GUIDEPOSTS SWEET 16
(formerly Guidepost for Teens)
Writers Guidelines

You asked, we heard you!  Many thanks to editor Betsy Kohn. 

About Our Magazine: Guideposts Sweet 16 is a general-interest magazine for teenage girls (ages 11-17) published by Guideposts. It is a bimonthly, four-color publication that offers teens TRUE, first-person stories about real teens. Our watchwords are "wholesome," "current," "fun," and "inspiring." Sweet 16 has it all: fashion, beauty, celebs, boys, embarrassing moments, advice columns. We¹ll publish the occasional action/adventure story, but our ongoing focus will be on relationships and real-life teen issues: friendship, romance, peer pressure, etc. We need "light" stories about finding a date and learning to drive‹as well as catch-in-the throat stories. Language and subject matter must be current, uplifting, and teen-friendly. No preaching or lecturing, please!

Note: Sweet 16 is a relaunch/repositioning of our successful teen title, Guideposts for Teens, to reach a girl audience. The premiere issue of Sweet 16 will be Aug/Sept 2004. A sample issue of Guideposts for Teens is available: Send $4.50 to Guideposts, 39 Seminary Hill Road, Carmel, NY 10512, Attn: Special Handling.

Sweet 16 is not a beginner¹s market. We do not publish poetry or fiction. Areas of interest to freelancers include:

TRUE STORIES ‹ Five each issue. 400-1,200 words. A typical Sweet 16 story is a first-person narrative by a teen, written in a simple, dramatic, anecdotal style. The story may be the writer¹s own or one written in the first person for someone else. We are seeking mainly girl narrators, but will consider an occasional boy-narrated story. (If ghostwritten, no "as told to" byline given. But we will make out the check in your name...) Please keep the following in mind:

Don¹t try to tell an entire life story in a few pages. Focus on one specific happening in a teen¹s life. Bring in as few people as possible so that our interest stays with the narrator.
Decide what your point, or "takeaway," will be. Everything in the story should be tied in to this specific theme.
Don¹t leave unanswered questions. Give enough facts so that the reader will know what
happened. Use description and dialogue to let the reader feel as if she were there.
Dramatize the situation, conflict, and struggle. Then tell how the teen was changed for the better or the problem was solved.
Most important: Study the magazine. (Sure, you¹ve heard it before‹but it¹s true!)

MYSTERIOUS MOMENTS ‹ "Strange-but-true" stories. Miracles. Unexplained coincidences. Girl or boy narrators. Tell us what happened in around 250 words. Note: These can either be ghostwritten for teens, or adults writing about their teen years. Be sure voice is "teen." Send full manuscript.

POSITIVE THINKER ‹ A single-page feature on a teen girl who has overcome something remarkable and has kept a positive outlook. (A cheerleader with no arms. A girl who was homeless and started a summer program for shelter kids.) Text is a series of bulleted items in first-person, a catchy tag followed by a few lines of text. Be sure this tells us a story‹rich in anecdotes, dialog. 300-500 words. Query.

MY (TRUE!) BAD DAY ‹ Similar to "Positive Thinker." A teen girl or boy who had a really bad dayŠand survived it. Something tragic or embarrassing that came out of the blue, a turning point, a moment when the teen¹s perspective changed. (Example: a teen guy struck by lightning, a teen girl who flubbed the National Anthem at an NBA game.) First-person, short bulleted items with catchy tags. 300-500 words. Query.

MY OWN THING ‹ A profile of a teen girl who has followed her passion to do something extraordinary‹often (but not always) something that helps others. A third-person write-up, similar in format to our "Positive Thinker," with catchy tags/lead-ins followed by short blocks of text. Athletes profiled in this department must be national/world-class standouts, not high school/state champs unless there is a secondary angle. 300-500 words. Query.

TGTBT ‹ Profiles of boys who are "Too Good to Be True." We¹re seeking guys to profile who are cute, wholesome, and doing something very, very cool. (We can only run 6 of these per year, so we¹re really choosy!) TGTBTs we¹ve already acquired include a stunt pilot, a hot-air balloonist. Query with a photo.

DIY ‹ Trendy crafts, do-it-yourself fashion & beauty, bedroom accessoriesŠanything that a teen girl would find cool, fun, easy to create. We see a lot of this materialŠquery with something original! Seasonal ideas always welcome. Send snapshot of finished project.

FASHION/BEAUTY/SELF-HELP ‹ Fun, trendy, seasonal pieces about a single topic in beauty or fashion. We¹ll consider health-related, safety-related, consumer-type pieces here, also. (Example: How to Stop Biting Your Nails‹Once and for All!) 500-1,000 words. Query.

QUIZZES ‹ 500-900 words. Teen issues, approached with humor. "Are You Rude?" "Are You Dating a Dud?" "Are You Crushing Too Much?" We are seeking both multiple-choice quizzes and quizzes in other, more graphic-based formats. Query with sample questions. We also purchase quizzes for Web use.

Now...about the $$$. True stories range in payment from $300-$500, occasionally higher. Will pay approved expenses. Shorter manuscripts (100-750 words) pay $100-$300. Payment on acceptance. Buys all rights.

All manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is essential. Please allow two months for a reply (but we¹ll try to get back to you sooner). Send to:

Guideposts Sweet 16
1050 Broadway, Suite 6
Chesterton, IN 46304

or via e-mail to:
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