From Prose to Plays, Publications Are in Market for Writers’ Works

Getting published is to a writer what a trophy is to an athlete. It provides satisfaction, self-esteem and a lasting record of a job well-done.

Getting published is also a positive addiction: The more you are published, the more you will want to write.

In recent years, many publications have sprouted around the country to spotlight good student writing.

I think teachers and parents should give their pupils and children strong encouragement to get their works published. Here are some tips for how to go about it.

Before sending work to any publication, the student should first send a letter--with a stamped, self-addressed envelope--for a copy of the publication’s guidelines. These will explain how the work should be submitted--typing style, number of copies required, deadlines and so on.

Here are some of the largest and most-popular publishers of young writers. They generally pay about $5 or $10 per item.

Sports Illustrated for Kids welcomes letters, poems, jokes and drawings from children through junior high school age. It is published monthly. Write to the magazine at the Time and Life Building, New York, N.Y., 10020.

Children 5 through 12 can send poems and drawings to Surprises, a bimonthly magazine, at 275 Market St., Suite 521, Minneapolis, Minn., 55405.

Boodle, a quarterly magazine, features stories, poems and nonfiction from children ages 6 through 12. Write to Boodle at P.O. Box 1049, Portland, Ind., 47341.

Students 12 and younger can try Children’s Digest, which publishes fiction and poetry eight times a year. Write in care of U.S. Kids, P.O. Box 567, Indianapolis, Ind., 46206.

The same organization publishes Weekly Reader, which contains poems, songs and stories from writers of all ages. Despite the name, it is published monthly during the school year. The address is the same as Children’s Digest.

Stone Soup is a very thick and popular collection of stories, poems and articles by children through age 13. It is published five times annually. Address: P.O. Box 83, Santa Cruz, Calif., 95063.

Creative Kids, issued eight times a year, publishes fiction, nonfiction, plays and poetry by students under 18. Send submissions to Creative Kids, Box 6448, Mobile, Ala., 36660.

For a more focused audience, consider either the Junior Edition (junior high and middle school) or the Senior Edition (senior high school) of The High School Writer.

These monthly magazines feature fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Write to them at P.O. Box 718, Grand Rapids, Mich., 55744.

Locally, aspiring teen-age journalists have several other options.

The Noise is distributed free to about 200,000 students throughout Los Angeles County schools. Teen-agers may submit a movie or music review, for which they can earn $15, plus a few compact discs or cassette tapes.

First, however, you must write a brief article about people or events at your own high school for the magazine’s Fast Times section.

Submit your typed, double-spaced work to Norbert Sparrow, editor in chief, P.O. Box 3204, Burbank, 91504. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

L.A. Youth is the only citywide teen-produced magazine. It reaches about 50,000 students at 300 schools around L.A. County every month.

Any teen-ager may send an editorial letter or story of national or local interest for the L.A. Youth wire service.

For more ambitious writers, L.A. Youth offers an extensive journalism training program, and graduates prepare investigative stories for the magazine.

All submissions to L.A. Youth must be typed and double-spaced. Send them to L.A. Youth, 6030 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 201, Los Angeles, 90036. The magazine does not pay for submissions, but I think it’s the best training a teen-age journalist can get.

In addition, students should not overlook the options for publication at their own school, such as the campus newspaper or literary magazine. They may not seem as glamorous as some of the other magazines, but for most young writers, they’re more feasible.

National magazines receive thousands of submissions for every issue. Competition is stiff.

One last piece of advice: Getting published is almost as much about persistence as it is about talent.

I always think of my father, whose first college textbook was rejected by 13 publishers before it was finally accepted--and soon became a best seller.

So don’t be discouraged easily--send your work to every publication possible.

Then improve it, and send it out again.

Mary Laine Yarber teaches English and journalism at an area high school.