Take notes on the various magazines you select. Does this magazine accept fiction, non-fiction or both? What is the age range of its readers? How long are the stories now being published? These are all question you need to answer before you submit your work.
As you research, you must go back over several months of back issues of the particular magazine you choose. Try to get a feel for the style and philosophy of the magazine. Does the magazine favor city or rural settings? Study the vocabulary used in the magazine. Study the kinds of fiction that has been previously written. Are the stories adventure, mystery or sports? You'll probably want to submit a story topic that has not been recently published.
Take note of the various editors and departments. Look at the percentage of stories that are written by staff. Is the magazine mainly staff written?
If you want to write for the children's magazine market you must be able to write for a broad age range. Very young children often relate to family or animal stories. Older children relate to their friends and characters — these stories must be more complex. Targeting the audience of readers is an important skill.
The best way to study a magazine is to subscribe to it, but of course the cost can be prohibitive for most writers. Look for current back issues at the local library; or perhaps a child you know has past issues you can use.
Once you think you have found the appropriate magazine for your story, write to the editor for guidelines. Always enclose a SASE. Some magazines also have theme lists. If your story is a seasonal one it will need to be submitted at least six months ahead.
Some story plots editors see over and over again. Unless you can approach one of these plots or topics in a unique and compelling way it is wise to avoid them. A few of these plotlines are: the dying pet, moving or being new in school.
The "Children's Magazine Guide" can be found in most libraries and has an exhaustive list of magazines that are currently being published. Fiction topics are covered that are published in commercial magazines. This will give you a good idea of the topics that have recently been written about.
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