I was emailing one of my cyber friends last night (that is a person that I don’t know in ‘real life’ but have become friendly via the interwebs) and mentioned that I have SO many new items to reveal for the shop. I seriously went on a little spree, but in my defense I need to be gearing up for holiday now, as holiday nearly killed me last year, I was seriously so not prepared. For those that have shops/products this is the time when you need to be sending out your press kits to print magazines (they work on 3-6 month lead times). Me? No, I have not designed a press kit, nor can I even fathom doing so right now, do you know how long it takes me to make even the most minute decisions? Ages. When I do I will photograph it and you will get a glimpse when I finish (maybe in the new year?) I was a fashion publicist for ions before I got into graphic design + branding (I have lived a long life), but what I know about fashion PR does not necessarily translate to what I am doing now. Once I launch the apothecary + accessories I will be on sure footing but this totally odd concept of Stationery Stamps and the like, well it’s a hard sell. My outreach to blogs the other day made me feel about *this* big. The most humiliating outreach was a girl with a now popular blog that had emailed me years ago to feature her line on my former blogs (I had two fairly large ones) which I did and she didn’t even write me back. The internet is not always diplomatic, no she is not on vacation and I doubt it went to spam. I am assuming she doesn’t remember hocking her line before it got popular and that I had a hand in getting her there. She is now on my mental ‘black list’. You want to know what added salt to the wound? Twitter recently recommended her as a ‘like you’ suggestion. Like heck she’s not, I wanted to yell at the Twitter bots, I would never ignore anyone that ever helped me out, ever. BUT back to your press kit for print media, it’s a simple premise really (even if you can’t put together cohesive sentences) you should be able to answer these questions: WHO / WHAT / WHERE / WHEN / WHY. Once you do answer these simple questions put it on sheet of paper add your line sheet with RETAIL pricing and send it off to the editor of your favorite magazine. Okay, I know you have more questions, but that will have to be for another lesson, you haven’t even put together your press kit right? Once you do than we can talk and hopefully you will get it together much sooner than I will.
P.S. The cardstock shown is limited edition double-sided stock, jet black on one side, bright white on the other, clever! You can get it here while supplies last.
Those cards are so sleek! I’ve also been working on a small business of my own, but oi! I feel like everything needs to be perfect before I even make a move. At least you’ve put yourself out there and taken quite a few steps already. The press kit will soon come.
As a magazine writer I’d get press kits all the time and love seeing what people come up with. There are so many creative ways to represent yourself so just have fun with it and it’ll show (and be very appreciated because I’ve also seem some lame and boring ones)!
Dorkys, I hope that small business includes photographs???? I should have/beg you do a list of what ‘not’ to do. I have seen some cringe worthy ones in my time as well and I SO don’t want to be one of them!
I’m so sorry to hear someone dissed you in terms of not replying back. I hate it when people don’t answer emails, especially when you think/expect them to. that’s the worst let-down feeling :( She doesn’t know what she’s missing out on and just remember, karma will come back to get her. I hope some of the suggestions I recommended treated you kindly? :)
Love that cardstock! Swoon.
I have tried to write up a press kit for my blog at least 10 times and always fail miserably! Ive even reached out to some PR peeps to see if they would do one for me but the costs are astronomical for a little copy help. So here I sit with nada. I love blogging but I hate the business part.
<3 You can't get accepted if you don't send anything in. Remember to make sure you are your sweet, amazing self and showcase your beautiful products as beautifully as you do and you'll be set. Truly, you are amazing and would never do something as horrible as that person. I'm so depressed when I see people being mean...it's not happy at all!