Teen Ink, More Than You Think By John and Stephanie Meyer
KLIATT, March 2002
A
student reviews Profiles in Courage. Another writes with astonishment about the
mysteries of fractal geometry. Two teenagers visit Maya Angelou's home for an
hour-long chat about life, the universe, and everything else. Still another
writes about his experiences with amblyiopia - a "lazy eye" - and the years of
harassment he faced from his peers.
These and many other topics are
explored in Teen Ink, a monthly magazine, book series and website written
entirely by teens that includes nonfiction, fiction, poetry, art, photos and
more. The most startling fact about Teen Ink is that, during the past thirteen
years, Teen Ink has received and read more than 350,000 submissions from
teenagers nationwide and more than 25,000 have been published!
How is this
accomplished? Each year, more than 1.5 million copies of the magazines are
distributed to libraries and classrooms across the country and every teen reader
is encouraged to send work to be considered for publication in this national teen
treasure. This inclusive philosophy of publishing teens of varying talent and
backgrounds works so well that instead of diminishing the overall quality of the
magazine, it enhances its value to the reader.
You'll find monthly doses
of poetry, short stories, and articles on topics ranging from sports, opinions,
community service, the environment, art and photography as well as reviews of
books, movies, music, colleges and much more. Articles in Teen Ink magazine
encompass the spectrum of teen interests while encouraging budding writers to
share their talent with the world. One revolutionary facet of the publication is
the fact that teenagers themselves shape the agenda - no small feat, since Teen
Ink's editors sift through more than 40,000 submissions each year from students
nationwide. There is no charge for students to submit, and if published, all
writers/artists are showered with gifts and a free issue of the magazine or book
mailed to their home.
Let's look at the odds of a student actually being
published. Thousands of the submissions are poetry, thus increasing the odds in
other categories. Some sections (such as the college reviews) do not receive as
many submissions, vastly increasing a student's chances of being published.
Letters to the editor and feedback to published articles also open the submission
and publishing process to thousands more students since they may not want to
write a comprehensive article or story, but they can still share their thoughts
by responding to another teen's piece and then experience the thrill of seeing
their name in print.
A Book Series for Teenagers by
Teenagers
Teen Ink's efforts reached a new level of accessibility in
2000 with the publication of the first anthology of teen writing from the pages
of the magazine. Teen Ink: Our Voices Our Visions (ISBN #1-55874-816-4),
published by Health Communications, Inc., was an instant success and has been
followed by Teen Ink 2: More Voices, More Visions (ISBN# 1-55874-913-6) and Teen
Ink: Friends and Family (ISBN# 1-55874-931-4). More books in the series are
planned, with subjects ranging from love and relationships to fiction and poetry,
and more. Each book captures the most beautiful, touching, and sometimes
wrenching writings of teenagers, and in doing so, provide a vehicle for teenagers
to better understand themselves and at the same time provide a window (and a
mirror) for adults to glance back in time.
Critics agree. In the first
book, film-maker George Lucas commented, "As a parent and storyteller, I find
great hope for the future based on the depth of feeling and creativity in this
unique book." In the second book, Charles Osgood, host of CBS Sunday Morning
said: "This book is the answer to anyone who complains that American teens don't
express their ideas very well or that they don't have many ideas worth
expressing. The essays, stories, poetry and art in these pages let us see things
through fresh and unspoiled eyes. There is youthful insight here that the world
seems to take from us as we grow up and grow old."
In Teen Ink: Friends
and Family, Bill Moyers, broadcast journalist had this to say: "Just when you
have reason to fear the future, pick up this book and see what the hopes, dreams
and courage of young people can do for the soul."
Cathi Dunn MacRae,
editor of Voices of Youth Advocates notes that "Teens themselves will savor every
word from compatriots who so eloquently tell the truth." Cathy Greenwood, an
English teacher said. "Warning -Teen Ink will expose you to the thoughts and
feelings of real teens who are good and sensitive and intelligent and brave and
truthful. It is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared for reality literature
that will make your heart sing."
All royalties from these
books go directly back to the Young Authors Foundation to encourage teen writing.
Teen Ink books are available in bookstores and online and can be easily ordered
for your library collection of young adult books:
Teen Ink: Our Voices,
Our Visions (ISBN #1-55874-816-4) Teen Ink 2: More Voices, More Visions (ISBN#
1-55874-913-6) Teen Ink: Friends and Family (ISBN#
1-55874-931-4).
Teen Ink Respects Teenagers
All too often,
teen magazines, books and websites focus on what marketers present to them as the
image of teen life: fashion, celebrity and entertainment. Since teens are a
major new market, with some research estimating these 30 million young people
spend about $190 billion a year, most traditional teen publications seek to
capitalize on their consumerism through glamorous fashion spreads and subtle
product placements. In stark contrast, Teen Ink is constructed through the
words, images and creativity of junior high and high school students
themselves.
To be sure, Teen Ink is no textbook, nor does it ignore
pop-culture. Indeed, reviews of current music stars like Britney Spears and
*NSYNC run alongside tributes to Miles Davis or thoughtful articles about the
environment or insights gained from a community service experience. Through this
mix, the magazine presents the balance in the teen experience that is so often
missing from much of the traditional teen-targeted media. The payoff for students
is tremendous. They often find that their concerns are reflected in the words of
their peers, and find a vehicle where their own opinions are deemed important
enough to print.
Teen Ink Magazine Inspires Teachers and Students
Alike
Students read Teen Ink in libraries and classrooms; over the years,
the magazine has become the cornerstone for many young adult librarians and a
valuable teaching tool for thousands of English teachers. Consider one English
teacher from Missouri, who writes:
I am quite dependent on this
publication - I would be lost without it. One of my greatest teaching moments
occurred this year when I introduced Teen Ink to my new class of skeptical
juniors ... after a few minutes of paper shuffling and a few groans the class
grew silent - completely silent - for the remainder of the period! To see a
student during the last period on Friday look up disappointed as the dismissal
bell rings is the greatest sight a teacher can behold ... I wanted to shout and
skip down the hallway that day, 'I did it! I turned their lights on.
Teen
Ink Website
Everyone with access to the web can find an incredible
resource: http://TeenInk.com. This site contains over 14,000 pages of writing, contests,
photos and artwork, opinion polls and much more. There also are resources for
teachers and students alike as well as college information and a directory. With
a daily-changing homepage, this is an ever-evolving site with easy access for
submitting work and requesting a free sample copy or subscription to the print
magazine.
The Young Authors Foundation Programs For
Teens
In addition to the monthly magazine, daily website and book series,
the Young Authors Foundation also runs a number of other annual educational
programs for young adults:
Teen Ink Poetry Journal: Three 48-page journals filled with 1,000 student poems and photographs are sent to schools and library subscribers three times per year. This journal allows these additional poets to have their first publishing opportunity. Teen Ink also publish poetry regularly in the magazine, but due to the numbers of poems, this special journal allows even more teen voices to be heard. All published poets receive a free copy of the journal mailed to their home.
Teen Ink Book Awards: For the past eight years, the Young Authors Foundation has sent an average of more than 10,000 free books, book plates and award certificates to schools that receive class sets of the magazine. It is the hope that this Book Award program will help motivate average or below average students in a special way. There is no cost to the schools for the books, award materials or shipping. It is only "suggested" that the award be given to students (selected by their school's English department) for demonstrating "exceptional individual growth" to encourage students to continue this advancement. Since most academic awards and scholarships seem to validate the successes of the best students, this adds an important new dimension to the awards process.
Educator of the Year Awards: Now in its ninth year, hundreds of students nominate an outstanding educator who has made a difference in the lives of the students, the school or the community. Based on these student essays and verification with school principals, this year 200 teachers, librarians, counselors or coaches will be honored with cash awards and special certificates totaling $35,000. Every winning student also receives an award certificate acknowledging his or her selfless nomination.
Teacher Advisory Board: Teachers from around the country network to share ideas and opinions. Teen Ink maintains letter, email and phone contact with over two hundred teachers and librarians who share ideas, advice and feedback as to how the foundation and the programs are working in their school. Librarians are also encouraged to join this voluntary board - which guarantees to have no meetings!
Student Advisory Board: Students have the opportunity to serve as their high school's liaison to Teen Ink. This gives them a closer working relationship with the organization and adds student feedback to determine how the magazine is being used in their school.
Interview Contest: Throughout the year, Teen Ink encourages teens to interview grandparents, neighbors, friends and teachers as an incentive to learn more about the lives and history of those close to them, and to share this experience with their peers through our magazine. While this is a winning experience for all who participate, teens who submit the best interview, or other work, win the opportunity to interview a celebrity. Thus far winners have interviewed George Lucas, John Glenn, Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson, R. L. Stine, Maya Angelou and others. This year, the winning students will interview Colin Powell, Martin Sheen, Pedro Martinez, Michael Crichton and Whoopi Goldberg.
The monthly
Teen Ink magazine is available to librarians and teachers for $25 a year for a
single copy subscription or for $97 per year for a class/library set of 30 copies
per month. All the Teen Ink books are available in stores and on line. You can
find out additional information on the website or call
1-800-363-1986 for more information.
Teen Ink PO Box 30 Newton, MA 02461 (617) 964-6800 editor@teenink.com
Copyright 2008 by Teen Ink, The 21st Century and The Young Authors Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written
permission of the publisher: The Young Authors Foundation, Inc.
Teen Ink is a national teen magazine, book and website featuring
teen writing, information, art, photos, poetry, teen issues and more. All
articles are written by teen authors who are students at schools. The monthly
print magazine is appropriate for any teenager -- teenagers age 13 to 19
attending secondary school: junior high school, middle school and high school.
This publication is used by professional people including English teachers,
writing teachers, language arts instructors, journalism teachers, school
newspaper advisors, librarians, guidance counselors, K-12 principals in addition
to the PTA or PTO. Each issue of Teen Ink magazine contains a wide variety of
student work: we publish nonfiction, fiction, poems, community service, sports,
heroes, interviews, college essays, college reviews, book reviews, concert
reviews, movie reviews, music reviews, video reviews, video game reviews, the
environment, opinion, sports, pets, cars, automobiles, travel and culture, jobs
and money, health issues, artwork, photographs, cartoons, short stories, essays,
writing contests, a college directory and the website also has a bulletin board
and resources for teens and educators. Subjects include racism,
eating disorders, depression, death, suicide, family, relationships, jobs,
grandparents, violence, the college process, college information, colleges,
driving, self esteem, the arts, movies and more. Teen Ink is also a book series
published by HCI Teens. Subjects covered in the book include Friends, Fitting In,
Love, Challenges, Family, Heroes, Loss and Memories. Teen Ink was established in
1989 as The 21st Century magazine by The Young Authors Foundation, a nonprofit
organization. More than 25,000 teens have been published in the magazine and its
companion Poetry Journal. Teen Ink runs a London Summer Program for teenage writers.
