Freelance writing, Baby & Toddler Magazine, pays $700-$2,000 for features (Canada)

Today's Parent Baby & Toddler is a consumer magazine for parents with children up to the age of three. It is distributed as a "special edition" of Today's Parent through doctors' offices and to new subscribers to Today's Parent magazine who have babies. Currently there are two issues of Today's Parent Baby & Toddler a year.



The tone of the magazine is positive and supportive, yet realistic. While for most articles it will be important to consult health or child–care professionals, we also want to include the experience and reflections of parents. We do not lecture or dictate to our readers; rather, we pass on to them the suggestions and shared experience we have gathered. We recognize that apart from basic matters of health and safety (e.g. using a car seat), there are a variety of positive ways to handle most parenting situations.



Baby & Toddler does, however, have a parenting philosophy. We promote a gentle, nurturing parenting style that respects each child's unique personality, and also understands the normal developmental needs and limitations shared by all babies and toddlers as they grow. We encourage parents to interpret their babies' behaviour in this context (my toddler is having a tantrum because she's frustrated and overwhelmed, not because she's "naughty"), and to stay on their child's side.



We are advocates of breastfeeding as the best feeding choice for babies. At the same time, we respect the decision to bottle–feed, understanding that it may be the best choice for individual families.



We also recognize that the first three years of parenting can be the most demanding, and the most hands–on, and so we also address the needs of parents. Stories may range from the very practical (starting a playgroup) to the more introspective (coming to terms with your new identity as a parent).



Queries



Please do not telephone, e–mail or fax queries. Send a detailed query letter rather than completed manuscripts and, if it's your first contact with us, include samples of previously published work.



Send your query to:



The Editor, Today's Parent Baby & Toddler,

One Mount Pleasant Road, 8th Floor,

Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2Y5



When submitting a query, please indicate the word length you consider appropriate for the story.



Responses will be mailed within six weeks, providing a stamped, self–addressed envelope is enclosed. Today's Parent Baby & Toddler accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material.



Please note that we do not publish poetry or fiction. Because we promote ourselves as a Canadian magazine, we favour Canadian writers.



Editorial Lineup



Baby Bulletin (every issue): provides news and tips on health, safety and development, plus crafts, activities and books. This department is written by a regular contributor.



Health (every issue): deals with common health issues affecting children –– everything from how to take a temperature to common baby ailments to ear infections. The tone should be helpful, not alarmist.



Playtime (every issue): provides ideas for play, activities, crafts, outings and adventures that parents can share with their children.



Baby Steps (every issue): deals with common developmental issues. Divided into four parts (0–6 months; 6–12 months; 12–24 months; 24–36 months). This department is written by a regular contributor.



Trade Secrets (every issue): A how–to on a particular aspect of baby care. Written by staff.



Features



Today's Parent Baby & Toddler runs features of varying lengths in each issue, with a balance between the practical and the philosophical, covering child care and development, breastfeeding, the parenting experience, consumer information, and resources for families. All articles should be grounded in the reality of Canadian family life. Without claiming to know all the answers, we try to leave the reader with a sense of positive direction.



Feature topics range widely and can include such diverse stories as how fathers can support breastfeeding, night waking, making mealtimes happy for toddlers, choosing daycare, sex after childbirth, travelling with your baby, choosing a baby carrier and turning down parenting stress.



Word length and fees vary depending on the complexity of the story –– usually 1,000 to 2,500 words, $700 to $2,000.



Style



We are looking for good magazine writing. Stay away from essay format and didactic prose. Use quotations. Unless you have been assigned to write a personal reflection article, restrict any first–person narratives to the occasional use of your own experience as an example or for a lead. The writing style should be lively and accessible. A light–hearted approach, where appropriate, is welcomed.



Wherever possible, sources, statistics and anecdotal material should be Canadian. Since we are a national magazine it is important to avoid a local bias. When selecting parents to interview, please keep in mind that Canadian families have many configurations and many cultural backgrounds; we would like this diversity to be reflected in the pages of the magazine.



Sidebars with supplementary information or practical tips are encouraged. We also like to include a list of resources for parents at the end of each article, and we encourage writers to recommend relevant books or organizations.



We use the Canadian Oxford Dictionary for spelling. Numbers one to ten are spelled out and numerals are used for 11 and up.



We would like the magazine to be read by mothers and fathers. Please don't assume an exclusively female audience. Also watch out for sexist language. Good non–sexist writing requires careful sentence construction (avoid using he/she or mixing singular and plural, as in "when a child cries, you should comfort them."). When discussing indivudal children, roughly balance girls and boys.



Notes



If you are assigned an article, your handling editor will contact you by phone to discuss the direction of your assignment and will send you a contract letter specifying deadline and fee. We will reimburse telephone and some other expenses. Expenses other than long distance charges should be approved by the handling editor in advance. Writers must send an invoice with their manuscript; fees will be paid 30 days after acceptance.



Include a list of your sources, with telephone numbers, with your MS. Be sure to include the full address of any source who has asked to receive a copy of your article and indicate that you wish copies sent. Please be diligent and double–check names and titles of sources.



Contact Information:



For inquiries: The Editor, Today's Parent Baby & Toddler,One Mount Pleasant Road, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2Y5



Website: http://www.todaysparent.com