Pitching Children's Markets, Part I

Tap into your inner kid to educate and entertain with pitches to these children's publications

By Katie Bunker - June 22, 2010

Writing for children is tougher than you think. It calls for a unique balance of creativity, concise explanations, good values, and fun -- and while the market may not pay as much as the big boys, it also offers a lot of opportunities that many writers have yet to tap.

For one, there's stability: Many children's pubs tend to rely on different sources of revenue -- a particularly loyal subscription base, product sales, the development of educational materials, and more. Parents who might cut a subscription to Time out of the family budget might be less likely to cut Cricket, a Carus Publishing magazine that offers as much in terms of educational value as it does in pure nostalgia. "People have an emotional tie to our magazines," says Victoria Telfer, editorial assistant for Cricket Magazine Group.

Remember that with children's magazines, the lead time may be much longer, and the manuscript review period (that's right, many pubs want your finished manuscript, no queries) can be quite long. Persistent follow-ups may not help you as much as patience in this particular market. Read on for details about how to pitch:...