Getting Published in a Children's Magazine in 2026, with Cricket editor Joseph Taylor

What are magazine editors really looking for?

Jan 09, 2026

From the Writing Desk:

Aaaand we’re off! Welcome to 2026. Hopefully you’re starting to ease back into your normal routines, and I hope you made some meaningful memories over the holidays and new year. I’m not sure why, but I’m hopeful and optimistic about what this next year is going to bring. Let’s really do this, ya know?

I’m not someone who sets a specific word or phrase for a new year, and I tend to reevaluate habits throughout the year rather than focusing too much on one new years resolution. Although, I do really like the idea of yearly words and resolutions, so maybe I’ll think about it. (The holidays are so not conducive to this kind of goal-setting thing, lol, so maybe for February?) In V.E. Schwab’s newsletter she talked about deep-diving into a new chosen topic each month, and I really like that as a possible new years resolution.

The resolutions/goals/habits from here at the writing desk are to simply keep going. To keep the little bit of consistency I reached at the end of last year and level that up. I have so many (too many?) ideas and plans, but the way to get to those is consistency on the daily habits. So as far as writing goes, writing consistently is my new years resolution.

And that means continuing consistently on my adult book. And it means finishing up a kids script I’m working on, a picture book, and looking into some new chapter book ideas.

Your turn:

What are your new years goals or resolutions?

Onward!

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Getting Published in a Children’s Magazine in 2026

Well well well, if it isn’t all the goals we said we’d circle back to in the new year.

And if one of those goals is being more proactive in some way about publishing and submitting to children’s magazines, then I know this is going to be a helpful interview for you!

I am so honored today to have Joseph Taylor with us, editor of the renowned Cricket magazine. Joe is the new editor of the combined Cricket Media magazine for kids, which combines features of the former Cricket, Muse, Faces, and Cobblestone magazines. Before joining Cricket Media as an editor, he wrote feature articles about current science subjects for Muse and science and art related biographical pieces for Cricket.

Joe has very generously shared some incredible behind-the-scenes wisdom and advice here, and I am so grateful and thrilled! I know you’ll enjoy this one.

Welcome Joe!

1: It seems like publishing in all areas just keeps changing. How is editing and publishing a children’s magazine different now than it was when you began?

I became editor of Muse in 2021 and editor of the new, expanded Cricket, which merged with Muse and incorporated some of Faces and Cobblestone, this past year. Prior to becoming an editor, I was a writer for Cricket and Muse. My first piece appeared in Cricket in 2008.

While the core mission of children’s magazines hasn’t changed much since I started writing, the way we reach readers and compete for their attention has. As in many media-related industries, the magazine market has been challenging of late. Audiences seem increasingly fragmented, with more and more products and platforms demanding attention. From major movies to more niche magazines like ours, everyone creating media has felt some impact. I see these effects both at work and where I live, in the Los Angeles area.

We’re fortunate at Cricket Media to have partnered this past year with Sensical, a safe, quality video-streaming platform for kids. We also have a cherished legacy with Cricket and its illustrious track record stretching back more than five decades. And, despite the enormous challenges facing us today, we still have talented writers and illustrators who respect the magazines—which also include Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug—and want to work with us. I’m grateful every day to be a part of it.

2: What are the most common mistakes you see in submissions? What advice would you give to writers who are interested in submitting?

Our magazines at Cricket Media are currently not accepting new submissions or queries, but we’re hoping this might change at some point in 2026. In the past, Cricket took completed submissions for all its material: fiction, poetry, and nonfiction pieces. Muse, meanwhile, accepted pitches from writers for upcoming themed issues, which were posted online, and commissioned the writing of the pieces.

With both methods, it’s helpful for writers to establish that they are professionals and are committed to the field. Do mention if you’re active in SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators) or some other writing organization. Do let us know if you’ve studied writing in a program. Feel free to share any bit of success, no matter how small, that you’re proud of. It can be helpful to include a link to any work of yours available online, even if it’s not writing for kids. Also, let us know if you have some expertise in a field you’re writing about.

If you’re pitching an article, take the time to think through how you would write the piece and share your thinking and an outline with us. We sometimes get multiple queries for the same story idea, so we’re put in the position to pick who has made the strongest pitch. Also, consider doing a One on One interview or a Hands-On activity, regular departments that we cherish.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that if you’ve done a presentable job on a short story or a poem, then you’re good to go. We’re not teachers looking for you to hand in respectable work; we’re hoping you focus on your strong suit and deliver something no one else can.

Avoid worrying, though, that your submission or query isn’t perfect enough. As the late Paula Danziger used to say, “Our goal as writers is not perfection; it’s excellence.”

3: What types of stories or articles do you see resonating most with middle grade readers today? Any predictions for the future of middle grade magazines?

For Cricket, we’re always looking for material that is fresh or timeless, or both. We want works that will resonate with our readers today and maybe nudge them to tell their friends about them. We’re also looking for pieces our readers may want to hold on to and read or share later.

There’s always a place for pieces about subjects that kids typically love, but the same goes for more serious subjects they might want to know more about. We often get letters from readers asking for more material on climate change, animal welfare, and kids’ mental health. We know that they appreciated our recent issues on AI and wildfires—but they also enjoy lighter pieces like comics that bring humor and warmth.

One trend people have been discussing is what seems to be a shortening of attention spans. We’re still publishing pieces in a range of lengths—and we hope to continue to do that. Reading a long short story or narrative nonfiction piece that is well told and offers some depth can be so satisfying.

One thing being an editor has taught me is that there is never one right way to write something, whether that’s a feature article or a short story. We value a variety of approaches and voices and enjoy working with writers and illustrators who have different perspectives. Even before the advent of AI, Cricket editors worked hard to keep everything in an issue from sounding or looking the same. As a writer or illustrator, you don’t want to be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s often where the best work can be found.

4: What is something quirky that’s brought you joy lately?

Maybe my taste in pets: Border Collies and pregnant cats. That’s pretty quirky. I don’t know how exciting this might be to others, but I found a recent science story memorable. A new study shows that humans have a sense known as remote touch, previously found in shorebirds such as sandpipers and plovers. Moving their fingers through sand, people could detect where an object had been buried before touching it. Their fingers sensed tiny changes in the sand caused by the object. How cool is that … we really do have more capabilities than we know!

Thank you so, so much Joe! Here’s to a bright future for the new Cricket magazine. While there are no open submissions at the moment, keep an eye on their submission page for future opportunities!

What I’m Reading:

When I saw the pitch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls you know I downloaded that puppy quicker than immediately. This is such a romp. Delightful and heartwarming, and will very, very likely pop up as a comp title to the adult novel I’m working on…

What I’m Watching:

Amazon.com: The Searchers [DVD] by John Wayne : Movies & TV

Sometimes when my amazing mum is visiting we go through this list of the top 200 films by decade. We don’t necessarily watch every single one, but any that peak our interest. Sort of a self-guided film history class. And this was the one we watched this time around, and it was a fascinating one. It took me a minute to get into it, or to really get the right vibe for it, but once I did I began to really appreciate how well-crafted it is. This was, apparently, the movie that changed and shaped westerns as we know them.

Public Domain Day: There’s a new playground of public domain content for us to play with in 2026! This video is a fun analysis of a few of those properties.

What I’m Poeming: Let’s laud our winter bods.

Also check out the bookish swag I’ve got up for sale in my new little swag shop!

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

Writing Opportunity: There’s a fun prompt from First Line magazine. Stories of 300-5000 words using the provided first line are due Feb. 1.

Teacher’s Table

Some goodies especially for the teachers:

The Seeds of an Essay, by Carlos Greaves.
Everything needed to get your young writers started is here in Tools Not Rules: A Writing Guide for Young Creatives.
Free activity sheets up on my Teachers Pay Teachers store! More added all the time, so check back regularly.
I am so, so excited and honored to now be on the roster at the Macmillan Speakers Bureau! For school and other events, you can find my speaker page here.

You guys are rock stars!

Thanks for coming along everyone! The best way to support is to 1) subscribe, 2) get a copy of the book bebes, and 3) keep glowing, you shining star you.

-Sarah