RESEARCH: Know the magazine's style that you are interested in sending a manuscript to. Bookstores and libraries are a good start for researching magazines. Make note of their targeted age markets. It is good to study at least two subscription issues. Some magazines target to just boys or just girls. The key is to target your writing to the magazine. You can always change your story to adapt to another magazine's needs after you do your research. Nonfiction is easy to re-slant the story to a different gender and age.
WORD LENGTH: Magazines are sticklers for article length. It is important to adhere to the required word length of a story. There is a restricted amount of space. If your work goes over, it will be rejected. Show the accurate word count in the upper right hand corner of your first page of the story.
FIND OUT SCHEDULES FOR SPECIAL THEMES: Some magazines will publish an issue devoted to a specific theme, example Columbus Day, the discovery of America. Write to the magazines you are interested in and inquire about themed issues. Most magazines work at least six months lead time. If you send an article about the Christmas season, submitted in July to a magazine, chances your timing will be good. It is a good idea to obtain a schedule from the publisher you are interested in.
CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES: Be sure to test these before submitting them. You want to be sure your activity or craft is age appropriate. The best projects can be done without adult supervision and utilize safe materials found around the house.
WRITE TO PUBLICATIONS FOR SUBMISSION PROCEDURES: Each magazine has their own particular rules for submission. Some magazines just want queries while others want to see the full manuscript. Best to find out first before submitting.
RIGHTS AND PAYMENT: There are a variety of ways magazines handle rights and payment. Most magazines will pay first time rights. After the article is published the rights revert back to the writer. Some editors will hold articles in reserve and then there is no telling when your article could be published. A magazine may pay either on acceptance or publication of the article. Prices vary from magazine to magazine. Some articles or stories are paid by length. There are magazines that will ask for all rights, meaning you can not publish your story with any other publisher. They often revert the rights back after a certain time.