editors speak

Imagination-Cafe
Rosanne Tolin, Creator and Editor
new Electronic Magazine

We were delighted when we found out Rosanne Tolin had returned to editing with her own electronic magazine: Imagination-Café. We’ve been watching for this market ever since a little bird told us it might be coming. And it’s every bit as gorgeous as we expected, so we’re delighted to be chatting with Rosanne about this terrific new magazine.

KMW: What made you decide to create IMAGINATION-CAFE? And where did the name come from?
RT: After Guideposts decided to shut down their children's website, my work as a Web editor felt unfinished. I'd really enjoyed the years I'd spent growing GP4K.com, but even while involved with that site, I always felt that there were limitations. For instance, there were the forbidden "H” words: no mention of Halloween, or Harry Potter allowed. This was frustrating for me.

So, I seized the opportunity to take all the ideas that were swirling around in my head, and started making an outline of a brand new kids site. I was eager to create something that I would have more control over. Total flexibility in a "naturally" fluid medium. What fun!

The "café" part of the name came to me first. It so easily embodies the community concept. Plus, it was a great segue to play with department heads! The word "Imagination" seemed to fit perfectly, given the fact that it's a place for kids to think and explore. A place where they won't be dictated to. I tried other words like "Idea", and "Dream" instead, but the word "Imagination" encompasses all of these things, so I kept on coming back to it.

It's kind of a big word, but I've never been one to talk down to kids in my editorial work. I've always thought that they can handle more than we give them credit for. My own kids also liked this word the best, so hey, I had to use it.

KMW: You've definitely not just "recreated Guideposts of Kids" here, as you have some great unique stuff -- how did you decide on what you wanted to put in IMAGINATION-CAFE?
RT: One thing that makes the site so unique, I think, is its "Career-O-Rama” section. Within that, "Job-A-Palooza" is filled with first-hand interview career info. Kids can read the whole thing, or jump to topics like "How Much It Pays" and "More Resources." I knew from the start that I wanted to include a section like this. The age group is right at that "What do I want to be when I grow up?" stage. So I think articles geared to them that offer insight into particular jobs is a valuable tool for tweens.

Putting trivia on the home page was also something we'd always wanted to do at GP4K.com, but never did. Now, when you log onto Imag Café, you get a different piece of trivia every time. One thing I consciously decided against having was fiction stories. While this provides a market for professional writers, the truth it's rare for an editor to get good short story manuscripts. Instead, I felt a writing contest for kids was a better way for them to express themselves. We sponsor these weekly on imagination-café.com. And kids actually get to vote for their favorite submission, too.

KMW: Now, I know you've had lots of experience with submissions – so what are some of the most important things for writers to keep in mind if they want to write for IMAGINATION-CAFE?
RT: Although it's a new site, imagination-café.com is not a market for beginning writers. Only top notch editorial pieces will be purchased. Keep in mind as well that editorial voice is discouraged. No lecturing to kids allowed. We want them to be drawn to reading an article because it engages them. Preachy overtones are a big turnoff.

Also, just like writing for kids is different than writing for adults, writing for the web is different than writing for a print mag. To expect a kid (or a grownup!) to read long, rambling articles online is very presumptuous. Remember "SSSS": Short and snappy, with sidebars and subheads.

KMW: I noticed your guidelines don't include how much you pay for material -- can you share any kind of range so writers know what to expect?
RT: Sure. We'll pay about $25 for shorter pieces, such as celeb embarrassing moments, while longer features will range from $50-$125, depending on the length and amount of research involved in writing it.

KMW: What kind of sources would you like to see for Critter or Career-o-rama articles?
RT: I always like to see both online and book sources. Try not to rely on online info only. There's a tendency to take stuff straight out of Wikipedia, I think, without investigating further.

KMW: The articles on IMAGINATION-CAFE right now are pretty short – what kind of word range do you most like to see?
RT: Between 75 and 350 words is a good benchmark. Some of the Career-O-Rama articles might be longer than this, however. That's okay. Just keep it succinct, and again, be sure to include subheads, sidebars, and the like.

KMW: What are your hopes for IMAGINATION-CAFE -- how would you define "success" for the future?
RT: I'd like to see steady, continual growth. If my numbers keep climbing, and we're able to maintain and sustain, that means more cool features for the site. Like new games and added interactive functionality. Not to mention more fresh and informative articles. The latter's always been my main drive.

What are my hopes? From a business perspective, I want Imagination-Café to be every kids' one-stop online edutainment destination. From a personal perspective, I want it to be a place that might not provide all their answers, but gives them a really great starting point. Once you spark curiosity, anything's possible.

KMW: Thanks, Roseann, for your great answers -- and thanks for the fun of reading IMAGINATION-CAFE.

This page last updated on 01 November 2007