Writing for Children's Magazines, Part 2: Some Submission Nuts & Bolts -- by Christy Mihaly

Are you considering writing for children’s magazines? Here are some submission basics.  (For the first part of this post, go to Part 1.)

Your Market

Kids’ magazines need lots of lively writing. If you write quality material that appeals to children, you can find a magazine to publish it -- the trick is finding the right one for you.

My market research started with Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers, from the Institute of Children’s Literature: http://www.writersbookstore.com/Books_on_Writing_for_Children.htm. 

    Another great resource is author-editor Evelyn Christensen’s e-zine, Writing for Children’s Magazines. For her alphabetical listings of magazines with links to their websites, go to: http://evelynchristensen.com/mags.html. Thank you Evelyn! 

     To keep abreast of changes in the market, the monthly subscription newsletter Children’s Writer is also helpful.  Its Marketplace section includes updates on magazines’ needs. (www.childrenswriter.com).

Get a sense of a magazine’s individual style by reading it. Browse online samples. Look in your library for back issues, or buy some samples. Don’t skip this step – you must understand your target magazine’s tone and character.  (Editors recommend reading at least 12 issues before submitting to a magazine.)

Review the magazine’s website -- carefully -- for the target age of readers, submission guidelines, and other requirements. Some magazines accept submissions only by e-mail; others only by U.S. mail. For articles, a magazine may want a bibliography, copies of sources, photo releases, etc.  Check and re-check.

Where to Submit?               

Do you want to submit on spec, send a query, or write to a theme?  There are magazines out there for all these preferences.

The largest, Highlights for Children, circulation about two million, doesn’t use themes. Other general interest children’s magazines are the Fun for Kidz publications (Hopscotch for Girls, Boys’ Quest, and Fun for Kidz), which are themed, and the U.S. Kids magazines (Jack & Jill, Humpty Dumpty, Turtle), which aren’t.

The magazines in the Carus/Cobblestone group (the “bug” magazines – Spider, Cricket, Ladybug, etc. – along with AppleSeeds, Calliope, Odyssey and several others), are highly respected and often used in classrooms. Some of these are themed, others not. 

Specialized magazines include National Geographic Kids, Boys’ Life (a Boy Scouts publication),Sports Illustrated for Kids, Pockets (devotional magazine used in Sunday Schools), and Skipping Stones (multi-cultural).

     There are hundreds more. Explore e-magazines and regional magazines.  And if you have a particular interest or expertise, from horses to skateboarding to archeology, look for a kids' magazine in that field. 

What about themes?

Some magazine themes are substantive and specific (I had an article in a 2012 AppleSeeds issue about “Who Did What in the Age of Exploration”); others, not so much (a current Hopscotch theme is “Unique and Unusual”). 

I prefer themes, because they tell me what the magazine wants.  An announced theme often gets my mental wheels turning.  And I really like that if a magazine accepts a piece for a themed issue, I know it will be published on the date that specific issue comes out, rather than sitting in a file drawer for months or years.

You'll find theme lists on individual magazines' websites.  In addition, children's author and educational writer Liana Mahoney has compiled and posted a list of magazine and anthology themes, which she regularly updates.  Thanks, Liana!  See her website at:  http://www.lianamahoney.com/8.html. 

One more thing about themes: more than once, I’ve been surprised to learn that an article I submitted for an announced theme was accepted . . . but that it would appear in a different issue, with a newly announced theme that fit my piece to a “T.” So – anything can happen!

Manuscript or Query?

     With fiction, you have to submit the complete manuscript.  For nonfiction, requirements vary.  Some magazines (e.g., Pockets, Hopscotch, Spider) generally require manuscripts.  Some accept either manuscripts or queries (e.g., Boys’ Life).  Others (like many in the Carus/Cobblestone group) accept only queries. 

I love queries!  Although a query requires substantial research and thought, and you have to follow the magazine's guidelines, it’s never as much work as writing a complete article.  Then if the magazine accepts your proposal, you’ll have a clear assignment (including focus of your article, tentative title, and word limit). When you write the article, you’ll know it’s just what the editor is looking for. 

I hope this helps you find the right magazine home for your writing. Of course . . . if you already have a polished manuscript, and your research indicates it’s a good fit for a particular magazine – then send it out! Good luck with it, and let me know how it goes!