I'm starting a non-profit organization in the form of an online children's literary magazine. My goal is to show kids the joy of reading and improve literacy rates in kids aged 7-13. I already have the domain and a web developer working on the site; all I need is content. If you'd be interested in being a writer for the site, please send a sample of your writing to Raelyn@bookbranch.net and I will contact you for further inquiry. I'm looking for short stories between 500-3500 words geared towards kids between 7-13. Those are the only guidelines; all genres are both welcomed and encouraged (as long as it's kid friendly).
Because this project will start online and be purely funded by donation, writers will not be given compensation, at first. However, if you stay on as a regular contributor, within the first year of launching the site you will be paid per short story. Works for the site are subject to copyright by the writer. Works that appear on the site will be considered published pieces and will be viewed as such by other publishers.
The site is scheduled to launch on September 14th of this year. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at the email listed above (or post in this thread). Also, if you know someone who'd be interested in this project, please pass this message along; it's much appreciated.
Other Notes: If you send me a sample of your writing please have it in a standard font and saved as a .doc file. Thank you!
That's a really cool idea, Raelyn. I like that. Maybe I will broaden my horizons and write something kid-friendly. Stranger things have happened. Anyway, I wish you success.
Gosh with my resume this would seem way far from my niche but I think I will give it a try. Great job on this Rae, it's great to see people trying to get kids to read.
I love a good challenge, I'll give it a shot.
Good luck Rae.
Thanks guys. I don't personally know many writers...actually make that any writers...so I was hoping this would get spread around here as much as possible. Whether it's people deciding to write kids stories (thanks!) or sending the message along to anyone who'd be interested.
Jack, with that avatar, I know you have it in you.
Hmmm...
I'll have to consider changing my avatar if I get anything published on there.
No way, kids love pedobear. You could even make him your protagonist.
Hmmm... I don't know about that one.
Just make sure Piers Anthony is left out of the story, he's a creepy old goat.
i make no promises, but maybe.
i did once joke about writing a children's book, but for little little kids....
The way I want to organize the website is by literacy level and age group: primary, intermediate, and advanced.
Primary (ages 7-8): Simple stories with introduction to new words. These stories will have a glossary with definitions at the end. Leading away from picture books but not quite chapter book material.
Intermediate (ages 9-11): Simple stories with challenging vocabulary. These stores will have a glossary with definitions and word origins and roots. Resembles a simple chapter book. Think Magic Tree House.
Advanced (ages 12-13): Thought provoking stories that introduce readers to critical thinking. Had the intermediate glossary and also has discussion questions at the end of the story.
This stuff would be added after the story has been written though, so don't feel the need to cater to these categories. Also, this is just a rough skeleton. I don't want the website to resemble school, since I'm trying to show that reading is fun, but I do want it to be more than just a magazine.
Very exciting Rae. Great ideas.
This sounds super cool. I will try to come up with something fun when my brain isn't full of dirty magazines and crack pipes.
Which will be tomorrow.
But good luck with this, I hope you get a ton of traffic!
I kind of like when children's stories incorporate adult themes that help a child think about things or at least not feel as alone as they would otherwise like the whole Harry Potter being an orphan because his parents were killed thing. Then he discovers he is like this important person in this whole other world. Fantasy fulfillment.
Would it be okay to have the main character's parents be divorced? Also I thought about having a kid in a wheelchair in the story, promoting themes of tolerance subtly.
I still think Coraline is an awesome kid's story, the idea that one's parents are boring and there is an exciting version of them in a parallel world.
I don't really want to regulate topics. If you, as a kid, would like the story, then I'm sure other kids would too.
And I love Coraline! I read it in 7th grade, and my mother told me to make sure my little sisters didn't get ahold of it...then the movie came out and for weeks they were convinced we had another mother. What didn't help is that their dad isn't my biological dad, so they'd be like "well...Raelyn has another dad!"
EDIT: Also, I remember reading submission guidelines for another site and one of the rules was a story couldn't have any religious or moral bias. I thought that was incredibly stupid. If I can't challenge the way people think, then what the hell am I writing for? So I'd hate to put the same restrictions on someone else.
Hi there, just been reading all about your plan for the future and I must say I'd very much like to get involved. I'm a writer and write comedy for kids. I have sold my work to theatre, tv and radio.
If you'd like to get intouch you can reach me at Emma.kenny@hotmail.co.uk
thanks again and keep up the good work.
Em
Did anything happen with this idea?
Ah, I didn't realize this was an old thread and I thought Raelyn was back.
Now I'm sad.
No doubt. She's hot.
