Anyone interested in writing for an online magazine for pre-teen girls that does not feature makeup, boys, horses, cute animals, pink or glitter?

Hi this is a great idea!

And PM me, I have a friend who runs a Masters in Creative Writing, I'm sure some of her students would love to write for you. Plus I've a practical idea of how you can link to stories about girls in other parts of the world without (sadly) needing to travel.

marks place. Dd is 12, reads and writes short stories and id's herself as 'not a girly girl and not a tomboy either'. Will chat to her about this.

I'm a teacher and just recently moved from teaching 8 and 9 year olds down to a younger age group. I think book reviews are a good idea and I love some ideas from other posters, top ten women, careers, world issues/affairs all sound great.

Are you looking for people who can commit to submitting something on a weekly/monthly basis? Or to build a pool of writers/articles that you can then pull from each issue? I'd like to be involved but probably can't commit to submitting something for every issue.

I don't know exactly what my areas of strength are. I love gymnastics and would consider myself obsessed well informed about cuyrebt affairs in that area but beyond that I'm really not sure!!

Oh and I think the Internet safety thing is paramount.

Name wise I will keep thinking.

Is there any way of asking your DD and her friends what they'd be interested in? The classes I taught had a lot of very 'pink' girls in but the ones that bucked the trend were into: maths, times tables, astronomy, geology, mythbusters (that would actually be quite a fun regular piece - something that... busts myths. Wow I'm not sounding eloquent or at all qualified to be involved with this at all!), scouts, football, athletics, history, chess, reading, puzzles, making things.

I know cooking could be seen as being girly but what about featuring a healthy recipe each issue? Or a cool easy to do at home science experiment, like putting a White flower in coloured water and waiting for the leaves to change colour and then explaining the science behind it. That'd be cool. In my experience all kids like practical science.

Oh yes, you're right. I always loved geography, you could feature a different country in each edition, and focus on a kid from there, what the environment is like, what kind of food they eat there, famous things that are made there etc.

... or something about non-traditional sports / hobbies - I read something a while ago about the roller derby scene - colourful, participative, active contact sport plus the humour of the alter egos the skaters choose for themselves.

Please do this quick, MMeLindor, before DD gets too old! It sounds wonderful.

Not sure I could contribute, but stuff I think woukd be interesting has mostly been mentioned: cooking, careers, art and artists, LOTS of history, girls in other parts of the world, real animals (as opposed to cute ones), current affairs (I rather like the page in The Week which is a sort of political briefing - what's behingd the particular issues and then a brief summary of points for and against).

When I was younger, someone handed us down a number of issues of Look and Learn which both my brother and I adored. I don't remember anything in it which felt exclusive to one gender - or if it was there I obviously just ignored it! I still remember loads of information that I learned from it - what defenestration was, for example. Not sure that would be in many kids' magazines now ...

Ooh I really like the idea of this, but sadly I like quite "girly" things, am a nurse and I like cooking.
What about something written about gardening? Boys and girls like digging in mud?

If it would not be considered too weird, could I maybe do things around occult trivia/religious history. Not a really an expert, just something that I'm interested in.
But that might not be the kind of thing your looking for?

Ooooh can I help?

My friend was applying for a job at one of those awful pink magazines a while back. She had to write two articles and asked us all for ideas. When I suggested she write one on world issues (like the Arab Spring) in a way that might be more accessible to younger girls than The Times or whatever but would still be informative, and one on a list of "Top Ten Women" in various fields/points in history, she refused because 'nobody would care'. Then she wrote one article on which easter eggs contain the fewest calories, and one on Five Things To Always Carry, including such gems as lipgloss, a mirror (for applying said lipgloss AND checking if the boys are looking at you, double win...) and tissues in case you need to stuff your bra. What the actual fuck.

They employed her as well. Though they apparently told her the bra-stuffing was an inappropriate message. The rest of it was fine though

I still wish she'd done the top ten women bit. Could I do that for this? (I will construct better sentences than 'could I do that for this', honest.) I could also do anthropology and photography - they are my specialities.

I'd be interested - history nerd with a DD in the target age.

What about little biographies of interesting/inspiring women from the past and the present? Those you don't learn about at school.

DH works in academia and he has several women working on his team (physics). He could offer advice and information about STEM jobs as well as which subjects to choose, plus we could get some interviews with the women he works with.

Music would be good too. Internet sites to visit for games/information. Book reviews and recommendations. Articles about self-esteem/self confidence/bullying/being yourself etc.

My 10 year old would love something like this. Currently into the Beano and Goosebumps books, fascinated with things like 'Creepy Magic', science experiments and the like. Not sure I could offer much in the way of articles (I do write but as an academic - political sociologist) Maybe 'politics made interesting' for a pre-teen readership? (a little bit like a Horrible Histories take on government??)

Salutes you all. My DD (now 14) would have loved something like this but she has weaned herself onto The Times now.

Bloody hate all that pink glittery nonsense.

Umm, I don't know a huge amount about specific jobs. I know about management theories, employment law and good practice when employing people(!) Although i do know how to analyse data and pick out the relevant information and I have conducted interviews for a company magazine before so I have some transferrable skills. i.e. I could ask the right sort of questions (qualifications, recruitment process, training, duties) and the more fluffy best bits/worst bits of the job, most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on the job.

I am imagining this magazine to be the bastard love child of Jackie and Spare Rib

Given that it's an online magazine, perhaps a feature about online safety would be good? I know a lot of information I've seen on this subject (even that aimed at adults) seems incredibly patronising to me at times, because since my early teens there has always been a computer about, and I'm just used to how they work. I always think those things need less of the "what internet safety is" and more "why you need to be safe". Like pictures. I see a lot of young people posting pictures of themselves online, and I don't think they realise those pictures will still be floating around when they start job-hunting. And that leaves aside the other, more immediate problems those pictures can cause from unsavoury types.

Also, something about jobs themselves (as mentioned by Geordieminx) would be good. It's nice to have a window on that world before you have to start thinking about it seriously.

I'd be up for the occasional art feature