickers, submit their own letters, submit creative work, or post to the message boards. They can't see girls' rooms, walls, or stuff. It's almost impossible for a non-member to find out much information about individual members of New Moon Girls.

How do I change my password?

Sign in to your New Moon account using your current username and password. Click My Room in the upper right corner of your screen. Click Edit My Room. Click Change Password in the top right of your screen.

What should I do if I see that another girl has posted personal information?

New Moon Girls' moderators work very hard to keep this from happening. But we're only human! If something gets past us, please email help@newmoon.com. In your email, include detailed information about the personal information you saw and the exact link where it's located (please copy the link from the address bar at the top of your internet browser and paste it into your email). If you see personal information on a message board post, you can click the exclamation point button to send the post to New Moon staff.

How can I tell people I know about New Moon Girls?

We're so excited that you want to spread the word! You can do this by using the "email a friend" feature to share something cool you saw on New Moon Girls with a friend. Most articles, stories, poems, videos, message board posts, and other content on New Moon have an Email a Friend link or button somewhere on the page, so keep your eyes peeled for it! You can also make a You Are Beautiful Ecard for your friend, or use the Tell a Friend feature. Word of mouth is always great too! If you're telling a friend about New Moon in person, just remember to let her know she can find us at www.newmoon.com!

How many girls are on New Moon Girls?

New Moon has thousands of members. Because new girls are constantly discovering us, our member numbers are always changing!

Who do I contact with questions about my magazine subscription?

If you have questions about your magazine subscription, email subscriptions@newmoon.com .

How can I get something published in New Moon Girls magazine?

If you'd like something you wrote to be considered for New Moon Girls magazine, check the box requesting this when you upload something to "your stuff". Please note that space in New Moon Girls magazine is extremely limited, and we are unable to print everything girls submit. We created the website so girls have more ways to share their work with one another! You can also submit an original writing or artwork by emailing it to submissions@newmoon.com .

Why aren't I receiving emails from New Moon?

New Moon Girls frequently sends opt-in enewsletters, news about special promotions, or permission requests from girls by email. If you are not receiving emails from New Moon, please check your spam, junkmail, or trash folders, and add us to your "safe" list.

Technical Help

I forgot my password. What do I do?

You can reset your password by clicking on Forgot Your Password?. A temporary password will be sent to the email address you provide.

I'm having trouble using the site. Where do I go for help?

First, post your question in Ask A Girl. Other members can often help you in a day or less. If you don't get a solution, email us at help@newmoon.com. A New Moon staff member will respond to your question. Most questions receive responses within 24 hours, but please allow additional time for questions received on the weekend and holidays.

I submitted something to New Moon Girls, but it hasn't appeared. Why?

Everything at New Moon Girls is moderated by adult staff members. That means an adult staff member reads and approves every item submitted to the site no matter how big or small. For this reason, it may take up to a few days for your submission to appear online. Occasionally, however, a submission will not be approved and will not appear on the site. Some reasons for material not appearing online include, but are not limited to, sharing personally identifiable information like your last name, using inappropriate language, being disrespectful of other girls or of the community, and using stereotypes or prejudice.

I'm having a problem with my account.