CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!

PaperDolls is a new online magazine created for teen girls. By "teen girls," we mean anyone who is a teen and identifies as a girl. This ad-free magazine is a pro-girl online space that provides multiple points of view without the bias and agendas of print teen magazines available on newsstands. In other words, we are not using girls to sell products; rather, we are sharing information and advice with girls that might not otherwise be available to them. Additionally, our magazine will host teen-girl writers to debate issues and to give their voice and opinions on life and culture. We think it is very important to have an open dialogue with our target audience. Our voice is fresh and casual without undermining the seriousness of the issues faced by today's teen girl.
Currently we are looking for submissions for our first issue, which we plan to launch August 1, 2008. Our first issue, the "Girl Issue," will explore the questions we have posed to ourselves: Do girls need spaces dedicated specifically for them? What is great about girl culture? How could it be improved? How does the media portray and respond to girls? We are looking to explore all areas of girlhood: tomboys, riot grrls, sorority girls, and all the other girls out there, as well as girls' relationships with girlfriends, boyfriends, girl friends, and boy friends.
Articles and submissions are open-ended as long as they apply to the theme of the issue and apply to our target audience, teen girls. Articles should maintain a casual but thoughtful voice and follow our style guide, which is attached.
PaperDolls is just starting out and we are working on obtaining a non-profit status. Our funds are limited. For the first issue we will be paying contributors $5 per article, because we think it is important to give a physical value to our writers' work and because we want high-quality work. In the future, we plan on providing more substantial compensation. Submissions are due June 1.


What We're Looking For:

Feature Articles
Feature articles are entirely open-ended. They should be current and newsworthy and maintain a strong sense of who the audience is. These may be critiques, exposés, journalistic articles, etc. 2000 to 3000 words.

Short Articles
These are similar to feature articles and include critiques, extended reviews, bios/profiles, historical and reported articles, etc. 1000 words or less.

Health Articles
Health issues should relate very specifically to our audience and be completely current. 1000 to 2000 words.

Letter From …
This section of the magazine is exactly what it sounds like. Girls from different parts of the country or planet write a letter telling other girls what is happening in their neck of the woods. What is going on there now, what the kids are up to these days, any events taking place, etc. Contributors have the option of adding their own photographs. 350 to 500 words.

Comics
We love comics! Comic submissions should be submitted electronically if possible and relate very specifically to our audience.

Reviews
We are looking for people to review books, film, television, and music. Here's the deal: We want to inform girls of good media whether it came out yesterday or 50 years ago. If you are no longer a teen, think of taking a "big sister" approach, turning your little sister on to some really cool thing you either love or used to love as a teen or showing how something is not as cool as they might think. This section will include a medley of new and old. 150 to 250 words.

Fiction/Poetry
Short fiction or poetry that is either written by a teen, reminiscent of teen years, or directed specifically at teens.1500 words or less.

Art and Illustration
We are open to accepting art and illustration submissions as long as they fit within our theme and as long as submissions follow our style guide. Send us your work!


All submissions should be sent to paperdollsmag@gmail.com and should follow the given style guide. Deadline for August issue is June 1.