Get inspired. 4 steps to write for BGM Kids today

Get inspired. Write for BGM Kids.

Dear reader & writer,

We all have stories to tell, and there is a kid out there who will be inspired by your story, a review of a book you read or movie you watched, or your artwork! Perhaps you’ll put a smile on someone’s face as they try to figure out your puzzle, do a trivia you created, or follow the steps to creating a recipe you shared. Wait… you don’t believe me? Okay, I’ll give you proof. Look at an email I received from a teacher who shared a copy of Black Girl’s Magazine with his students:

Hi,
I am a teacher in Ajax, Ontario and I wanted to share how much our students love your magazine!

I thought I’d share a conversation I had with a group today. I asked them what they thought was cool about the tutorial on nail painting. Reanna smiled and shared, “The hands look like mine”.  Nice!

So? What do you think? I mean, how many magazines have you flipped through and seen cute little brown and black hands illustrating how to paint your nails? Okay, I know not everyone is allowed to paint their nails. But let’s say you are one of those whose parents are okay with painting your nails once in a while. Oh… okay. More proof? Again? I have pictures from the magazine you know. See?

Okay. I hope I have convinced you about the amazing smile you can put on another kid’s face like Reanna who smiled and said, “the hands look like mine.” If you decide to give it a try, here are some guidelines to follow that will help get your work published in BGM.

The Who, What, Where, When, and How of Writing for BGM.

Who can write for BGM? 

Black girls of Caribbean or African heritage between the ages of 8 and 12 years old (grade school /elementary school /primary school).

What can you write about? 

Girls are free to come up with their own stories that are fiction or nonfiction. 

• Stories, therefore, can be invented from the author’s imagination, or based on actual events like what you did over the summer, how your family celebrates certain holidays, how you learnt to ride a bike, etc. (tip: if you choose to include photos of a trip you took, make sure the pictures only include people whose permission has been sought to have their image published in the magazine, otherwise, only send photos of yourself). 

• Girls can also submit recipes of foods or drinks, along with step-by-step photos of the different stages they use to make their dish (tip: be sure to remove any clutter around your plates and dishes before taking a photo). 

• We also love artwork! So, if you love to draw, paint, sculpt etc. take beautiful high-definition images of your artwork so they are of good quality and clearly detailed. 

• Other submissions include fun things like puzzles, trivia, quizzes, and crafts with step-by-step images you use to make the craft. 

• We also love book and movie reviews. These should showcase Black authors and filmmakers, or book or movie characters.

• Since we publish in June and December (bi-annually), we try to tailor our articles to fit a summer theme or a winter theme. Some articles, however, don’t have to fit these categories as they are general for all year-round activities. 

• Sometimes I ask the girls to keep a journal over the summer, and although this is a summer activity, it makes for a good reflection read in the wintertime. 

If you are unsure about your topic and need the BGM editor to approve it before you start writing, please feel free to send an email to blackgirlsmagazine@gmail.com

How do you Write or Create your Work?

Because we are a magazine, we do not want to infringe on copyrighted work like using other people’s images, stories, trivia, puzzles, quizzes, that you find on the internet without their permission or without crediting them. For this reason, always include the website in your writing or images where you found your information. Never cut and paste information from websites without rewriting or modifying it, and always include the URL or website(s) where you got your information.

All work should be written and created by the author. Parents or guardians can help but should not write articles for their children. As a children’s magazine, we value free thinking and simple form of expression that children bring to the literary world. That’s why they have the Black Girl’s Magazine platform to express their thoughts.  

Never use AI like ChatGPT to create your stories or images for you. BGM values children’s organic thinking and writing.

Finally, always, always, always, do a spell check and edit your work before submitting. It’s always a good idea to ask a friend, an older sibling, parent, or guardian to check your work for spelling and mistakes before submitting. 

When can you Write?

We accept articles all year round. If your article is accepted, we will make a decision as to what issue it fits best, either the June/summer issue or December/winter issue. If, however, you’d like to submit an article for the June issue, please make sure that your article has been submitted by March 31st. For the December issue, please submit by September 30th.

You can also opt to write for BGM on a regular basis instead of contributing only one article. 

For Submissions and inquiries on becoming a regular BGM writer, please email:

blackgirlsmagazine@gmail.com

All submissions should include the authors’ names (or first name only and initial of last name), author’s age, city or town, and country of residence.

I look forward to seeing your amazing work!

Annette,

Editor, BGM.

@frombgmwithlove