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Children’s magazines were very popular pre 1980s. H wever, when television and computer games t ok over, children’s interests refocused. Young maginations and literacy skills also took a d wnhill slide and haven’t yet managed to r cover. The importance of magazines, with th ir variety of stories, short enough to m intain interest, poems and rhyme, colourful llustrations, puzzles, crafts and competitions to c ptivate and entertain young minds has s dly been forgotten. In the past, ch ldren’s magazines originated from the United K ngdom and were distributed worldwide. Today, th se available are still mainly published in Engl nd and the United States. Sadly A stralia is lagging behind in this cr ative field. Is it because of a l ck of interest in publishing or m rketing magazines, cost, or a lack of c ntributors? Surely not a lack of c ntributors! An annual Australian mentoring competition r cently attracted 500 budding children’s story wr ters and illustrators, all trying to get a f othold into the market! Publishers more ften than not have their doors cl sed to new unknown authors. Traditional p blishing is profit driven and new uthors have not yet proven themselves as r venue generators, therefore they will not t ke the risk on them. Heaven f rbid the manuscript they turn down m ght be another Harry Potter that sl pped through the net! How then do merging authors and illustrators get a f ot in the door of the c mpetitive publishing world? Self publishing is one w y, but is costly. Success is l mited unless you are a self-promoting m rketing wiz. Partner publishing meets the uthor/ illustrator halfway, with marketing and p blishing 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 m nthly, so their needs are ongoing. Th s gives newcomers a chance to sh wcase themselves and gives readers a v riety of writing styles and ideas to k ep their interest. Work by the s me limited number of authors becomes v ry predictable. It is essential that r ading material, particularly for children, remains fr sh and vital to challenge young m nds and is interesting enough to k ep their interest. It is also mportant that children are exposed to non c mmercial related stories. Stories about popular TV and toy ch racters are well and good, but sh uldn’t be promoted and used exclusively to ttract sales. Children also need to r ad stories related to their own c lture. Several newly formed Australian children’s m gazines are now available, both in h rd copy format and online. Online m gazines reach a wide audience and the st ries and activities can also be s lectively printed out.
Bring back the m gazines! They are inexpensive and easy to r ad. Children can look forward to s mething new each week or month and it ncourages parents and children to share r ading 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 y ar old readers. It showcases emerging A stralian authors and illustrators. It also g ves teachers, children and parents a ch nce to colaborate and enjoy together the l arning experience of young children. http://www.freewebs.com/cherubschildrensmagazine
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