Although some adult magazines do accept short story submissions from freelancers, it is much easier to sell short stories to children’s magazines. If you have a love for children and if you can write an entertaining story, this might be a great market for you. Most children’s magazines have at least one short story per issue, but make sure you study the individual magazines you will be targeting to ensure that your story aligns well with their other material.
Write for the Age Group
There are three basic markets for selling short stories to children’s magazines: The 6-8 age group, the 9-13 age group and the 14+ age group. Each of these separate markets has different “rules” regarding how stories should be written and the content they contain, so make sure you are familiar with the age group you intend to target. For example, a story about a girl’s first day of high school probably wouldn’t interest the 6-8 age group or the 14+ age group, but would definitely be well-received in the 9-13 group.
Keep it Short
One of the most important factors of selling short stories to children’s magazines is the length of your story. Ideally, according to Writer’s Market, short stories should be between 1,000 and 1,200 words, with an absolute minimum of 700 and a maximum of 1,800. Short stories written for children must be tightly focused, easily understood, and should involve no more than three or four characters. Some children’s magazines prefer short stories told in the first person while others prefer the third. Look at back issues to see which one will work with which specific magazines.
Use the Elements of a Story
Just because you are writing for children doesn’t mean that your short story can cut corners. Make sure you include all of the elements of a story when trying to sell to children’s magazines, including an introduction, a presentation of conflict and a resolution. The conflict doesn’t need to be life-or-death when writing for children, but it should be a common problem faced by people in that age group. For example, problems for the 6-8 age group might include monsters in the closet, obnoxious substitutes or giving book reports.
Identify with Your Reader
The most important character in your short story is the main character, which is the child with whom your readers should be able to identify. He or she should have characteristics that are found in all children and should never be a total superhero. Fears, doubts, worries and triumphs should emulate those experienced by actual children. You won’t be able to sell a short story to a children’s magazine without a sympathetic main character.
