special report

BOYS' QUEST Magazine
Readership: Boys, ages 6 - 13
Parent Organization also publishes Fun For Kidz and Hopscotch

Note: This Special Report first appeared on Janfields.com

SUBMISSION SPECIFICS:

From their Writers’ Guidelines: http://www.boysquest.com/contact/guidelines.htm

"We will pay a minimum of five cents a word for both fiction and nonfiction, with additional payment given if the piece is accompanied by appropriate photos or art.

We will pay a minimum of $10 per poem or puzzle, with variable rates offered for games, carpentry projects, etc." The ideal length of any piece is 500 words. Simultaneous submissions should be noted in the cover letter.

"BOYS' QUEST buys first American serial rights and pays upon publication. It welcomes the contributions of both published and unpublished writers. Sample copies are available for $4.00 within the US and $5.00 outside the US. All payment must be in US funds. A complimentary copy will be sent to each writer who has contributed to a given issue." "We use black and white photos. Payment is $5-10 per photo and $5 for color slides."

Send Submissions to
The Editor
BOYS' QUEST
P.O. Box 227
Bluffton, OH 45817-0227

WHAT THEY WANT:

Looking for "exciting, lively article and projects" -- writing should be "entertaining, thought provoking, and challenging" which gives the reader an "interactive experience."

Despite the wide readership age, BOYS' QUEST focuses on readers aged 8 - 10. "BOYS' QUEST looks for articles, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that deal with timeless topics, such as pets, nature, hobbies, science, games, sports, careers, simple cooking, and anything else likely to interest a young boy. Each issue revolves around a theme."

"We need nonfiction with photos and fiction stories - around 500 words - puzzles, poems, cooking, carpentry projects, jokes, and riddles. Nonfiction pieces that are accompanied by black and white photos are far more likely to be accepted than those that need illustrations."

Theme List: http://www.boysquest.com/contact/future_themes.htm
Feb 2005 --- Brothers
Apr 2005 --- American History
APRIL 2006 --- Games and Toys
June 2006 --- Camping
August 2006 --- The Scoop on Dirt
October 2006 --- Wheels
December 2006 --- Reptiles
February 2007 --- Westward Ho
April 2007 --- Dinosaurs
June 2007 --- Fishing

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

BOYS' QUEST
February/March 2003 Vol. 8 No. 5
Theme: Zoo Animals

Includes the Magazine’s Purpose Statement

• Instill traditional values

• Identify & develop interests and abilities

• Self-esteem, Self-confidence, and Individual Spirit

• Develop sensitivity and kindness

• Encourage Literacy

• Educate and Inspire

• Captivate the Young Reader

Stories and Articles:

"A Little Math to Move a Giraffe" by Denise Beeston Nonfiction: Two Pages (Six Paragraphs) /One B&W Photo/ Line drawing Border No direct quotes. Article talks about the safe age for moving a giraffe considering they are too tall as adults to ride in trucks and pass under highway overpasses. The piece uses the problem of giraffe moving to get the reader to try a math problem.

"Hooray for Hippos" by Heidi Roemer A poem/ Six stanzas/Informational focus/lots of alliteration

"Splish, Splash" by Nancy Roe-Pimm Nonfiction: Three Pages (Eight Paragraphs)/Three B&W Photos One direct quote. Informational focus on how to bathe an elephant.

"Zoo Luncheon" by Katherine and Elaine O’Neal Poem: Six stanzas/Humor -- fantastic look at animals in a restaurant

"Zoo Chefs Cook for a Crowd" by Ann Goebel Nonfiction: Two Pages (Seven paragraphs)/Two B&W photos A look at how the North Carolina Zoological Park feeds the nearly 1200 animals -- no direct quotes.

"Some Very Unusual Animals at the Zoo" by Jody Hekela Nonfiction: Two pages (6 paragraphs --each about a different animal)/3 B&W photos. Very short look at 6 different zoo animals: meerkats, poison dart frogs, seychelle tortoise, hissing cockroach, king penguin, and the breeding frog.

"Tug of War" by Mike Blake, Jessica Shaw and Roxanne Weaver Nonfiction: Two pages (Seven Paragraphs)/Three B&W photos. Informational about Pandas with a focus on the Giant Pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.

"One of a Kind" by Tara Knudson Nonfiction: One page (Five paragraphs)/One B&W photo. Short Informational about Snowflake, the albino gorilla from the Barcelona Zoo.

"Dragons Among Us" by Kathy Ann Rogers Nonfiction: Two pages (6 pagraphs)/Two B&W photos Informational piece on Komodo Dragons.

"Who Am I?" by Shirley Zebrowski Nonfiction: One page (Five paragraphs)/No illustrations Informational piece that doesn’t identify the animal it is describing -- turning it into a puzzle.

"Have You Ever Seen A Curator at the Zoo?" by Debbie Grant Nonfiction: One page (Three paragraphs)/Two B&W photos Informational --very short description of a curator (basically one paragraph with a two-paragraph lead in teaser).

"The Warthog" by Joan Stevenson Nonfiction: One page (Four Paragraphs)/Two B&W photos Informational -- Very short fact piece on warthogs, focuses on tusks and eating.

Regular Features:

Chef’s Corner -- "Jim the Monkey" sandwich. Simple sandwich with peanut butter decorated to look like a monkey. Invites recipe ideas from readers. Every issue includes a recipe related to the theme. They definitely recycle recipes.

Fred’s World -- A humorous journal by a dog named Fred.

T.A.I.L.S. Comics -- Comicbook style regular feature. Includes knot tying activity.

How-To Workshop -- Make Your Own Bug Zoo -- complex how-to, would require extensive parental involvement. Four pages. Three B&W photos.

Joe Hippo by Gary Fields -- another graphic/comix story -- more of a comic strip - joke

Collecting -- "An Authentic Collection" about starting a collection of handmade animals.

Science -- "Secret Spy Ink" gives directions for making and using invisible ink

Ticklers & Teasers -- short jokes and puzzles with bylines.

Puzzles:

• "Let’s Visit the Zoo" by Debbie Grant -- Crossword/Uses 14 words/Uses unusual facts about animals as clues to guess which animals are in the puzzle.

• Hidden Picture Puzzle by E.C. Ball

• "It Looks Like a Zoo in Here" -- no byline, probably staff generated. Math puzzle about perimeter and area.

• Word Find Puzzle by Gertrude Knabbe -- After finding all the words, the remaining letters make a phrase about zoo animals.

• "Just the ‘Bear’ Facts" by Rebecca Hershey -- a decoding puzzle using graphic-to-letter key. Each graphic matches two or more letters, which adds to the challenge. Answers are bear facts.

• Zoo Clues by Neal Levin -- unusual word puzzle.

This page last updated on 15 March 2008