I’m a grown-up. Relatively. So when I think of an article topic I think of it for an adult audience. I finally learned how to look at it from all sides and try to find slants that make re-selling it possible. But one slant I never looked at was the kid slant.
Lots of our articles can be refashioned for children’s publications but most of us don’t even bother.(OK, I don’t know about all of us. Me. I don’t bother.)
Let’s look at an article I’ll be working on in a few weeks. I’m going to the National Zoo and decided to help pay for the trip with an article or two. I’ve already sold one to a grandparents magazine on tips for a great zoo trip.
As my son and I were reading a short item in our local paper written for adults but enjoyed by my son just the same, I realized that my zoo trip could be a wealth of material for children’s articles: about animals, about zoo keepers jobs, about riding a camel(checked-they don’t have camel rides), about how zoo animals celebrate their birthdays(involves lots of peanut butter or fruit frozen in “Ice cakes” depending on the animal). So during our trip I’ll be on the hunt for ideas, snapping photos, and talking with zoo keepers.
Why don’t we do this more often? Almost any interesting person you’ve interviewed could also be a feature for a children’s magazine, especially if they have a “cool” job. You can also adjust craft projects, news items, unusual charities, history.
If you’re going to to start looking at your articles through KID glasses here are a few markets to check out. One thing, most require a fully written article which is easier to accept if you’re already writing and getting paid for an adult market article on the same topic. And you absolutely, positively need photos!