Daily Blogs : publishing

How to Sell Your Projects to Creative Jewelry

Michelle M. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:26:00 GMT

I'll never forget the first time I heard back from a magazine editor that she wanted to buy one of my designs. Luckily, the acceptance came by email, not phone, so the editor's hearing wasn't permanently damaged by my shriek of joy. I had no inside connections, no prior publications or jewelry sales--I was just someone who found joy in making jewelry and wanted to share some of my work. I firmly believe that if I can do it, you can do it. With that in mind, I invited the editor of Creative Jewerly, Jane Dickerson, to tell us how you can submit your best jewelry for next year's magazine.--Michelle Mach, Beading Daily editor...(read more)

How to Name Your Jewelry Projects

Michelle M. — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:49:00 GMT

You remember the famous line Shakespeare’s Juliet says to her Romeo, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Well, I beg to differ, Miss Capulet. Here in the Stringing and Beadwork offices, we place high importance on names, or, in our case, titles. For instance, would you, dear Beading Daily reader, prefer to make a project called Red and White Beads on Steel Wire Necklace or Beach-ball Bling? I rest my case....(read more)

Create on Cue: 4 Tips to Reduce Beading Stress

Michelle M. — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:51:00 GMT

If you look at my current resume, there isn’t a section called Rewards. No presidential citations or even an “Employee of the Month” award. I’d put them on there if I had any… Well, I guess in the sexist 70s the high school band voted me “Best Legs”, but I’m not sure that would add to my credentials. And, quite frankly, the “best” part of my hail-damaged legs anymore is that they get me from Point A to Point B!...(read more)

Behind the Scenes of Stringing Magazine

Michelle M. — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:13:00 GMT

I don’t know about you, but I’m kind a sucker for those "the-making-of" special features included on DVDs these days. You know, the laugh reels, the director’s commentary, the short history documentaries that provide a backdrop to the movie. I’m not the only one, right?...(read more)

Get Published! Tips from the Editor of Stringing Magazine

Editor — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Submitting Your Jewelry Designs to Magazines

Have you ever dreamed of seeing your original jewelry design in a magazine?

If you admitted that dream to Stringing editor Danielle Fox, she would say: "Don't be shy--show off your work!" Magazines are always looking for fresh, new, exciting designs to feature. Why not yours? There are more than 100 designs in every issue of Stringing and it's published 4 times a year. That's 400 opportunities--just for one magazine! What are you waiting for?

Are you afraid of rejection? Don't be. My very first submission to Stringing was rejected. I not only lived to tell about it, but I've since had other designs published in Stringing, including two necklaces, a bracelet, and a pair of earring in the new Winter issue. There is nothing quite so satisfying as pulling a magazine off the rack in a bead shop or bookstore and seeing your own design. I did it--and so can you!

Above: My necklace "Reveille" in the Winter 2007 issue of Stringing magazine.

"How Do I Submit Designs?" and Other Questions

Danielle Fox, Stringing editor, generously agreed to give us the inside scoop on submitting to Stringing magazine. Here are her answers to some of the most-asked questions:

Q: What kind of submissions are you looking for?
A: Creative necklace, bracelet, and earring designs: Designs that are different than anything that has already been published in Stringing. Designs that make good use of new materials or that use materials in new ways. Designs that will make our readers scream: I have to make that!

Q: How do I submit designs?
A: Visit stringingmagazine.com for the contributor guidelines, deadlines, and issue themes. The guidelines are very thorough and will walk you through the submissions process.

Q: Must I send in actual pieces, or can I e-mail you pictures of my work?
A: We must receive actual jewelry in order to consider your submissions. Not only will this allow us to see your pieces in their full glory, but it also will allow us to move forward as quickly as possible once we’ve made selections.

Q: Do I need to write instructions and give resource information for all my pieces?
A: We only need instructions for necklaces and bracelets intended to be featured on a full page. If you submitted earrings and/or easy bracelets intended for the earring or bracelet galleries, you do not need to include instructions. We do, however, need detailed resource information for every item submitted. Please clearly list where you purchased each material used in each project (as far as is possible).

Q: I’m afraid to write instructions! What if they aren’t good enough?
A: Check out our contributor guidelines. There you will find a bunch of tips for writing instructions. The best things you can do, however, are:

Provide a very thorough materials list
Look through past issues of Stringing and model your instructions after a piece similar to yours. We edit each and every project many times, so be assured we will help you out!

Q: When will I find out if my pieces have been accepted?
A: Soon after your pieces arrive at our office, we will send you a postcard confirming their receipt. We will contact you when we’ve decided which pieces will go in the magazine. Please be patient as the selection process may take a couple of weeks.

Q: What do I get if my work is accepted?
A: International fame! Your beautifully photographed piece will grace the pages of our much-loved publication. Oh, and we pay, too! You get $60 for each full-page project; $15 for each bracelet and pair of earrings.

Q: When will I get my pieces back?
A: If none of your pieces are accepted, we will return them right away. (Give us about two weeks from the submissions deadline, please.) If any of your pieces are accepted, we will return all of your accepted and unaccepted pieces when the magazines come back from the printer. That way you get your jewelry, your payment, and complimentary magazines all at once. This means your pieces will be with us for about four months.

Thanks, Danielle! If you have any other questions for Danielle Fox about submitting your work for publication or about Stringing magazine, please post them in the comments section.

Coming Wednesday: Holiday beading ideas (and gallery) from Beading Daily readers.

Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily. She finds that one of the hardest parts of submitting designs to magazines is having to come up with jewelry designs for summer when it is snowing outside!

Meet a Three-Time Star

Editor — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:00:00 GMT

Drops of Jupiter
coming soon! Ooooooooh, that's so pretty! Are you buying that for Beading Daily?

That's what people kept saying when they walked into my office one morning in June. On my computer screen was a photo of a glass and wirewrapped bracelet from Beading Daily reader Marcella Austenfeld.

At the time, I wasn't officially open to submissions, but Marcella's project was so beautiful, I couldn't pass it up. Her "Drops of Jupiter" was the first project I purchased especially for Beading Daily. Look for the project instructions in a future newsletter, exclusively for Beading Daily members!

A close-up of Tide Pool Around the same time as her Beading Daily submission, Marcella also submitted two different projects to Stringing and Beadwork. There's a reason for that old saying "great minds think alike": both magazines also purchased a project from her. Marcella's "Tide Pool" bracelet appears in the fall issue of Stringing and "Inspiration Necklace" will appear on the Beadwork website as part of the October/November issue. "Tide Pool" is Marcella's first published beading design.

Designer Marcella Austenfeld Marcella began beading eight years ago in what she describes as "those luxurious days of spare time." Now she’s a stay-at-home mom who spends her days chasing two boys about the Oakland Hills in California. Marcella notes, "My beading is done after the sun sets, restoring the calm needed to start my next day." When I asked her what made her decide to submit her design to Stringing, she said, "Over the past couple of years, Stringing has inspired me and pushed me creatively . . . I wanted to share my work with others who could appreciate the process and passion of creating uniquely crafted jewelry."

If you've been inspired by Stringing, I encourage you to submit your original designs. Who knows? I could be talking about YOU in a future issue of Beading Daily!

I hope you'll all join me in congratulating Marcella on the start of a very promising career in beading!