How to Write for Children's Magazines

Familiarize yourself with child publication markets, which vary widely in age and interests. General magazines may concentrate on an age range, a religious denomination or specific interests. Learn whether specific publications publish fiction, nonfiction or both. Writer's guidelines should alert you to word counts and acceptable topics. Pay attention to requirements. Magazines rarely make exceptions.

Identify your readers. A story for a five-year-old boy is totally different than one for a preteen girl. Know a publication's audience so that your writing speaks to them and doesn't talk down to them.

Write fiction for child magazines with the word count in mind. Children expect an interesting character and exciting plot even if you're limited to 300 words. Use dialogue to communicate information in as few words as possible. Well-written dialogue carries an added benefit of increasing reader attention.

Consider writing nonfiction for a better chance at being published. As with adult magazines, far more nonfiction is published than fiction. Research your topic extensively, and then give your nonfiction article a narrow focus. Writing about dogs is too general for a saleable article. Writing about kids who train dogs for the disabled carries a specific focus. Many child publications use sidebars with articles. Find out if the market you're writing for does.

Hook your reader with a great title. Think of the table of contents like the candy at the checkout counter. Your title needs to stand out from all the others. Children respond well to humor or mysteries as well.

Use active verbs and leads that yank a reader into the story for both fiction and nonfiction. Edit your work with a critical eye before sending it out. Make certain the format and style are similar to what the publication usually publishes. You'll amaze yourself with the number of words that you can cut.

Conclude any story in a children's magazine in a satisfactory manner. No loose ends should remain. Sometimes conclusions point back to the beginning so that the story comes full circle.