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WRITING FOR TEEN MAGAZINES
by Mridu Khullar
I would look at
the magazines my teenage neighbor and her friends stashed away in their
cupboards and think, "Heck, I could do that!" So one day, while she was away at
school, I broke into her room and "borrowed" the magazines.
Teenage
magazines have changed since we were teens, I can tell you that. No longer do
they advocate sex after marriage and accepting everything for what it is.
Teenage magazines today are a whole different gamut. So, if you go into shock
mode quickly, this market may not be your cup of tea.
If you want to
get published in the teenage market, you have to be familiar with the slang
that kids these days use. Gone are the days of the grammar appropriate "I have
a crush on…" Now girls are crushing on guys, hanging with their friends
and trying to achieve super cool status. And if you’ve got a problem with
that, take a chill pill!
Forget vocabulary, forget grammar. Throw all
the rules your English teacher taught you in the trash, because you’re not
going to need many of them. That’s the deal. When writing for teenagers,
you’ve got to be one. You’ve got to think like a thirteen-year old
trying to figure out if the guy she’s crushing on really likes her or not.
It might not be a big deal for you, but for that thirteen year old, it’s
her life. It’s important.
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Which
brings me to another important aspect—you have to give importance to the
subject matter. If you think fighting with your best friend is no big deal, you
have no place writing for this market. On the other hand, if you
whole-heartedly believe that the sole reason of your existence is the guy you
can’t take your eyes off, then you might have a chance. Don’t
misinterpret this to mean that teenagers aren’t involved in serious
issues, though. You’ll often find articles and issues for the serious
teen—community service, road rage, drinking and even drugs—all topics
that are given their share of space in these magazines.
Writing
articles, quizzes and short stories for this particular market can be a lot of
fun. Connect with the younger side of you and write about the ups and downs of
high school, making and breaking friends, dating and dumping guys and most
importantly, accepting the person you are—in mind and in body. Teenage
girls have many more issues with their bodies than do boys, and this is the
reason that girl magazines far outnumber magazines for boys.
Before
you start though, you might want to meet up with some youngsters to get a hold
of their priorities, their interests and their lifestyle. Until you don’t
have the mindset of a teenager and aren’t capable of the thought processes
of one, you’re not going to find success here.
In writing a query
to the editor, the most important aspect is your idea and its presentation.
Through your query, the editor has to know your voice, your talent and how much
you understand this particular age group. It should be apparent from your query
that you understand the publication and its requirements. The study-your-market
rule applies even more strictly to this market as each magazine has its own
lingo and voice.
The pay rates of these magazines, like other consumer
magazines, vary widely depending on the publication and its requirements. In
general, you can earn anywhere from $10 to $2,000 for a single piece. Quizzes
are very popular among teens and again pay quite well. If you’re a
cartoonist or illustrator, you can add even more. And you know what, you can
get rich writing for teen magazines!
Once you’re hooked though,
you’ll find that writing for teenagers is so much fun, that you’ll
want to do it over and over again, money or no money. This is one market, where
the fun simply exceeds the work factor. So, what are you waiting for? Bring out
those high school photographs and like, get writing already?
© Mridu Khullar
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mridu Khullar
is the editor-in-chief of
www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for
writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book
with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A
Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at
http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
1)
Picture Writing: A New Approach to Writing for Kids and
Teens by Anastasia Suen
2)
Your Name in Print: A Teen's Guide to Publishing for Fun,
Profit and Academic Success by Timothy Harper
3)
A Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs by Victor C.
Pellegrino
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