CHILDREN'S WRITERS MARKETPLACE

August 2002

Welcome to the Children's Writers Marketplace at its new location! Applause goes to Children's Book Insider for hosting it! For those who weren't readers at Inkspot or later at my own site, my name is Margaret Shauers. I have been active in many writing areas over the past 30+ years, but writing for children remains my best love. Over the past several years, I've been working in the activity book and game book areas. I also freelance children's short fiction and puzzles and do some adult material. The magazine market list I sell grew from my own writing card file. I now include nonfiction markets, as well. Information about ordering the full 350+ market list is given at the end of this column.

This issue comes from me--and readers! Without Chitra and Mary, it would have been even slimmer! I do appreciate your feed-in about markets. We none of us send to the same publications, or at least not at the same time. And markets change overnight anymore. Please, all of you, do share when you learn something new.

FROM MY MAIL:

Live Wire, 8121 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45231: Carrie Girton, Editor. This religious publication is for the older age group (5th & 6th grade) formerly served by R-A-D-A-R. They do not want fiction from adults (they will use both fiction and poetry from preteens) now has very restricted needs, mostly about actual kids today. Mostly short, to about 250 words. They will no longer have a theme list after the current one--and will only be interested in current-event stories about Christian preteens, mission stories, or stories about Christian athletes, musicians and professionals. Puzzles are done only on assignment. It sounds as if they may also pay preteen writers something. Pay is on acceptance. They buy either first or reprint rights.

The Student Traveler, 45 Charles Street East, Suite 100, Toronto, ON M46 1S2 Canada: Sherry Brown, Managing Editor. This publication uses student and budget traveler information of 500-1200 words. They pay .10 Canadian per word on publication for 1^st rights and accept reprints. Query by email. Copies available at any Travel CUTS office. Guidelines by email to stutrav@travelcuts.com. Website: http://www.travelcuts.com.

Living, which uses some material for teens, is overstocked on all materials.

Michelle Yu, Editorial Assistant, is the contact person at Sports Illustrated for Kids, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York NY 10020. This sports magazine is aimed at children 8-13. They use nonfiction of 100-1500 words. Pays $75-$1000 on acceptance for ALL rights. They have a 16 page bimonthly section, Girls and Sports Extra--and want writers Website: http://www.sikids.com.

The website for Discovery Trails and other Nazarene Press magazines is www.radiantlife.org.

Candlewick Press accepts submissions from illustrators, but now accepts manuscript submissions only through agents.

Fun for Kidz has a website, too: www.funforkidzmagazine.com. Submissions should go to Virginia Edwards, Associate Editor. The address is P.O. Box 227, Bluffton OH 45817-0227.

The website for Highlights for Children now is www.highlightsforchildren.com.

The Dolphin Log, The Cousteau Society, 870 Greenbrier Circle, Suite 402, Chesapeake VA 23320: Lisa Rao, Editor. This magazine for 7 to 13 year-olds uses 500-700 word natural history and water-related nonfiction. They use related poetry. They pay $25-$150 on publication for one-time and translation rights. They ask that all material be scientifically up-to-date and accurate and their latest listings are not listing fiction. They do use puzzles. Don't write anthropomorphically. Website: www.cousteausociety.org.

Not written for kids, but the Chicken Soup people have a new one for parents coming--Chicken Soup for the Single Parent's Soul. The address is 526 W 14^th St., #185, Traverse City MI 49684. They want stories that evoke a positive emotion, from 300-12000 words. They want a brief bio at the end of the manuscript. Pays $300 on publication. Deadline is September 15. Check this out at www.singleparentsoul.com.

Key Porter Books, 70 The Esplanade, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1R2 Canada. They publish picture books for ages 4-8 on natural history, animals and the environment. They also produce abridgements of classics for middle grade readers and a few Young Adult and parenting titles. They do NOT accept unsolicited manuscripts. Query by mail with a cover letter and outline addressed to Submissions. Payment is by advance and royalty. Website: www.keyporter.com.

Young Rider, Box 8237, Lexington KY 40533: Lesley Ward, Editor uses fiction of 800-1000 words. Occasionally uses 800 word features on topics that staff writers can't cover due to location. For children 8-15. Feature sales are dependent on your ability to provide color slides or photos. Payment is $100 up for 1^st NA Serial Rights. Website: www.youngrider.com.

The editors at Guide, Review & Herald Publishing, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown MD 21740, say the key to breaking in there with "a true story that shows in a clear way that God is involved in a 10- to 14-year-old's life." Randy Fishell is Editor and Helen Lee is Associate Editor. Email: guide@rhpa.org. Website: www.guidemagazine.org.

Changes at YM: Nicole Fasolino (formerly Fashion assistant), Lori Majewski (formerly executive editor) and Sophie Schulte-Hillen (formerly senior Beauty writer) have all moved to other firms.

Renaissance House, 9400 Lloydcrest Drive, Beverly Hills CA 90210: Sam Laredo, Publisher; Raquel Benatar, Editor. This house specializes in highly illustrated children's books for ages 6-15. Multicultural topics and Spanish bilingual titles are their specialties. Their guidelines are at http://www.renaissancehouse.net/recruit.htm.

Barefoot Books, PO Box 382207, Cambridge MA 02238-2207: Alison Keehn, Associate Editor. This small, independent publishing company specializes in high quality picture books for children of all ages. They want material that supports independence of spirit, encourages openness to others and fosters a life-long love of learning. They pay by advance and royalty. Guidelines are available at http://www.barefoot-books.com/us/index.php3?page=35. email: alison.keehn@barefootbooks.com. Website: www.barefootbooks.com.

From Mary came info about this new online market:

Youthweekly.com is a new online publication for youth. I find the guideline page a bit hard to use, but they use middle grade and young adult material: fiction to 2000 words; nonfiction to 3000 words. They also use poetry and photos. They don't pay much yet, but buy one-time electronic rights only at $2.00 for each story or article; $1.00 per poem. Address Editor/Youthweekly.com, 8359 Elk Grove Florin Road, Suite 102, #188, Sacramento CA 95829. Email material to submissions@youthweekly.net.

From Chitra: Wee Parents will be discontinued with the December 2002 issue. The publisher plans to put more focus on Wee Ones. Margaret's note: The information I have on Wee Ones is belowJ

Wee Ones E-Magazine: www.weeonesmag.com. Wants read-aloud stories of 150-500 on most topics (no religious) for children ages 3-8. Also nonfiction, crafts, puzzles, cooking. They also want artwork. Pay is .03 word, $5 for poems, $3-$20 for artwork and photos for 1^st electronic rights. A companion magazine, Big Ones is geared toward parents and needs articles up to 700 words. Editor at both magazines is Jennifer Reed. Email submissions to submissions@weeonesmag.com. (Note: for those who have asked about the rebus--they had one in the magazine near the end of January.) They also do book reviews so if you have a children's book out, check this out!

Also from Chitra: Both Today's Christian Teen and Today's Christian Senior no longer accept freelance articles. And MH-18 has folded. The website and email she had for Smile are nonfunctioning. I don't have this one in my market list so if I had it in the column, it must have been a no-pay publication. The website for Tigerbeat now is www.seventeen.com. (She has not been able to find a new email--and I have not been able to find a new mailing address. Does anyone have it?) And the email I had for All About You no longer works.

And again from Chitra: Larry Becker is no longer editor at Listen Magazine. Anita Jacobs is taking care of both Listen and Winner. (Note from Margaret: Information on both magazines is below.)

Listen Magazine, 55 W Oak Ridge Dr., Hagerstown MD 21740: Anita Jacobs, Editor. This publication for older teens is produced by the Seventh Day Adventists, but still wants no overt religious emphasis. Fiction should concern temperance (drugs, alcohol, etc.) and other stories about the problems of teens. Stories of 1000 to 1200 words bring .05-.10 word on acceptance. They buy rights to use in Listen, in subsequent reprints, and advertising excerpts. They use poetry--and they use work from teens (teens should send bio and photo). They use theme puzzles, but do not want Bible puzzles since many copies are distributed in secular schools. Email: listen@healthconnection.org. Website: http://www.rhpa.org/.

The Winner, 55 W Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown MD 21740: Anita Jacobs, Editor. This 7^th Day Adventist publication is for elementary school children, grades 4-6. They like true stories or true stories of children, 500-600 words. They prefer e-mail (attached file). Pays $50-$80 on acceptance for 1^st or reprint rights. Email: winner@healthconnection.org. I've found that they want an activity of some sort to accompany each story and that they want several questions for children to answer about the stories. This magazine is used in secular classroom so they want moral, but not religious emphasis, material. The same is true of Listen.

INTERESTING SITES THIS MONTH:

Anyone interested, please check out my online classes, "Write Short Stories for Children." This is basic instruction and is open to all. You can see it at: http://universalclass.com/i/arts/creativewriting/classes/2371.htm.

More experienced writers might want to check out "Children's Fiction: In Depth Plotting." This course requires my permission. Email me for details. It costs more than "Write Short Stories for Children," but offers more in-depth critique. (Four or five instead of one). Participants in this one also get a copy of my market listings. The url is http://universalclass.com/i/arts/creativewriting/classes/3499.htm

This question about Scribum & Story Plus from Melanie: Do you know anyone who has joined Scribum & had work published. I looked at both websites & Scribum seems new & almost too good to be true. I always check these things out before I sign my life away. I'll be checking with a couple online groups to see what I find out, too.

Julie wants information. She writes: I was wondering if you have any information on Whispers from Heaven, a magazine that I believe is published in Chicago. I have seen it advertised on magazine sites, and in fact, I submitted a story to them in May, but haven't got a response yet. I was wondering if you could give me any background on the mag. (I don't have information about it, Julie. Does anyone else?)

Carolyn asks if anyone knows or reputable e-book children's publishers. If you know of any, please write and I will list them here next month!

Georgia is would like to find a course (or a mentor) to help her enter the children's fantasy writing arena. Recommendations?

The 6^th Annual Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop will be held the weekend of December 6-8 with editors, authors and agents present. Big Sur Lodge in Big Sur, CA. Call the Henry Miller Library at (831) 667-2574 or email hmlib@henrymiller.org.

Note to letter writers: Thank you for your emails. I read them all and I try to answer as many varied questions as possible. I also have a backlog so it can take time. If I don't use your letter in the column within two months, it's for one of the following reasons. (A.) I've answered a very similar question in the past. Please check the FAQ section and the Archives. (most now available at http://www.odsys.net/bookbarn/.) . (B.) I no longer publish letters where I must do more than very minor grammar and spelling corrections. This includes the many letters I get where no capitalization is used. Editing letters takes too much time–and such letters hardly indicate a serious commitment to writing. Believe me, editors never take poorly constructed writing seriously! (C.) I do not critique writing and no longer respond to emails requesting such services.

Dear Joan:

It sounds like a good story. What you will need to do is to research which publishers use similar material. I know there are animal presses. I would begin by checking "Books in Print" at your local library to see what is being done in this area. Then see if the library has any of the publisher's picture books in stock. If not, you can probably get them through interlibrary loan. When you find something that seems to match the tone (and uses photos), look the publisher(s) up in Writer's Market. Send for their catalog--or check it online if they have one up--and writer's guidelines. Approach them as they request.

Best of luck!

Margaret

AUGUST TIP: Back-to-school articles can be covered. Back-to-school fiction for next year's magazines is a good bet, too. And do forget that short material--recipes, jokes, puzzles and poetry are used by magazines, too. They don't pay as much per item, but magazines use a lot of them, and they don't take as much time to write either.

TO ORDER my complete 350+ Children's Writers magazine market list (paying markets ONLY; approx. 1/3 are Christian markets): send $4.50 in check or money order or $5.00 by Paypal for an email copy; $7.75 ($8.75 outside US) for print snail mail copy. Please, no Paypal payments on these. If you cannot send funds drawn on an actual U.S. bank, please send an International Money order. Please allow 7-10 days for snail mail; up to a month outside US. This list is updated whenever I get new information and is seldom exactly the same two days in a row. Margaret Shauers, 1411 12th Street, Great Bend KS 67530 USA.

Click here to view July's Children's Writers Marketplace