What exactly do teen magazine publishers want? A quick glance at the cover of most newsstand teen magazines suggest 90% of teen content is about Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, popular outfits and hairstyles. But is it? Is there genuine content beyond the flashy pictures?

Most of the teen magazines that target a teen-aged female audience, such as Seventeen, Girls Life (GL), Justine, Teen Glamour, Teen Voice, and Teen Ink, have common content usually set in departments: beauty, style, life, fitness, media, community, editor’s notes, and letters from readers to editors. But the magazines are far from identical. I sampled nearly twenty-four months of material in GL, Justine, and Seventeen magazines. The most significant differences between these three magazines turned out to be the presentation of the material. The intelligent, clever, publishers for all three of these magazines use the same selling hook: big glamour shots, make-up tips, and healthy-looking teens in eye-catching clothes spread throughout the magazine.

Seventeen uses ads as a selling hook. Each month a celebrity teen is featured on the cover. Fashion and beauty ads fill the magazine; however, the editor, Ann Shoket, clearly has a passion for her magazine. Each month she enthusiastically speaks to her readers, as their cheerleader, motivator and hair guru! In her August ’08 issue, the letter from the editor inspires readers to be powerful at any age, recognizing that teens and young women “have so much more power in the world now than ever before.” The May ’09 issue was most inspiring. The editor wrote, “Everyday you are becoming the person you are going to be. Seventeen and I are going to help you every step of the way.”

While the editor is passionate about her readers, the magazine is filled with more ads than content, making reading it like sorting through the sales bin at Macy’s during a summer closeout sale!

Justine presents similar material in a more precise format. The departments covered in pages of Justine appear on the top of each page. They include: “Beauty,” “Style,” “Media,” and “Just’ Give”. The “Just’Give” section shares inspiring stories of teens who have become environmental stewards, community servants, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs. One of the most captivating stories came in the April/May ’09 issue with a picture of a teen who was crouched down, shovel in hand, digging a hole in the dirt, while the caption underneath read: “American high school students overseas to help build schools in developing countries.”

Another amazing article was from the Oct/Nov ’08 issue which told the story of an organized city-wide lemonade stand whose proceeds go to pediatric cancer research.

GL has its own method of reaching readers: a feature section. Each month they feature teens who have experienced life traumas, or life altering circumstances such as addiction and recovery, death of a close friend, or struggles with identifying ones’ sexuality. One issue featured a teen who gave tips from her own experiences helping a friend who was addicted to methamphetamines; another profiled a fourteen-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. She continued to participate in school functions and activities; she refused to let the disease limit her teen experience.

Though the approach used by each magazine to meet the interests of teen readers is drastically different, all methods evince effectiveness. Each month, the editor of GL reaches out to her readers on a personal level, in a wise “Aunt Phyllis” format. Each month, the editor of Justine gives a delightful, colorful outline of the months’ topics. Each month, Seventeen’s editor projects the idea that when girls look good, they will be self-confident.

Body wellness is exemplified in each magazine. They often focus on the physiological changes teens are experiencing, as well as the psychological/emotional changes, which accompany the physical changes. The articles included information about proper diet, and exercise. They promote both physical wellness and methods to enhance brainpower.

Teen magazines have genuine content; contributing authors might consider several options for material. A few good sources for articles could be written about stress, anxiety, and the importance of sleep. These areas of fitness/wellness are often overlooked because they can be very technical. Interviewing experts or doing some research can create a very effective article, written for non-technical teens.

Other possible topics for submission include helpful and informative content on, life, and guidance on social issues. A few common potential topics that emerged from the Q+A sections of the magazine included handling money wisely, choosing a major for college, socializing, etiquette, community awareness, and emotional issues are among the top priority articles.

Magazines are a popular way to reach teens, but there are alternatives. With a generation raised on computers, X-Box, and the Internet, web magazines by teens are a popular way for teens to express themselves. Teen Ink and Teen Voice offer a modern day clubhouse for teens all over the world. The sites provide a place to talk about the things that matter to them. The article content of both magazines and websites are beneficial for authors to learn about topics which teens find interesting.

From all the research, I found that the publishers are seeking real life experiences, whether online or in print. They want emotion, vision, and helpful answers to some typical and not so typical questions. They are looking for more articles with insight and intrigue to keep their readers happy, interested, and educated about our changing world.