"Writing Craft Articles and Young Nonfiction Articles for HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN" with Pam Zollman

Mel is Mel Boring, moderator of this chat with Pam Zollman, and editor of the ICL web site.

Pam is Pam Zollman, crart articles and young nonfiction articles editor of HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN Magazine.

Pink shows the user names of the people and questions that were asked of Pam.

Mel: A WARM WELCOME to you again, from Mel Boring and Pam Zollman! You are in for a treat tonight. Pam works at HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN Magazine, and is their editor for craft articles, as well as nonfiction for the under-8-year-olds. She has been a children's writer for over 15 years, of stories and articles, as well as novels for young readers. She is a writer, an editor, and an expert on marketing. Pam, THANKS for being with us, and a WARM WELCOME tonight!

Pam: I'm excited about being here!

Mel: Pam, were you a child writer wonder, or how/when did you begin writing at all?

Pam: The first time I can remember writing I was 7 and I wrote a poem and my family thought it was wonderful and encouraged me to write, so did my teachers. I also wrote a "novel" when I was 12. I've been writing ever since.

Mel: Do you remember what that novel was about--I won't steal the idea, I promise!

Pam: Oh yes. I did no research, but it was about a castle in France and a ghost, and I had a lot of fun writing it, even though I knew nothing about France. The setting was extremely similar to Galveston, Texas except with some cliffs thrown in.

Mel: When did you begin to get any INKling that you would be a writer?

Pam: My mother told me.

Mel: Just how did she do that?

Pam: Well, after I wrote that poem when I was 7, she told me how great it was and that I was going to be a great writer. And she told me about all the relatives (some very distant) who were also writers. Margaret Mitchell is on some far branch of my family tree.

Mel: So you had MANY writers in your family--and even Margaret Mitchell! Have you started your own version of GONE WITH THE WIND yet?

Pam: LOL! Well, not quite. I'm working on a middle-grade novel called "I Left My Underwear In San Francisco."

Mel: COOL title! Do you publish for adults as well as children?

Pam: Well, I've written articles about writing, but I used to write nonfiction articles for adults before I discovered how much I love writing for kids.

Mel: Did your own children have anything to do with your becoming a writer for children?

Pam: I think so. They are always doing something that I've said would make a good story, and now they want part of my royalty check. Don't Bug Me is a direct result of their science projects in school--collecting insects. After finding bugs in my freezer, I said, "I have to write about this!"

Mel: HA! What a GREAT story, Pam!

Pam: But before that, I wrote short stories that were inspired by things they did. They asked me to change the names of the main characters to protect the guilty.

Mel: Can you give us an example of one of those stories inspired by things they did?

Pam: Another bug story: They got a larger-than-life roach as a party favor--who on earth gives THAT as a party favor? Anyway they know how much I HATE roaches, so they put it in a bowl of potatoes that I was peeling for supper, and of course I screamed and they yelled GOTCHA! So I wrote a story about that called "Gotcha!"

Mel: Here's a good question that will take us into your editing as well as writing for children, Pam.

tricia: How did you get started in the field? Thank you :)

Pam: I worked as a technical editor for Boeing Aerospace Company, then did some freelance editing for Steck-Vaughn, then Kent asked me if I wanted to interview for a job as an assistant editor for Highlights. I'd written for Highlights before (and I won their fiction contest back in 1996). I had met Kent back in 1991 at Chautauqua.

donnaj: The poem you mentioned writing as a child, do you remember the poem to this day?

Pam: No, but I'm sure my mother could recite it for you.

Mel: Bless our Mothers, for remembering the important things!

tricia: What would you say is most important thing in writing for children?

Pam: Good question, and hard to answer. First I'd say to remember that you are writing for kids. You'd be surprised how many people forget that; instead, they write from an adult point of view. When I was teaching writing classes in Houston that's one of the first things I'd notice. The stories were really from the adult's point of view, even if a child was supposed to be the main character. Also when you write for kdis, remember not to lecture. Nobody likes a lecture. The stories or articles should be fun first and any moral or lesson should be subtle. If you're writing nonfiction, remember to narrow the focus of the article. Also, if you write fiction, make sure something is happening, not just cute little bunnies hopping around doing nothing. Fiction should have conflict and articles should never ever be boring or sound like a textbook.

donnaj: What about 'morality tales?' Are they coming back?

Pam: what do you mean by morality tales? Like aesop's fables?

Mel: Assume yes.

Pam: Well, I'm not sure if that would work for Highlights. I guess it would depend on how it's done. If it's done with humor, maybe.

Mel: I think you're right, Pam. The moral tales I tried on HIGHLIGHTS a long time ago were never taken!

tricia: What's the FIRST thing someone should do to get started writing for children?

Pam: Oh, you'll love this: READ! Read magazine stories and articles, read Newbery winners. And also WRITE, which sounds silly, but so many people talk about writing but never do it. It's always "when I have time" or "when the kids are grown". You have to make time, because you'll never find the time. Also join SCBWI or a critique group or some sort of support group. It can be on-line too, but you need someone to cheer you on, someone who understands better than your mother or your family. You can take classes too, either on-line or by correspondence, or through an adult education class, or go to conferences and workshops where you'll meet other writers, who also can help guide you.

Mel: EXCELLENT advice, Pam, THANKS!

t green: Did you save, and do you still have all of your writings you've ever written?

Pam: I wish I did, my mother still has some of them, but I also threw away lots of things that I didn't think were any good--but that's not a good idea! I wish I'd saved them.

kay kay: What is the best advice you could give to a writer if you had to put in in ONE sentence?

Pam: Oh, no easy questions, huh?

Mel: Sorry, we've gotta have SOME hard ones! (-:}

Pam: I would say, Put the seat of your pants in the seat of your chair and write! Jane Yolen says BIC, Butt in Chair.

Mel: Amen, said Ernest Hemingway, too!

t green: Did you go to college and what did you major in?

Pam: I have a degree in English/Creative Writing from the University of Houston, with a minor in Spanish and Psychology. But you DO NOT need a degree to write! One of my best friends who writes romances didn't go to college and she makes millions--no exaggeration!

gladys: I'd like to be an editor, too! How'd you land the position?

Pam: OK, life is funny, you know, I'd met Kent back in 1991 at Chautauqua and kept up with him over the years. When he was in Houston in November 2001, we were talking and he said there was going to be an opening and would I be interested in moving to Honesdale. So, it was one of those weird things. I'd been offered a job in editing at an educational company, but I turned it down because I didn't want to move out of Houston at that time. My boys were still in high school so the timing wasn't right. But when Kent offered me the job, the timing was perfect!

Mel: By "Kent," you mean Kent Brown Jr., Editor at Highlights, right? Can you tell us what Kent is like, Pam? (I won't tell him what you tell us! (-:})

Pam: Yes, I mean Kent Brown, the publisher for both Highlights and Boyds Mills Press. Kent is a farmer at heart, LOL! He buzzes around Highlights and Boyds Mills Press and seems to always know everything that's going on, but he loves to talk about the farm he lives on. His grandparents started Highlights back in 1946 and he's third generation. And his son will soon be working in Honesdale too. It's very much like a big family. We all even call Jack Meyers, Senior Science Editor, and Kent's uncle, Uncle Jack.

Mel: I was going to say Kent was the "Overall Editor" at HIGHLIGHTS, and then I thought about his being a farmer, and maybe that should be "OVERALLS Editor"? (-:} He's a great guy!

mrsmouse: Is it easier for you to write nonfiction than fiction?

Pam: Okay, this is really weird, but I started out writing nonfiction for adults, but I now mostly write fiction for kids. I still write nonfiction, but not as much. I'm not sure why. I enjoy both.

donnaj What was your contest-winning HIGHLIGHTS story about?

Pam: It was called "Millie's Garden" and it had been rejected 8 times before--ooops, don't tell Highlights!

Mel: OK!

Pam: It was about a girl who wanted to clean up a vacant lot and got her friends and neighbors to help. Believe it or not, I used the "Little Red Hen" format, kinda sorta. It was a lot of fun to write. It was published in the July 1997 issue of Highlights.

Mel: CONGRATULATIONS on your win, Pam!

Pam: Thanks, I rewrote and rewrote after each rejection because I really believed it was a picture book. Then the contest came along and I thought, I wonder if this would work as a magazine story, and it did. It actually was a magazine story all along!

Mel: Who do I send what to at HIGHLIGHTS?

Pam: If you send your manuscript directly to an editor, you'll avoid the "first reader." Judy Burke, Associate Editor--older fiction (to 800 words). Marileta Robinson, Senior Editor--young fiction (to 400 words) and rebus stories (120 words). Andy Boyles, Science Editor--older science and nature articles (to 800 words), science experiments and activities. Rich Wallace, Senior Editor--sports stories and articles (to 800 words) for the older reader. Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor--art and world culture articles to 800 words for the older reader. Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor--history stories and articles to 800 words for the older reader. Linda Rose, Assistant Editor--career articles (to 800 words) for the older reader. And me! Pam Zollman, Assistant Editor--crafts (no more than 6 steps) and young nonfiction articles to 400 words--anything, science, art, world cutures, history, sports, careers, etc. I really need young nonfiction!

Mel: What exactly IS a first reader, Pam?

Pam: If your manuscript is sent in without an editor’s name on it, it goes into the slush pile and we have a person read them and pick out the ones she thinks will work for HFC. Our main first reader is a teacher who lives in Honedale and has been reading for us for 25 years. Others are people who used to work for HFC, but are now retired or whatever. So, it's to your advantage to send it directly to one of us. If we don't think it works for us, but that it might work for someone else, then we send it over to that person to screen.

dide: We all are dying to get something printed in Highlights, tell us the secret to doing so. What do they REALLY look for in a story, or in nonfiction?

Pam: Let me tell you about nonfiction first, since that's what I'm doing right now. Your research is extremely important! Please include a bibliography with your manuscript and know that if it contains mostly web sites, then we'll think that the research is weak. We love quotes in an article, so get some from the subject (unless it's an animal!) or an expert. We don't want the article to sound like a textbook!

Mel: Why is it that website research is considered weak, Pam?

Pam: Because anybody can put up a website and put information on it. If the web site is from a university or newspaper or museum, then they're considered experts. But often people put things on web sites that are just repeated (usually incorrectly) from other unchecked sources. It becomes a lazy way of research if you're not careful, plus we really like primary sources.

gladys: About how many craft article submissions do you receive?

Pam: WOW! I get tons! I get huge, and I mean HUGE, boxes every day. Most of them don't work for us, though.

Mel: Ten a day? 100 a week?
Pam: Two or three a day with several crafts in each (sometimes 6 to 10), which is okay. I just need ones that we can use in HFC. I really, really, really need games that are easy for kids to make and that they will enjoy playing more than once.

Pam: We're trying to get away from using toilet-paper tubes, which we call cardboard tubes, and paper plates, and we're starting to use things like the pudding/fruit cups and those funny containers that potato chips come in.

Pam: Hmmm, I'm not sure about that. We try to have simple crafts in each issue but we also want some that will be challenging to our older readers. I guess a really young child could do many of them with adult help. We don't use hot glue guns. We use craft glue and good ole Elmer's. I test all the crafts before I use them in an issue and sometimes test them before I buy them. I remake all the crafts that I'll use in each issue.

bookwoman: Can you tell us the writer's guidelines for crafts at HIGHLIGHTS and young nonfiction? Also, something about the pay schedule?

Pam: I usually have 5 crafts per issue. Write out the instructions simply, but you don't have to say find the glue, get the scissors, etc. We want no more than 6 steps, however, if you can't get it down to 6 steps, I probably can. Plus we might use a more complicated craft on a page of its own if we really like it. I really like to get the craft sample with the manuscript. That way I can see how it's made and see if you've left out any steps (which is easy to do). If you don't or can't send the craft sample you can send a clear photo of it. We don't buy the photos, but I use them to remake the crafts and if you want the photo back afterwards, we'll send it to you. The crafts must be original to you, and I know what we pay doesn't sound like a lot of money, but it's a good way to get in the magazine. And once you've sold to HFC, then no matter what you submit to us you're listed as a previous purchase, which means that you probably won't get a form letter, which is something, I guess. ;-)

Mel: SUPER GOOD advice, Pam!

Pam: I sold crafts, jokes, dot-to-dots when I was starting out writing for kids.

del: Pam, your bio indicates that you're the editor for crafts and nonfiction. But you also edit rebus stories, right? Any comments or advice? Or is that another interview? LOL

Pam: LOL!

Pam: Well, I'm the backup editor for both young and older fiction, and I've been working with rebus stories a lot too. Those are tricky! I always say that easy-to-read really means hard-to-write. A rebus is only 120 words but we expect some sort of story too. I realize that there's not much room for a lot of plot but we want the character to experience something, tension, suspense, it may just be wondering the answer to a question or joke, but we really like for the stories to have some sort of ending, especially a twist. Plus, we want concrete nouns that can be illustrated, and we want them repeated, if possible. We get stories that would be hard to illustrate, for example, home can't be illustrated, but house can be, and how do you show the difference between tears and rain, or bears and teddy bears when these are in the same story? All this in 120 words. I'd say read a bunch of them before you try writing them.

Mel: VERY HELPFUL!

anne-marie-p: What are Highlights' greatest overall needs right now?

Pam: Well, my greatest need is for young nonfiction of any kind! I really don't have much at all in my drawer--just a few stories! It's hard to write for kids seven and younger, but we really need articles. Judy Burke says she's looking for humor, mysteries, adventure--she really likes quirky stories. Marileta has found herself in the same position I'm in--she needs young fiction!

wendyhaber: What subjects/topics are you looking for in nonfiction articles for children?

Pam: Andy Boyles is looking for "furry animal" stories--that's what we call any kind of animal story, even if they have scales. We all want articles with a very narrow focus, for example, instead of writing about woodpeckers in general, write about why the woodpecker pecks (actually, dont write that one, it's coming out in December 2003). But see how narrow the focus is?

Mel: Absolutely!

Pam: Dani Sneed wrote an article in the May issue called "Gerbils Morphing" and she documented the birth of her son's gerbils--great research, great photos.

barb: Is Highlights interested in math nonfiction for 8 and under?

Pam: Sure, if it's intersting, fun, lots of kid appeal. It has to have kid appeal! We don't want them to think they've picked up their homework instead of our magazine. Remember our motto is on the front of every cover, "Fun with a Purpose." Fun first, but we do like for the article to have a purpose (just stated subtly).

del: I have, what I feel are fun, craft ideas. But frankly, it's a pain to mail them. Would you accept queries or photos? Then if you're interested, I could go ahead and mail the actual craft?

Pam: You can query me, either by mail or e-mail: pjzollman@highlights-corp.com. You don't have to mail the craft--some are just too big or fragile. But if you don’t send the craft, please send a photo. Sometimes I get craft manuscripts and I really wonder if this person has ever really tried to make that craft. I don't mind queries because I can probably tell you if we already have it in inventory, have just bought it, have just published it or whatever. When I say "original" crafts, I mean that you've come up with something that is all your own and it's not from a book or magazine. Believe it or not, Tic-Tac-Toe can be original! I've bought several, one was a travelling game in a felt pouch that had the board drawn on the outside like a design and held nine pennies (heads were x and tails were 0) and was in the March? issue, I think. I also bought another one that was a travelling tic-tac-toe game, that used an old VHS movie case and craft foam, and another that was three dimentional. So you see that "original" doesn't mean that you can't sell me a tic-tac-toe game. It's all in how you present the craft. Just like there are no new stories under the sun, you just add your own personal twists, etc. to each story that you write. So you do the same thing for crafts. Just make sure that it's different enough from anything already published. I had to turn down a craft that was just too much like one in Martha Stewart's magazine.

Pam: I can't accept manuscripts through e-mail, but I can answer questions that way.

Mel: Pam, here's the TOUGHEST question of the evening, ready?

Pam: Sure!

Mel: Why does HIGHLIGHTS buy all rights?

Pam: I've been waiting for that one! First let me tell you that I've been fielding that question since I was the coordinator for the national SCBWI Magazine Market Guide. Highlights doesn't have a theme list, so we like to keep on hand an inventory of fiction and nonfiction. We don't always know when a story will be published. If we only bought first rights and put the story in our inventory to be used in a future issue, it could be possible that you might sell the reprint rights to another magazine and your story might even come out in the other magazine before we could publish it in HFC. Then we would have paid first rights for a story that is now no longer special or fresh. As far as the writer is concerned, there aren't many place that buy reprints and they usually pay pennies per word. It's better to concentrate on writing and submitting new stories. Plus there are reprint possibilities that Highlights has access to that the average freelance writer would not, (for example your story might be used for state reading assessment tests). If we sell the reprint rights, we share the profit with you. Kent Brown's philosophy is that if HFC makes money, so does the writer. When I was freelancing, I called this "mail box money" because it was such a nice surprise--money I hadn't counted on. In fact, some HFC writers have said that they've made more from "mail box money" than from HFC for the original sale of the story.

Mel: Can I get any of my rights back from HIGHLIGHTS before or after my story or article is published?

Pam: Of course, every contract would have to be discussed on an individual basis. However, it's been Kent Brown's policy to give back the book rights if you want to sell your story or article that way. Some of my friends have done this. Kent is very reasonable. The majority of the time, though, a magazine short story or article doesn't work as a picture book (not enough picture possibilities).

Mel: What if I want to use the same material you used in a HIGHLIGHTS story or article for something else?

Pam: Sure, go ahead, as long as you rewrite the article. When we buy all rights, we're paying for that arrangement of words. If you want to rewrite that article on woodpeckers pecking, for example, you could use your research to write about the mating habits or why they have a red head or about an endangered species of woodpeckers. There's no reason why you couldn't re-use the research you did for the article in a different way for a different magazine or book. And the same is true if you write a book and have "leftover" research. You could shape it into an article for us.

dide: I noticed Highlights seems to go for multicultural themes and stories, would you say this is true?

Pam: I think that Highlights as well as many other magazines and book publishers are publishing more multicultural stories. It seems that our readers are much more aware of the world than perhaps we were as children. They're very curious about other cultures, especially about what kids in other cultures do. Perhaps it's because of the world coverage in our TV news, as well as the Internet that have made kids so aware. We don't have any restrictions that you have to be of that culture to write about it. However, your story needs to be accurate, fact-checked, whether it's fiction or nonfiction.

Pam: Wow, I see the questions pouring in!

Mel: Does "multicultural" mean just mixing kids of many different cultures into one story?

Pam: We like for there to be a good ethnic mix of kids in any story; however, I think HFC defines multicultural as a story that is about kids in another country or about kids from another culture perhaps learning to adapt. I'm thinking of a story, "Rafiki Means Friend," which will be in our September issue, about a girl from Kenya who is in a boarding school in England and wants to fit in and tries to do so one way by wearing shoes when she runs, which she didn't do in Kenya--it's fiction. There's an article "Boys vs. Baboons"--I forget which issue--it's published--that's about a really different way of life. I don't remember the country--one in Africa--the boys takes shifts watching over the crops so that the baboons won't get the crop. They take turns going to school--some go in the morning and some go in the afternoon. They stand watch with these poles that they slap on the ground when a baboon approaches. The loud snap sounds like a whip and usually scares off the baboon. Quite a different lifestyle from anything our kids have experienced. Highlights has a domestic edition, as well as an international edition.

Mel: THANKS for clarifying that so WELL!

pilarb: I've read in Highlight's guidelines that they prefer nonfiction from experts in the field. Does that close the door for all of us lay people? :-)

Pam: No, of course not. What we want is good research, and that makes you an expert, right? : -) What we want is for you to research your topic, as well as talk to experts. You can quote them in your article; that helps enliven what might be a dry piece. Actually sometimes the experts don't know how to write for kids, but y'all do. So write some nonfiction articles for me and then get them fact-checked by an expert in that field.

Mel: "Y'all," is that Houston for "you all"? (-:}

Pam: Ooops, yes, my Texas accent slipped out.

pearlyyates: What about mixing nonfiction and fiction in one story?

Pam: That rarely ever works. What usually happens is that it's neither fish nor fowl. I've written faction before, but it's tough to do. What I see a lot of is a "story" where a young child is asking the adult questions (or it could be an older child taking on the adult role) and the adult is answering the questions. No story and not very interesting reading. I'd rather have, for example, an article about a certain custom, rather than a child asking Mom and Dad, "Why do we celebrate this?" and then Mom and Dad painfully answering in boring details.

Mel: "Faction," is that fact + fiction, Pam?"

Pam: Yes, it's a combination of fiction and nonfiction--nonfiction told as if it were fiction. That's not to say that you can't use fiction elements, for example, a great opening line that hooks the reader, tension within the article, a satisfying conclusion. For example, we had an article about a--I can't remember what kind of bird--oh wait, the weaver bird. The writer, who is a multi-published nature writer, watched a weaver bird build his nest outside his window. He told it in first person as he watched this bird build his intricate nest. The tension in the story was that this poor bird was looking for a mate. He had to build a nest that a female would like. And that poor bird kept getting rejected, so he'd tear apart his nest each time and start over, and we were rooting for that bird to find a mate!!! He had to rebuild his nest something like 28 times before he finally found a mate. So you can see how it's kinda like fiction in that way.

kay kay: As an editor, what would you say is the first thing that catches your eye in a manuscript?

Pam: For nonfiction, I notice the topic. Have they narrowed the subject and does it sound interesting? When I get a stack of mail I flip through it to see what I want to read first and if I find a topic that's interesting to me, then I read it first. I also notice the writing style, some people are good writers--but just not for kids. The vocabulary is way over the heads of our readers, and sometimes the editors! We don't use a vocabulary list, so you don't either, but don't use a fifty-cent word when a nickle word would do.

regina: When will the winners from the fiction contest be announced?

Pam: Well, we just contacted the winners on Friday, so if you didn't get a call, then, well you didn't win. However, we are buying some of the manuscripts that were entered in the contest. So I guess there's still hope. I think everyone should enter. You never know, you just might win! The contest is always January 1st through the last day of Feb. each year.

Pam: Read lots of books and stories that are the age you want to target.

Mel: Pam, I haven't even thought about the time, because what you've told us is SO INTERESTING and NEEDED by us. Thank you so much for all the understanding you've given us tonight about HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN and what you edit and they publish. There is so MUCH yet left that we could ask you about. Will you please come back sometime in the future and share with us again someday?

Pam: I would LOVE to come back.

Mel: You have been a MOST effective teacher, Pam!

Pam: Thank you!

Mel: Please return to our chat room two weeks from tonight, Thursday June 12, to talk with Joan Bowden. I think of Joan as the PREMIERE EXPERT on books for pre-Kindergartners, as well as on the subject of picture books. She is the ICL instructor who is most often chosen when students in the book writing course decide to do short books toward the end of that course. If you are at ALL interested in writing for Pre-K's, or writing picture books, you need to talk with Joan Bowden on Tuesday, June 12. I know I need to, and I'll hope to see you there!

Mel: Our WARM THANKS to you again, Pam, because HIGHLIGHTS is a magazine MOST children's writers would like to be published in. You've been very helpful at making us feel we know more about them, and about your editing duties there!

Mel: Goodnight, y’all!