editors speak

Interview with Cecil Child editor, Katelyn Thomas

This month we’re delighted to speak with Katelyn Thomas, the editor/creator of a great regional publication that is both for parents and for children. Cecil Child targets families in Cecil County, Maryland. Cecil Child began as a strictly web only publication and will continue to publish a web edition, but has seen enough success to move into print publication. To help our readers provide the exact material Cecil Child publishes, we asked Katelyn some very pointed questions about what they want – and she generously shared with us.

KMW: For parenting topics, do you prefer a Cecil County slant or do you accept more general parenting pieces as well -- I noticed that for a general piece, you like a sidebar with a local focus, right?
KT: I do prefer a Cecil County slant or at least a local sidebar. However, there are topics that really aren't local. I accepted a piece for the next issue that has internet sites in the sidebar instead of local resources.

KMW: I noticed that you are looking for Kid Crafts -- do you prefer "free" crafts made from recycled goods or will you consider crafts with purchased items like craft foam, beads, etc. What age group would you most like to see the craft target? Do you like crafts kids can do on their own or with adult help?
KT: We did just add a craft columnist to Cecil Child, but would still be interested in holiday specific crafts for major holidays, such as Valentine's Day or a parenting article with a craft component that parents and kids could do together. I personally prefer free crafts, but inexpensive supplies are ok. Crafts should be aimed at ages 7-10. If it is part of a parenting article, parental help is fine.

KMW: I noticed that you like rebus stories that come with illustrations -- do they need to be in color? Will you consider clip art? (I get asked this a lot about rebus stories)
KT: Rebus stories can be in black and white. Clip art has to be royalty free. We don't want any licensing issues.

KMW: When accepting illustrations (such as for the rebus stories or a color page) do you ask for those through the postal service or through email...if email, what file format do you like?
KT: Email is best for all submissions. I personally do not like to retype everything in and OCR software still isn't perfect. I prefer .JPG files for illustrations.

KMW: I saw book and toy reviews online but not in your submissions -- do you want more book and toy reviews?
KT: I will accept short book and toy reviews, but don't pay for them.

KMW: What are your plans for the future with Cecil's Child?
KT: We are going to a bi-monthly magazine starting in January. We will continue to provide a shorter online version for people who aren't local. We're kicking around a few other ideas, like a page for children's art and poems, but aren't sure if we will go ahead with them or not.

For writers interested in Cecil Child, be sure to check out their guidelines to check for upcoming themes. Just for a quick peek, the next open theme for January 2007 (with a November 1 deadline) is “Animal Babies.”

This page last updated on 01 October 2006