When I ask students about their writing goals, almost everyone says they want to write a book. (A lot say they want to write a series, but that’s a whole other post.) It’s the rare person (and I mean rare as in you can count them on one hand and have fingers left) that ever says they want to write for magazines.
Why books? I hear a lot of I-can’t-get-the-word-count-down or I-just-have-too-much-to-tell. (Well, you can get the word count down, but that’s another post, too.) Although it’s true, some writers are long writers, you don’t choose writing a book simply because it gives you unlimited space to prattle on about everything. For this, I suggest a journal. You choose writing a book because you write long, intricate stories.
But what about magazines? I can hear the newbies now: Who wants bread when you can have cake? Except it’s not a question of one being better than the other. It’s all about how you write. Not every writer can write everything (although a few do—think Jane Yolen). Some write long, some write short, some write fiction, others are put on this earth for nonfiction. And then there are poets. Some writers cross over and dip into several genres, some don’t. For short writers, magazines can be a perfect fit.
Unless you’re famous and have millions of readers, magazines also give you an audience. Highlights for Children reaches approximately two million readers. And isn’t that the point? Isn’t it the kids we’re writing for?
When I was a child, I went to the library All. The. Time. Books were part of my life. But it was my magazine subscriptions that thrilled me more—even a wee bit more than the books on my bookshelves. Why? Because they had my name on the label. They came right to my house. These stories were written just for me. Magazines are important; just as important as books. So if you can write short, do give magazines a try. There are millions of kids out there waiting for your work.
{ 6 comments }
he-he-he. I’m one of those “I Just have too much to tell” people. The idea of telling a short story, especially one for kid, scares me. I’m not very good at plotting to begin with, and trying to figure out how to do it in under a thousand words is a mystery. That said, great admiration for those who do! I too remember getting magazines as a kid and how much I looked forward to each new one.
Anne, I think the fear of how to write short is shared by a lot of writers. I’m wondering if short writers begin with a character instead of beginning with an idea. By narrowing the focus on a character instead of on a story, from the get-go, you might tighten a story down to a short story for magazines.
Writing stories with word limits honed my ability to write tighter. I haven’t been accepted yet by the main print magazines, (except crafts) but I’ve gotten close. My few fiction acceptances have been in e-magazines and an ebook anthology which thrilled me because they gave me the validation I needed to keep plugging away on novel writing.
Catherine, I think your acceptances are terrific.
And I agree about word limits. Tight writing is strong writing. I also think it’s just a matter of time for an acceptance in a print magazine. Determination is as important as any other skill we have in our quiver. Oh yes, keep plugging away!
Along with the reasons you mentioned, they want fame, immortality, and money, and books *seem* to confer that. Of course, ending up obscure, OOP, and poor is all too possible and they don’t realize it, but that too is another post. Great point about Highlights. How many books reach 2 million readers? I often ask students to imagine a child hurrying to the mailbox because it’s time again for their magazine to arrive, and they do seem to take heart from that.
Hi, Marcia. Kind of sad, isn’t it?
And I wish more children’s writers would think of magazines as possible markets. Kids LOVE their mags. Read the letters in the front of any Carus magazine. Talk about avid readers.
I think the image you convey to students, of a child hurrying to the mailbox, is terrific. I have to use that—thanks!
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