Although I’ve met a lot of writers in America who write for magazines, I still find it surprising that in Britain, many people don’t want to start with magazine writing. Perhaps it could be because there are not that many magazines for kids in this part of the world.

I always find magazine writing fun and challenging. It exercises the writing muscles, gives me an opportunity to try my hand at many things and at the same time gives me a chance to be published, to be read by many kids.

Many of my magazine articles have been included in educational databases, archives and even the encyclopedia. One of the articles has even been converted into an audio story.

Though it is not regular royalty income or sometimes does not pay really well, it brings the pleasure of being published that much closer. Sometimes I manage two articles in magazines in a year, sometimes I manage to land a column in magazine.

Writing regularly keeps my talents honed, my writing sharp and the deadlines give me a discipline to write. Yes, I am not writing the next NY Times Bestseller, but until then I am quite happy to earn my medals, slowly and steadily.

Many magazines I write for, are popular, highly renowned and maintain a high degree of quality. Writing for magazines also gives me the ability to write queries, do research for non-fiction, work with an editor and write to spec. That’s a masterclass in writing, and I love attending it.