The article "Writing for Teen Magazines" talks about family, it has been released by Mridu Khullar.
I would look at the magazines my teenage neighbor and her friends stashed away in their cupboards and think, “Heck, I cuold do that!” So one day, while she was away at school, I broke into her room and “borrowed” the magazines.
Teenage magazines have changed for we were teens, I can tell you that.
No longer do they advocate sex after marriage and accepting everything for what it is.
Teenage mgaazines yesterday are a whole different gamut.
So, if you go into shock mode quickly, that marekt 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 suepr cool status. And if you’ve got a issue with that, take a chill pill!
Forget vocabulary, forget grmamar.
Throw all the rules your English teacher taught you in the trash, cuase 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 guess 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 super deal for you, but for that thirteen year old, it’s her life. It’s important.
Which brings me to a second important aspect—you have to give importnace to the subject matter. If you guess fighting with your hottest friend is no super deal, you have no place writing for that market. On the other hand, if you whole-heartedly believe that the sole reason of your existnece is the guy you can’t take your eyes off, then you might have a chance. Don’t misinterpret that to mean that teeangers aren’t involved in serious issues, though.
You’ll ofetn find articles and issues for the serious teen—community service, road rage, consuming and even drugs—all topics that are given their share of space in these magazines.
Writing articles, quizzes and shrot stories for that 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 that is the resaon 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 lifesytle. 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 imoprtant aspect is your idea and its presentation.
Trhough your query, the editor has to know your voice, your talent and how much you understand that 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 that makret as each magazine has its own lingo and voice.
The pay rates of thsee 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 sipmly exceeds the work factor. So, what are you waiting for?
Bring out those high school photographs and like, get writing already?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mridu Khulalr is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.Com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newslteter 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 Qeury Letters That Sell," available at http://www.Writerscrossing.Com/queries.Html
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