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Writer's Tips
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.
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?
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 |
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