editors speak

Interview with Judy Burke
Editor, highlights magazine

If you ask a hundred new children's magazine writers which magazine they have the greatest interest in writing for, the number one answer is HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN. Many writers remember HIGHLIGHTS from their own childhoods. Many others have seen it during doctor's visits or trips to the library. Writing for HIGHLIGHTS feels like connecting with a dear friend. So this month, we connected with one of the wonderful editors at HIGHLIGHTS. Judy Burke is an associate editor and during a recent call for new material, her name was linked especially with sports and holiday material. With that in mind, we're grateful for her time in sharing more about these two areas.

KMW: In sporting articles, I'll assume this goes beyond a "how to play baseball" article to include much more specific things. Can you share more on how focused writers need to be?
JB: Yes. [As an] example, in our May 2003 issue, we published an article called "Gobbling Grounders" about how to field a ground ball. That was pretty specific. In our October 2004 issue, we did a piece called "Tips from a Pro" that included general soccer tips, but they all came from pro soccer player Alexi Lalas, so that was the focus in that one.

KMW: So, just as examples, you might consider articles like "How baseball bats have evolved" or "How Do Athletes Keep Breaking Unbreakable Records" -- would those fall under information that might interest you?
JB: It's hard to judge an article without reading it in its entirety. (I've read exciting articles about seemingly boring topics, and boring articles about seemingly exciting topics!) Those two examples you offered could possibly work for us; the topics are fine. In fact, in our April 2004 issue, we published a piece called "Baseball Smarts," which was about the evolution of the baseball glove. It was a great piece.

We [do] like our articles to have a tight focus, and we want our readers to get information that they couldn't easily find elsewhere. That's why, when it comes to nonfiction, we're such big fans of primary-source quotes, seldom-heard anecdotes, and first-hand information from experts or pros.

KMW: If a piece is historical but relates to a sport (for example, Aztec sports or Ancient Greek sports) would you still get those or would they go to someone handling historical stuff? Would you be interested in that kind of thing?
JB: Our office is small. An author can send anything to me, and if it's more appropriate for another editor, I'll pass it along to him or her (and I'll let the author know which editor has it). But, yes, historical sports topics are fine. In our August 2004 issue, we published a piece about Spiridon Louis's victory in the marathon at the 1896 Olympics in Athens, and the article also included information about Pheidippides, who ran from Marathon to Athens in ancient times. In our December 2002 issue, we published a piece called "The First American Ball Game," which was about the first rubber balls made by the Maya and the Aztecs. That piece also included quotes by chemists at MIT who recreated the ancient rubber and figured out how its chemistry works.

KMW: In sports profiles, do you prefer young athletes? Recognizable athletes?
Historical figures in sports? All of the above? For living athletes, I assume the writer would have to have contacted the athlete himself/herself for the bulk of the article, is that right?
JB: When it comes to biographies, we prefer subjects that are accomplished athletes and good role models. We like profiles about young, current athletes as well as historical figures. Yes, for living athletes, quotes from interviews conducted by the author are ideal.

KMW: Do you want to focus on only the good side of sports or would you consider articles on sports scandals (not sex scandals, but something more along the lines of cheating or similar things and how they affect the sport) or fan behavior? If something can be learned from a "bad event" would HIGHLIGHTS still consider it or are you pretty focused on good?
JB: It all depends on how a topic is treated. Cheating is a subject that we'd cover, but it might be tricky to do as nonfiction because I don't think we'd want to name names. Also, we don't really do current events because of our nine-month lead-time, so that leaves out a lot of timely issues. Finally, our readership includes kids ages 2 to 12, so even if an
article is geared to 8- to 12-year-olds, we have to assume that younger kids may read it, too (or hear it read aloud). So that might leave out some of the edgier topics.

In our March 2003 issue, we published an article called "Are You a Good Sport?" The author interviewed six professional athletes and asked them how they keep their cool when an official makes a bad call, when another player makes a "dirty play," or when they themselves mess up. I think this article is a good example of how we like to treat the negative side of sports. If you're not sure, query us.

KMW: In holiday articles, what holidays are most underrepresented in your submissions?
JB: Senior Editor Carolyn Yoder handles our 800-word nonfiction articles that focus on history and world cultures; I handle our 800-word fiction, including holiday stories. With fiction or nonfiction, I think it's safe to say that we're always looking for strong pieces about Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Passover, Easter, and Halloween.
Those are the biggies. Pieces about lesser known holidays or festivals are also of interest, but we don't need one every year, so we may not buy them as often.

KMW: How delicately do writers need to handle religious holidays? Do you prefer a detached "cultural observation" look?
JB: No, the "detached" articles rarely work. We don't like articles that seem to say, "Look at how THEY do it; it's so different from how WE do it!" Many times, authors will send us articles about foreign cultures that they've written after a one-week trip. We prefer an insider's view, written by someone who is a part of that culture or who has lived within that culture for a few years. First-person articles often work well for us. For example, in our April 2003 issue, we did an article called "Easter - The Greek Way," which was about how author Andrea Vlahakis celebrates Easter. We also receive a lot of great articles from former Peace Corps volunteers, who have spent at least two years in a place working with the locals. I'd encourage authors to think about how they experience holidays--what unique traditions they have. That's the good stuff.

KMW: Again, do holiday articles need to be totally "good" or would you consider holiday controversies like how communities react to Halloween or ways communities have worked to make Halloween safer...things like that?
JB: I'd encourage authors to ask themselves, "Would a kid care about this?" Most holiday controversies are generated by adults who are upset about something or other; the controversies are usually of little concern to kids, who are most interested in the fun of a holiday. We're a general-interest magazine that doesn't do themed issues. If we're going to devote only two or four pages to Halloween, we're going to pick the stories or articles that we think kids would like best.

KMW: I saw that you would be interested in Science Activities -- do you handle the page 5 interactive content? If so, can you tell us more about that? What are some interactive articles that HIGHLIGHTS has run that really are examples of exactly the kind of submission you hope for?
JB: Yes, I edit our "page-five features." They are often how-to in nature. Sometimes they involve science, but it's a mixed bag. I'd encourage authors to head to a library and look at the page-five features in a year's worth of issues. That would give them an idea of the variety we include. These pieces should be no longer than 300 words, including sidebars.
[Editor's Note: Writers can read an annotated list of page-five content articles from 2004 here.]

KMW: How focused does an author have to be on safety -- can you include things with a suggestion for adult assistance or do you prefer an activity be totally safe if done alone.
JB: Adult assistance is fine, as long as the adult isn't doing the whole project for the child. We usually avoid hot-glue guns, razor knives, and fire, but we're OK with ovens and stovetops.

KMW: Do you have any last minute tips for writers hoping to sell to HIGHLIGHTS? How can they make their submissions more exciting for you at this point in time?
JB: The two biggest things, and they sound simple, are familiarize yourself with the magazine (read the last year's worth) and follow the guidelines (find them on Highlights.com). Beyond that, make the most of your 800 words. Zoom in on a topic; find a unique angle. Utilize your own expertise, or ask experts for help. Read your work to kids, and learn from their reactions. (Are YOU excited by your story or article? If not, kids likely won't be either.) Write about things that are worth remembering. Tell stories that are worth passing on. Create characters that kids can relate to. Finally, don't be afraid to be quirky and have fun!

KMW: Thank you again for your kind help. You know, everyone I've ever connected
with at HIGHLIGHTS has always been so nice -- do you have to pass a test in
niceness to be hired? J
JB: Ha ha. (: This is actually a really fun place to work, so it springs from that, I guess.

This page last updated on 01 January 2005