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Submit to TeenAge - Click Here
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Submission Guidelines
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Updated 2007-05-16
As of now, TeenAge is open for submissions!
If you are reading this, then you must be wondering how you might contribute to TeenAge and, if you do, what you might expect for your effort. Please read these guidelines carefully and completely to avoid inappropriate submissions. Please adhere to our submission process and formatting instructions.
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Overview and Other Information
The purpose of TeenAge is to be an entertaining place on the Internet for teens. Through fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, our goal is to make the teen years better, safer, and more fun! This will be accomplished by publishing the very best works our teen (and recently teen) editors can find that are geared to a teen audience. TeenAge offers works selected especially for teens by teens.
Because the target audience is teens, works submitted should be suitable for people from the ages of 13 and up. While we accept works from authors of any age, they must clearly reflect the taste and interest of our intended audience.
Beyond appealing to a wide range of readers, it is our intention to offend no one. All submissions must be congruent with traditional values and Christian principles. While contributors need not be Christian, familiarity with compatible values will increase the likelihood that your submission will fit. It might be convenient to think of the movie industry's PG-13 rating when considering if your submission is a good fit.
At the same time, our goal is to provide fiction and articles that expand the reader's mind. Thought provoking prose is highly valued in this publication.
We believe that mature, intelligent themes (e.g. consequences of choices, fulfilling ones calling/purpose, facing death, etc.) can be presented in a manner that does not offend even young readers. We don't worry that a young reader might not understand complex themes and character development. Such a case would be fine. We do, however, insist that the manner in which such subjects are presented be fitting for young and conservative readers.
Genres
TeenAge is a magazine directed to teens – who have extremely variant tastes in literature – keeping that in mind, we accept submissions from all genres of literature that fit into our requirements on appropriateness. The magazine is directed at teens, so stories that would have some impact or message towards teens are needed. (If you have a story that is not at all for teens, try looking at Haruah: Breath of Heaven.
Reprints and Posts to Internet Blogs and Boards
We do consider reprints.
For the many student and new authors, it is important to keep in mind that stories and poems posted on blogs and discussion boards have been published. If it is available on the Internet to the general audience, it is published and must be submitted as a reprint.
POSTS TO CRITIQUE GROUPS ARE NOT CONSIDERED PUBLISHED if a password and special group membership are required to read the item. Likewise, inclusion in symposium or workshop collections with limited distribution is not considered published. However, if the item is easily available to the world at large, it is published.
Multiple Submissions
While we do accept multiple submissions (more than one submission from the same author at the same time), we ask you to keep in mind that multiple submissions forces your articles, stories, illustrations, or poems to compete against each other. This is often a disservice to the weaker of the works (especially fiction and poetry)--we will pick the better and decline your invitation to use the other in many cases.
If you have doubts about which of your two best works will meet our needs or fit our taste, send them both. If neither fit, try your best work that is compatible with the feedback you received from the first round.
There is no reason to ever send more than three works of the same type (fiction, poem, illustration, nonfiction) at the same time. If you are unsure about our taste, read our published works or post a question on our forums.
Message to Student Contributors
TeenAge is a magazine directed towards teens, thus works by teens are highly encouraged. When completing your contributor profile, be sure to check the box that indicates that you are a student.. Please read the guidelines thoroughly before submitting manuscripts.
Message to New Authors
We welcome quality submissions from authors, regardless of publication history. Keep in mind, however, that our formatting practices are NOT standard. When submitting elsewhere, be certain to find their formatting instructions, and adhere to them closely.
Publication Format and Rights Acquired
TeenAge, is an online publication, so on acceptance of a work we will ask for:
- Non-exclusive Electronic Publication Rights, for publication in the English language. (Internet format)
Payment Information
Payment information is provided in the sections for each type submission (Illustration, Poetry, Fiction, etc.).
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Content Guidelines
TeenAge is a magazine meant to enlighten and entertain teens. Using these two ideas, our main criterion for acceptance is simple:
1. Did we enjoy it? Was it interesting? Does it evoke our emotions or make us think?
2. Was it compatible with our values and principles?
However, we especially like works that, besides entertaining, illustrate some point or raise some question about life. Articles and other exposition should provide insight into the teen life with emphasis on how to live better during the teen years.
Our audience is teens. Be sure your submission is both appropriate for and of interest to teens.
All work must be original. That means original characters in original settings. No "fan fiction" accepted.
Some themes in literature (poetry and fiction) require special attention in order to be appropriate for TeenAge. We believe skilled authors can achieve their objectives without overtly graphic content.
One area in this category is sexual content. If your story relies on the depiction of such actions, you will need to delicately describe it. Treatment such as, “Roland found his carnal desires for Caitlin too strong to resist. He gave up fighting and yielded to his temptation” can accomplish the same plot movement as a graphic scene depicting specific actions. If you want a rule, then how about, “If in doubt, leave it out.” We are not interested in exploring any themes relying on homosexual relationships, no matter how tamely depicted.
Another area to consider is violence. Although several genre’s of literature rely on combat, there is no point in being excessive in the description. Saying, “The elf wielded his sword deftly, slaying the goblins in his path without breaking stride” is sufficient for moving the plot along. A good, “He ran the beast through and through with the spear” now and then is fine, too. Yet, again, restraint is called for. Gore for the sake of gore is not needed. Focus more on the story and your characters. Last thought: keep in mind that battle scenes, be they in the 1960's jungle, some future space venue, or in some fantasy setting, are far more interesting to write than to read!
Also, our publishing company views profanity with very little regard. While not totally forbidden in TeenAge, for profanity to be used requires it to be a vital part of the character using it. Generally, we will work with the author, but it will be in your favor to address the use of profanity before submitting.
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Reviews
Nobody is interested in going to a movie that five people thought was bad. Therefore we are interested in reviews of interest to teens. Book reviews, game reviews, movie reviews, or anything that might appeal to teens will be considered and are encouraged.
Reviews should include comments about rating (MA, PG-13, Teen, etc.) and your estimate of appropriateness of the rating.
Book reviews should include ISBN number in your cover letter.
We are more interested in promoting good works than bashing bad ones. Keep this in mind as you decide what to submit. We urge you to find things you like and promote them.
News
We are looking for short news reports on anything that would interest teens. There's no need to repeat last night's news reports, but highlighting recent events and pointing to sources for more information is fine.
Subjects might include sports, music, movies, television, fashion, science and nature, health and wellness, and many others. The focus should be on news that would be of interest to teens.
News submissions are pooled and are available for syndication to all DEP publications.
Payment
We cannot currently offer payment for any works submitted. Published works will be credited with a byline. Our future plans are to secure funding to compensate authors for their contributions, but at this time TeenAge is a FTLOI (For the love of it) market.
Reprints
As stated above, we prefer original works, but exceptional reprints will be considered. The author must be sure they have the right to sell reprints.
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Inspirational, Editorial, and Articles
We are looking for articles that give insight into living better as a teen. Teens face many challenges and hurdles, and TeenAge is interested in providing good advice and useful information..
Your contribution in these areas should be guided by our adherence to traditional values and Christian principles. We are NOT looking for preachy, judging, Sunday school items. Be uplifting, encouraging, and provide something that helps make the teen years better.
We believe that inspirational essays need not be dogmatic. We are not interested in works proving or disproving controversial idioms of theology. Inspirational essays should uplift and encourage all readers. They should not tear down any group or religion.
This category of contribution might garner submission of items circulated via email. DO NOT submit articles unless YOU are the author.
Editorials are expected to relate to topics of interest to our targeted audience. Editorials bashing government leaders will be less likely to be accepted than ones exploring the pros and cons of honors and AP classes.
Keep in mind things that interest teens! Music, television, technology, cars, dating, relationships, movies, fashion, sports, and many other topics are available and are wanted.
Payment
We cannot currently offer payment for any works submitted. Published works will be credited with a byline. Our future plans are to secure funding to compensate authors for their contributions, but at this time TeenAge is a FTLOI (For the love of it) market.
Reprints
As stated above, we prefer original works, but exceptional reprints will be considered. The author must be sure they have the right to sell reprints.
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Illustrations and Cartoons
We are looking for cool illustrations, cartoons, as well as illustrations for stories and articles. The principles of our content guidelines apply to image art as well.
Cartoons
We prefer JPEG files no wider than 600 px. If possible, a 450 px cartoon is better, as it can appear on the main contents page!
Illustrations
We like to use illustrations for articles, stories, and poems. Submissions should clearly indicate which work they are meant to illustrate and should be submitted as a JPEG no larger than approximately 500 pixels wide or tall.
Payment (Cartoons and Illustrations)
We cannot currently offer payment for any works submitted. Published works will be credited with a byline. Our future plans are to secure funding to compensate artists for their contributions, but at this time TeenAge is a FTLOI (For the love of it) market.
Reprints
As stated above, we prefer original works, but exceptional reprints will be considered. The author must be sure they have the right to sell reprints.
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Submitting Poetry
TeenAge accepts all forms of poem – structured or free, long or short – and we publish both established names and first-time poets. We particularly encourage student contributors.
Our main criteria for acceptance are simple:
1. Did we enjoy it? Was it interesting?
2. Was it compatible with our values and principles?
3. Does it evoke our emotions or make us think?
What We Are Looking For
Almost all of the poems we publish are speculative in nature, be that science fiction or fantasy. However, we do publish the occasional science poem. We are open to all poets, regardless of experience. We are open to all styles, forms, and lengths of poetry, from free verse to villanelles, from haiku to skaldic epics. We do ask that if you choose to write to a specific form, you make sure that the form suits and adds to the content of the poem. We also note that, while well written formal poetry can be wonderful, there are few things worse than poorly written rhyming poems.
We also keep an open submission policy without specific reading periods. We don't have a long list of topics we like or don't like; just entertain us and be sure to stay within our content guidelines.
If you are thinking about sending us something seasonal, please send it at least two months before you'd expect it to be published.
Payment and Rights Purchased
We are asking for rights as follows:
- Non-exclusive Electronic Publication Rights, for publication in the English language. (Internet format)
We cannot currently offer payment for any works submitted. Published works will be credited with a byline. Our future plans are to secure funding to compensate authors for their contributions, but at this time TeenAge is a FTLOI (For the love of it) market.
Reprints
We do occasionally accept re-prints, but only if (a) we think they are excellent, (b) you tell us where they were previously published, and (c) you have retained the right to sell re-prints.
A poem counts as a re-print if it has been previously published on general release anywhere in the world or electronically, including on personal blogs and discussion boards. Posts to members-only critique groups or in limited-distribution workshop collections do not count as re-prints. If you are in any doubt whether your poem counts as a re-print, please just send it to us with a brief explanation and we'll take it from there.
Multiple submissions
We do accept multiple submissions, but please don't send us more than three poems at once.
Formatting Guidelines
Submission at TeenAge are done completely through the web tool. For poetry, you will not attach any files, as the submission will be entirely sent through the form. The instructions are detailed. You will be asked to classify your submission (as Poetry and into a genre), then provide title and other information. We ask that you provide a present tense blurb that will appear in the contents to entice website visitors to read your work (this might be edited for various reasons if the piece is accepted).
Next, you will be asked to enter your submission in full into the next box (some formatting instructions are given). Lastly, you can enter your "cover letter" before saving and previewing. When you save/preview, your submission will be presented for your inspection and in the middle of the page you will find a button that says "Approve Submission and Notify Editors." You may click that button to finalize your submission or scroll further down to make additional changes and repeat the save/preview process. Once you approve your submission, the editorial team is notified that a new submission has been received. Your submission will then appear in a list in your Author-Artist Tools.
In all, if your poem is open in a word processing document, you can submit it in about two or three minutes. It REALLY is easy.
What Happens Next?
Once you've sent us your poem, it is sent to our team of editors for their consideration. We'll then get back to you with a decision as soon as we can. At the moment, we are managing to respond to almost submissions within two to three weeks.
If we like your poem and want to publish it, we'll let you know by email.
If we decide not to publish your poem, we will always tell you why in the form of an edited version of our editors' comments. These comments are intended to be helpful rather than critical, and we see this an integral part of our aim to help develop new talent. If you'd rather not receive this feedback, please let us know in your cover letter.
If we like your poem, but don't think it is appropriate for TeenAge, we may refer you on to one of our sister magazines: Dragons, Knights and Angels, Haruah, and Ray Gun Revival.
Thanks for reading. If you'd like to submit a poem to us, please click the button below to enter our submissions process.
More Process Information
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Formatting Guidelines for Fiction, and other TEXT submissions
Guidelines
Be sure to read the Global Information and Content Guidelines before deciding to submit.
We are generally looking for stories, articles, reviews, etc. of obvious and strong interest to teens.
Payment
We cannot currently offer payment for any works submitted. Published works will be credited with a byline. Our future plans are to secure funding to compensate authors for their contributions, but at this time TeenAge is a FTLOI (For the love of it) market.
Reprints
As stated, we prefer original works, but exceptional reprints will be considered. The author must be sure they have the right to sell reprints.
Format
Submission of these types of works are done completely through the web tool. You will not attach any files, as the submission will be entirely sent through the form.
The instructions are detailed. You will be asked to classify your submission (Fiction, Review, Essay, etc.; Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, etc.), then provide title and other information. We ask that you provide a present tense blurb that will appear in the contents to entice website visitors to read your work. Next, you will be asked to enter your submission in full into the next box (some formatting instructions are given). Lastly, you can enter your "cover letter" before saving and previewing.
When you save/preview, your submission will be presented for your inspection and in the middle of the page you will find a button that says "Approve Submission and Notify Editors." You may click that button to finalize your submission or scroll further down to make additional changes and repeat the save/preview process.
Once you approve your submission, the editorial team is notified that a new submission has been received. Your submission will then appear in a list in your Author-Artist Tools.
More Process Information
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Submission Process -- ALL Submissions
No simultaneous submissions. If we accept your submission, we expect to be able to publish it. If you have submitted to more than one publication and are accepted in more than one place, then what? If you have submitted elsewhere, wait for a response before submitting here.
We obtain:
- Non-exclusive Electronic Publication Rights, for publication in the English language. (Internet format)
Rights may be requested in any one or any combination of the above ways.
We have no word length requirements. However, for fiction we are looking for short stories. KEEP IN MIND, the target audience is teens. Submissions over 4000 words are considered very long.
Editorial Process
A pool of editors will review your submissions. Most likely, you will get some remarks about your manuscript in an email, if declined. We do not promise to read the whole thing. For example, if the grammar is prohibitively flawed, we might just remark on a couple of paragraphs and send it to you by email. We will note clearly if we want you to revise and resubmit.
Liking something is in the eye of the beholder, so just because we don't like it, does not mean it is bad!
Publication Process
TeenAge Internet magazine features rolling content. About twice a week, a new work is added to the contents and the oldest feature rotates off.
Submissions will generally be in the contents from between four to six weeks. Once submissions have rotated out of contents, they become part of our archives. The archives will be a searchable list of all works that have appeared in TeenAge. Authors may request that works be removed from archives by contacting the editor.
Submitting
We accept ONLY on-line submissions. The process is fairly easy, and there are two methods.
Submission from the stand-alone system:
- You will be required to provide and confirm a valid email address.
- You will set up a submission tool password to protect your submission account.
- You can reach the submission tools by clicking here or using the link below.
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Show Complete Guidelines on Single Page
Submit to TeenAge - Click Here
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