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guidelines for kid magazine writers.com

KIDS MAGAZINE WRITERS depends upon the generosity of the children’s magazine writing community for content. We believe that experienced writers do naturally want to help along those starting out. We believe that although writing is competitive, it is not cut-throat. Thus, this site is designed to serve the community. We take in no money, so we give out no money (sorry about that). Submissions may be made by email to editor at kidmagwriters.com -- please, do not send attachments. Paste the submission into the body of the email. If you cut and paste directly out of Microsoft^® Word, much of your formatting (including quotation marks) will be lost. The best way to ensure that your article looks the way you wrote it, is to save it as a text file first, then cut and paste into your email. List your full name (as you wish it to be bylined) and your email address IN THE EMAIL TEXT itself. If you would like your article to include any kind of promotional information (your book titles, or your personal website URL, or a push for your favorite charity) please, include that information as well.

Since we do not use contracts, you are only giving us one-time use. We would like to run each article for one month with the exception of the one market report and the editor interviews --those will be linked to the market described in the market guide for as long as the information contained is relevant, so, please, do not submit a “One Market” report unless you are comfortable giving us nonexclusive rights to that piece.

We are open to submission in any of our departments. Most departments are open to both instructive and motivational articles (and much of the content will be a balance of both.) Because we are an online publication only, we are not bound by the word count rigidity of a magazine that must fit each page. Therefore we ask only that your word count reflect the need of the article -- use the number of words necessary to be convey what you need to say.

DEPARTMENTS

KIDS WRITE: Articles of interest to young writers. This can be both print and online magazines.

ONE MARKET: A report on a single market with which you have extensive experience. These reports should cover what you have learned from the process of selling several times to the same market -- market needs, tone, style, editorial process, any special formatting preferences, any special research preferences, any information about photo/art submissions (if applicable). Anything a writer needs to be aware of to make a better connection and quicker sale with that market. This can be both print and online magazines.

SPIRITUAL MATTERS: Articles relating to writing for spiritual magazines. This can include suggestions for learning more about these magazines, continuing needs that people may not be aware of, and style suggestions.

WINNING WORDS: Articles relating to specific contests or your feelings about contests in general. If it relates to contests, we’ll put it here.

EDITORS SPEAK: Interviews with magazine editors -- from both print and online magazines. This can be a single editor piece or a “round up” with quotes from several editors on a single topic.

CONSIDER THIS: Unusual magazine submissions that readers may not have tried -- how-to pieces, activities, rebus stories, quizzes. Or unusual markets the readers may not have considered -- local papers, regional parenting magazines, newsletters, etc) This article should give any necessary “how-to” information (including formatting tips) and list some possible markets for the type of piece you are describing.

ART SMARTS: Interviews with illustrators who have worked with children’s magazines. Or articles by illustrators of children’s magazines. This should include insights from the illustrator both for other illustrators and for authors.

IN MY OFFICE: Articles on the writing life unrelated to the words themselves. This can include product reviews of interest to writers (includes writing courses, writing books, writing software -- remember, each review much focus on how the product would help MAGAZINE writers) suggestions for efficient office management, keeping up with the paperwork of writing, efficient use of your computer, time management, contracts -- anything that would interest writers that relates to the professional writing life.

I’M PUBLISHED: The story of your first publication. This is a first-person account of your first sale. It should cover what made you write the piece, how you marketed it, what the editorial process was like, your feelings, and anything you learned from the experience.

LEARNING CURVE: This department focuses on sources for learning more about writing -- courses, resources, reviews of writing books, anything relating directly to learning more about writing for magazines.

THAT’S A FACT: Nonfiction techniques. Articles relating to anything that might interest a nonfiction writer. Research, organization, interviews, topic selection, slant, tone, how to make nonfiction more interactive, etc. These articles can be targeted to beginning or advanced writers (your submission doesn’t have to interest both).

STORYTELLING: Fiction writing techniques. Plot, dialogue, pacing, tension, stylistic tips (such as explaining dialogue format), etc. These articles can be targeted to beginning or advanced writers (your submission doesn’t have to interest both).

METER READERS: Poetry techniques. Reader age and poetry, story telling and poetry, light poetry, meter, rhyme, types of poetry, etc. These articles can be targeted to beginning or advanced poets (your submission doesn’t have to interest both.)

IN THE BEGINNING: Information of interest to writers in the early years of their career. Articles of interest would be creating cover and query letters, basic manuscript guidelines, and other similar topics.

If you have an article submission that does not easily fit under any of the above departments, send it to editor at kidsmagwriters.com anyway. If you have a great writing-related joke or poem, we’ll consider that as well. If it relates to children’s magazine writing, we will find a fit -- you may be opening up a whole new department!

This page last updated on 01 August 2004