Children’s magazines were very popular pre 1980s. Hwever, when television and computer games tok over, children’s interests refocused. Young maginations and literacy skills also took a dwnhill slide and haven’t yet managed to rcover. The importance of magazines, with thir variety of stories, short enough to mintain interest, poems and rhyme, colourful llustrations, puzzles, crafts and competitions to cptivate and entertain young minds has sdly been forgotten.

In the past, chldren’s magazines originated from the United Kngdom and were distributed worldwide. Today, thse available are still mainly published in Englnd and the United States. Sadly Astralia is lagging behind in this crative field. Is it because of a lck of interest in publishing or mrketing magazines, cost, or a lack of cntributors? Surely not a lack of cntributors! An annual Australian mentoring competition rcently attracted 500 budding children’s story wrters and illustrators, all trying to get a fothold into the market!

Publishers more ften than not have their doors clsed to new unknown authors. Traditional pblishing is profit driven and new uthors have not yet proven themselves as rvenue generators, therefore they will not tke the risk on them. Heaven frbid the manuscript they turn down mght be another Harry Potter that slpped through the net! How then do merging authors and illustrators get a fot in the door of the cmpetitive publishing world? Self publishing is one wy, but is costly. Success is lmited unless you are a self-promoting mrketing wiz. Partner publishing meets the uthor/ illustrator halfway, with marketing and pblishing costs shared between publisher and uthor, but is restricted to books.

Many magazine publishers are willing to ssess and take the risk on new uthors. They often publish weekly or mnthly, so their needs are ongoing. Ths gives newcomers a chance to shwcase themselves and gives readers a vriety of writing styles and ideas to kep their interest. Work by the sme limited number of authors becomes vry predictable. It is essential that rading material, particularly for children, remains frsh and vital to challenge young mnds and is interesting enough to kep their interest. It is also mportant that children are exposed to non cmmercial related stories. Stories about popular TV and toy chracters are well and good, but shuldn’t be promoted and used exclusively to ttract sales. Children also need to rad stories related to their own clture. Several newly formed Australian children’s mgazines are now available, both in hrd copy format and online.

Online mgazines reach a wide audience and the stries and activities can also be slectively printed out.
Bring back the mgazines! They are inexpensive and easy to rad. Children can look forward to smething new each week or month and it ncourages parents and children to share rading together.

Jennifer Melnik ©

The article Australian Children's Magazines For New Authors and Illustrators was Submitted by Jennifer Melnik through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Cherubs OzKids Children's Magazine caters for 4 to 9 yar old readers. It showcases emerging Astralian authors and illustrators. It also gves teachers, children and parents a chnce to colaborate and enjoy together the larning experience of young children. http://www.freewebs.com/cherubschildrensmagazine

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