editors speak

Interview with Rosanne Tolin
managing Editor, GUIDEPOST FOR KIDS

GUIDEPOSTS FOR KIDS has always been fun. While inspirational magazines can sometimes forget to mix the fun into the lesson, GP4K has always kept the mix exciting, interactive and kid friendly. When GP4K went to an all online format, they kicked up the interactive features, creating a site where kids could interact, play, and learn. This month we caught up with Rosanne Tolin, managing editor of GUIDEPOSTS FOR KIDS.

KMW: I love GP4K. It's so vibrant and interactive. How has changing from a print magazine to an online affected your connection to your reader?
RT: I think it's made the connection stronger, because readers are more likely to give immediate feedback via email. Also, we're more aware of the time crunch busy kids face--so we edit the pieces to make them accessible, readable, fun! And, there's more interactivity with online stories. Articles are often paired with snappy sidebars and subheads, as well as craft or experiment ideas that go along with the subject matter.

Even quizzes are more fun on the web. Answers are automatically tallied, so the scoring is instant.

KMW: You have a whole section just for animal stuff -- how did that develop?
RT: When we were a print magazine, it was evident that kids love to read stories about animals. Dogs, cats, and horses to be sure, but also the more unusual creatures out there. Most kids have an innate fascination for animals, and now they can share pictures of their own pets in our Animals, Animals area.

KMW: How would content for GP4K differ from stories for HIGHLIGHTS or CRICKET -- what is the particular feel of a GP4K story?
RT: While we will purchase fantasy pieces from time to time, these are a tough sell. The GP4K story usually centers around a kid protagonist with real issues that a typical child or 'tween might face. There is a take away, and very little adult voice. Kids solve their own problems.

KMW: I see you have quite a bit of user content -- do you do more of that now that you're online? What kinds of things can kids write for you?
RT: Yes, we do that more now that we're online. Kids can write in with their own stories and poems, God's Mysterious Ways stories, and "Cool Kids" pieces. But, we don't purchase articles from kids, only professional writers.

KMW: Since you have a "homeschool zone" would you be interested in stories featuring homeschooled characters or nonfiction featuring homeschooling related topics/issues?
RT: Sure.

KMW: Your guidelines mention that you like to see interactive content -- can you name some examples of pieces that did that really well? I see links and quizzes as examples, have you seen anything really unusual as interactivity that worked well?
RT: Not really anything unusual. Mostly these come in the form of a quiz, craft, or experiment, and there are many, many examples on the site of stories with these tie-ins.

KMW: Do you get mostly email submissions now or do a lot still come through the mail? Which would you prefer?
RT: I probably get more emailed submissions, but many do still come through the mail. I think I prefer emailed submissions at this point, as I have an electronic version of the story on hand that I can work with.

KMW: In terms of fiction genre, are you strictly a realistic contemporary fiction market or would you be interested in things like historical fiction, fantasy, etc?
RT: Historical is an easier sell for us, but not easy to write! The author needs to be true to the time period, and consistency is so important. We have published fantasy stories, but they are few and far between. Contemporary fiction is our main focus.

KMW: Since you have the ability to carry a lot of content for quite a while, how does this affect your interest in seasonal or holiday material? What specific holidays can be mentioned in a story?
RT: I still like to receive fresh holiday content every year, though some of the good ones are evergreen. Most holidays can be mentioned, including those that are non-Christian, but we stay away from Halloween. Still, some Halloween themes are welcome, if they center around spiders or bats or scarecrows, etc. Find a way to get around the ghoul factor, I guess. We don't do stories about Santa Claus--unless it's an educational piece on his origin--and ditto for the Easter Bunny.

KMW: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. Let me slip in one last question, are there any changes brewing for GP4K -- can you give us any peeks into the magazine's future?
RT: We are looking at making our already popular discussion boards even better, by offering them in "real time."

This page last updated on 01 October 2004