You spent weeks on that nonfiction article, and this dumb editor sent it back with a just a form rejection. Where did you go wrong? Of course the possibilities are endless, but let’s try to look at this situation through a magazine editor’s eyes. It seems safe to say that editors choose to print articles for two, well, make that three, basic reasons:

#1: to share new information of interest to the target audience
#2 to entertain the target audience
#3 to get a pay check

Sharing new information

What kinds of information would the editor like to share? Maybe your item was the true story of how your Aunt Millie was once chased by a bull. It isn’t fiction, so it must be nonfiction. Right? Well, technically that’s the case. But is this account really information? No, this is an amusing anecdote. It makes no point, nor does it try to make the reader consider new ideas. This kind of “slice-of-life” is best suited to a magazine that prints nostalgia or personal experience material.

Maybe your article was about the life cycle of a hummingbird. That’s information, but is it new information? Editors get tons of articles about the life cycle of various animals. Your piece might have been the 10th article on hummingbirds the editor has seen this week. No matter how well your write, one article on hummingbirds’ lives per year would be plenty for any magazine.

Maybe your article was some of your own ideas on how to raise better kids. The information is technically nonfiction, but it’s only your opinion. The world at large won’t be impressed with Penny Peterson’s theories on potty training. They want testimony backed up by people whose names begin with a title. You can either find experts whose quotes will back you up or submit your information to “letters to the editor”.

Entertaining the reader

Was your article easy to read and slightly humorous? Or was it a scholarly dissertation on the aerodynamics of the hummingbird’s wings? In order to discuss aerodynamics with kids, you need to compare the action of those wings to something the reader already knows about. Did you use every big word you could find and hang clauses on every sentence like decorations on a Christmas tree? Most kids (and adults) want their information in plain English

Maybe you threw out dozens of unrelated facts about volcanoes. Then you need to think: FOCUS! A bunch of random facts tossed out like rice at a wedding can’t be digested. Instead, group your facts around two or three main points that support one main idea. Ask yourself what one truth you want the reader to take away from reading your article.

Better yet, have your article encourage the reader to take some action to improve status quo. For example, articles about endangered animals and plants are very popular. Those articles usually go something like this: 1) the Albanian mongoose is dying out of existence, 2) here are the reasons for his rapid demise, and 3) here are ways to save the Algerian mongoose (which usually involves writing a congressman and/or sending money). But kids like to feel they can make a difference, and often they can.

Editors get paid by the people who hired them

Most magazines have a philosophy of what they hope to do for their readers. For example, Highlights for Children’s slogan is “fun with a purpose.” Is violence fun? No, so don’t send Highlights articles about cruelty or wars. Boys' Life and Boys Quest are targeted at boys, so do send them articles on subjects boys find interesting. Hopscotch wants girls “to make the most of their childhood years”. Don’t send Hopscotch articles about make up and the latest hair dos. Also, Hopscotch follows a themes list, and you need to know what it is. (You can find their themes list at www.hopscotchmagazine.com )

Religious magazines are excellent targets for the novice writers, but most require some reference to God or his importance to the world. These magazines also vary greatly in what they print. For example, Story Mates is put out by the Mennonites, and they never publish material that includes teenage slang. Other religious magazines want nonfiction that refers to Bible stories or that quote a certain version of the Bible.

If you want to target the hard science magazines, you probably need more than a casual acquaintance with some area of science. Dig, for example, calls for in-depth knowledge of archeology, and Science Weekly requires that you submit your resume before you get the chance to tackle an assigned topic.

It all boils down to this: learn all you can about the magazine you’re submitting to. Read an issue or two before you decide this is the best target for your work. Then, before you seal that envelope, ask yourself why this specific editor would want to print the article you’re offering him or her. You can save a lot of postage that way.