special report

AMERICAN GIRL

American Girl is published bimonthly for girls aged 8 and up. According to their writer’s guidelines, they seek to encourage girls to dream big dreams and they work to “reinforce each reader’s self-confidence, curiosity, and self-esteem as she prepares to navigate adolescence in the years ahead.”

"Our lead time is approximately nine months or more." [This means that seasonal material needs to be sent nine months ahead or more.]

What American Girl is looking for --
NO Fiction – the last few issues I’ve looked at have had fiction by the same person. Clearly closing the door on fiction submissions saves a lot of editorial time, especially if you have a “go to” writer of fiction you can count on.

Nonfiction : Profiles – “We’re looking for individual girls or groups who are doing something other girls would love to read and learn about. Find a topic about which girls are passionate. Past pieces have featured girl entrepreneurs, girls who attend unusual schools, and girl bands. Look for new twists on familiar topics. Please send queries rather than finished manuscripts.”

Nonfiction: Girls Express – “This section offers the most opportunities for freelance writers. We’re looking for short profiles of girls who are into sports, the arts, unique hobbies, cultural activities, or other areas of interest. We are also looking for true stories about girls who have had unusual experiences. The girl must be the “star” and the story must be from her point of view. Be sure to include the age of the girls you’re pitching to us. Let us know if you have any photo leads. Stories should be no more than 150 words. In addition, we’re looking for easy crafts and recipes that can be explained in a few simple steps.”

Nonfiction: Craft and Cooking – “We welcome original craft and cooking ideas…. Projects should require limited parental involvement and supplies should be inexpensive and readily available. Keep in mind the skill level of our readers. Safety is a priority. Query with a short explanation of the project and an example, photograph, or sketch.

Sample issues cost $4.95 and are available at bookstores, Wal-Mart, and some grocery stores. Also a lot of public libraries subscribe. So really – you should read recent issues. If you order a sample copy from the company, it’ll cost you an extra dollar and you need to pay by check made out to “American Girl.”

All queries and requests for sample magazines should be sent to:
Magazine Department Assistant
American Girl
8400 Fairway Place
Middleton, WI 53562-2554
Please Note: American Girl cannot reply or return a manuscript unless you enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please allow 12 weeks for a reply.

From the Masthead:
Editorial Director: Jodi Goldberg
Senior Executive Editor: Kristi Thom
Associate Editor: Shelby Deering
Lifestyle Editor: Aubre Andrus

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

December 2009

Girls Express – These are the super short pieces that the editors are especially looking for from freelancers. Most are only a few sentences long.
That’s A Wrap – three different ways to wear a scarf that aren’t on your neck. Short two-sentence directions for using a scarf for hair, bracelet, and belt.
Meet Two AG Readers – short “quotes” from readers
Holiday Magic --Two short games to play with family. Each has three subheadings: The Game/The Trick/To Play. Each Game is really a puzzle that players have to figure out to “solve” the game.
Cheery Deer-y How to draw a reindeer with simple lines.
Winter Warmth Explains how to create a “jar gift” of special cocoa mix in a decorated jar.
MacKenzie’s Sweet Sleds A reader recipe for candy made from assembled bits melted together in a microwave.
True Story A touching reader letter about a family that refused to let a robbery spoil their Christmas and the community that helped make their wishes come true.
Indoor Snowman Directions for making snowman shapes from foam with magnets attached…then turning the fridge into a giant snowman.
AG Poll Questions about favorite holiday color and gifts you give friends.
AG Art Gallery A reader’s winter paintings.
Shining Star A girl who became “sock girl” by collecting and giving away warm socks to homeless people in shelters.
Short & Sweet A suggestion for helping with napkins for festive tables.

Contest: Creative Cookies – readers described cookie ideas and AG made them. (Next contest is to design your own superhero girl)

Heart to Heart: Free Gifts – AG readers describe gifts given or received that didn’t cost money but had great worth.

Cooking: Winter Layers – layered desserts with pudding, whipped cream, and different goodie layers. No cooking involved.

Craft: Button Up! – Crafts Made from buttons and glue to decorate barrettes, canvas bags, picture frames, jars&lids desk sets, paper clips, thumbtacks, and button necklaces.

Quiz: What’s Your Celebrating Style? Quiz to see if the reader is a tradition-freak or likes new things all the time. Each question has two choices for answer that suit either extreme.

The Gift of Family – Stories of two girls who are delighted to be adopted sisters, a girl whose adopted family adopted her brothers too, and a young teen girl whose family adopted a baby sister for her.

Have A Heartwarming Party – a party plan where girls get together to make fleece crafts for charity. Describes a party game, snacks, and crafts that could benefit families or even pet charities.

The Surprise Locket by Kathleen O’Dell – this is the fiction for the issue. The story is of a mistaken Christmas present that turns into a mystery and a chance to help others.

Doll Fun: Holiday Hair – Five hairstyles for the American Girl doll.

Puzzle Palooza – a variety of puzzles including picture puzzles (one had 10 things in a picture that begin or end with “W” for winter, And sled tracks that crisscross, the reader had to decide which sledder made which track. Photo Fun – a puppy picture in a frame covered with letters…when you mark off certain letters, the ones left show the name of the puppy. A logic picture puzzle with clues to figure out the identity of four girls in a puzzle. A puzzle about lining up ten snowballs in five rows of four. A puzzle to change “nice” into “cool” with one letter change at each step. A cocoa crossword puzzle. A word search for word with “4” in them.

Posters: A cute penguin baby and a pretty picture of iced cookies.

Help! – an advice column, this month covers a girl who saw her mother’s Christmas gift shopping list, a girl who worries that she’s acting mean, a girl who has trouble getting her homework done, a girl whose exotic friends make her feel dull, a girl who is teased for reading so much, a girl who feels left out because she celebrates Hanukkah, a girl who hates planes, a girl who got a nice gift for her mother but now has to say it’s from her brother too, a girl who worries about competing with a friend, a girl who tends to laugh too much, and a girl who’s lost her Christmas spirit.

Behind the Scenes – tells some small bits about how the issue was put together.