special report

Breakaway

Readership: boys 12 - 17
 

SUBMISSION SPECIFICS:

SUBMISSION SPECIFICS from their guidelines and from examination of sample issues.

To reach the Brio guidelines, go to the Focus on the Family Customer Service page and type "guidelines" into the search box. A link to the BREAKAWAY guidelines will be at the bottom of the results page.

The goal of BREAKAWAY is "to creatively teach, to entertain, inspire and challenge the emerging teenager. It also seeks to strengthen a boy’s self-esteem, provide role-models, guide a healthy awakening to girls, make the Bible relevant, and deepen his love for family, friends, church and Jesus Christ.” Upon examining sample issues, it's clear that BREAKAWAY assumes its readers are very focused on their spiritual lives, so they tend to be less interested in stories and articles with simply a strong moral grounding and more interested in material that is specifically Christian. If the piece could run in a secular magazine, it probably would not run in BREAKAWAY.

WHAT THEY WANT:

FICTION

"Our quality stories on young-adolescent themes contain adventure with well-developed characters that kids can relate to. They will be fast-paced in style, holding the reader’s interest throughout. They may also contain one or perhaps two “points” that are easily caught by the reader. But at all costs avoid Christian jargon, clichés, preaching, and other dialogue that isn’t realistic or that interrupts the flow of the story." Up to 2000 words.

NONFICITON:

Most of the nonfiction in BREAKAWAY is staff-written (up to 75%). Freelance material accepted includes:
* Biographical articles and/or interviews with teens (in junior or sr. high) or adults teens admire “These individuals should have gone through trials (major or minor) or have done something outstanding. They must be able to communicate their feelings and the spiritual lessons learned in a way readers will relate to.
* Profiles of Christians in the spotlight – athletes, missionaries, musicians, actors, etc.
* How-to Articles – can be practical (make extra cash, get homework done, etc) or relational (how to approach parents to discuss touchy issues, how to relate to girls, etc.)
Humor -- Doesn’t need to be spiritual, just funny. Most stories run between 600 – 1000 words.

Submissions should be sent to:

Michael Ross, Editor
BREAKAWAY
Focus on the Family
8605 Explorer Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920

BREAKAWAY pays on acceptance. 12 - 15 cents per word. Buys first rights.

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

Contents:
BREAKAWAY
February 2005

WEIRD, WILD WOW – Short pieces on technology, culture, and science. Appear to be mostly staff-written. Included a blurb about an interactive Superbowl Experience theme park. Also poll results about how teens see their life purpose, a light-hearted blurb about caffeinated soap, a blurb about an FTC ruling on pornographic spam, a science fact about tickling, and world records related to push-ups.

Facing Forward. (Suzanne Hadley) Profile of a young man badly injured in a car accident and the things he has learned about himself through dealing with the resulting disfigurement.

Hey Mike. Advice column – one teen asks about the theology of ghosts while another asks about whether he should try to turn a friendship into a relationship. Answers are strongly conservative.

Understanding Her Signals. (Danae Dobson) Article looks at both how to tell if a girl is interested AND the “type” of girl a young man should be interested in. This article is also linked to a book available through Focus on the Family. Includes a sidebar on how to show a girl that you like her.

First & Goal. (Mike Riley) The part character plays in choosing athletes during National Signing Day.

River Warriors. (Jeremy V. Jones) Overview of a weekend canoe adventure sponsored by Focus on the Family. The article segues into an ad for FoF’s next father-son adventure trip.

Rebel Tonic Toads – World Record of Stupid. (Andy Fletcher) Humor article on how a group of friends decide to challenge a World’s Record in an extreme sport they had never tried before. Mostly self-deprecating humor in teen “dude” speak.

Epic Truth – How to Stay Pure and Why It’s the Right Choice. (Ben Young and Sam Adams) Why teens should delay having sex until marriage and steps to help those who have made that choice. – the article is adapted from a book available through Focus on the Family. Also includes link to website for more on the subject and four weeks of devotionals.

High Voltage – A Decade of Discernment. (Bob Smithouser) Regular feature -- a look at the media and Christians (this exact same piece ran in both Brio and Breakaway.

This issue did not include any fiction.

This page last updated on 01 June 2005