How to approach magazines with your blog/portfolio/etc.

[Sophie66]

Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice with promoting my blog and after looking through all 35 pages of this forum section I can't find anything specifically related to this question (please feel free to move/let me know if there is!)

I have been writing my blog for 3 years (see my signature if you want to check it out) and after working up a contact list of names and email addresses from magazine mastheads and fashion PR websites I want to take it to the next step and send it out via email.

However I am really wary of appearing like a spammer/cold caller etc when emailing them. I know that editors and PR people are really busy and must receive hundreds of emails every week.

How do I make my email stand out?

The contacts I have found are from magazines and websites that I genuinely read and enjoy so I thought mentioning articles I have read from their publications would be a good idea. However I want to be/seem genuine and not ramble on (can you tell I have a habit of it?!) with irrelevant content.

I work in PR/design myself but for the music industry so I am used to sending and receiving press releases and I know how annoying some people find unsolicited email even if it is meant with the best intentions.

I have put together a mailout that I designed myself (I love html!)
http://pastehtml.com/view/bhv6bpshs.html

I thought this would show off some more of my skills. Do you think this is a good idea?

I was thinking a hello, then and intro to me and my blog and why their publication is relevant and then a 'please have a look at my blog/mailout below'

Has anyone sent/recieved emails like this?
and if so
*were they sucsessful?
*what made them stand out?
*any big no/nos?
*how long should they be?
*any other tips?

A big thanks!

Sophie.xx

 

[Melisande]

Good topic, and an important one for all creatives and small businesses...writers, designers, store owners, illustrators, etc.

I usually use referrals/a friend in common/introductions/etc.
But I agree that it's important to approach cold as well.

I think it's a great idea to mention briefly how their work interested you, what you have in common. Also, it's important that any recognizable accolades, favorable critiques, awards won, etc come to the reader's attention within the first few seconds.

How do you send out/receive press releases in your job, what kind and to whom? Are they just e-mails? Could you post an example, ( if it's not too intrusive to ask) of one you find good? Sorry, I have no idea about these things, so I thought it would be a good starting point for our discussion.

If anyone works on the other end it would be great to have input

 

[Sophie66]

Thanks Melisande,

Well I work for a national concerts promoter, we are in charge of music tours all over the UK so when we are promoting a new musician their agent/PR person will send over a bio and an approved photo.

I will then put together a Press Release that usually follows the format of:

*HEADLINE that sums up in one sentence the point of the press release (e.g what musician it is about and what dates they are playing and where)
*BACKGROUND so a brief history of the musician and their awards/album sales/the buzz around them
*RELEVENCE so why this information is revelvent now, usually that they are announcing a new tour/album
*KEY DETAILS So the specific tour dates and ticket details.
*CONTACT DETAILS Finally I add in my details or a press contact should the journalist/recipient wish to contact us for press passes/tickets etc or send us back generated press (a story they have published as a result of the Press Release)

I can't really post a specific one up here because I don't want to get in trouble with agents but if this isn't a good enough break down I can send you some over.

We have a press list that is made up of national newspapers/magazines and music press/blogs. This is then divided into publications and regions and you send each Press Release out depending on what genre of music it is/if they are a massive arena artist or just a hyped indie band etc to different press.

Usually I just say Hello and PR attached because I send out so many there isn't really any need for chit chat any more. But as I work for a massive company with an existing reputation they already respect where I am coming from and know the routine.

What I am worried about is making that initial contact for my own blog! As no one knows who I am personally and I don't really have any contacts in the fashion press.

We get people emailing us from small music blogs all the time at work asking to be added to our press list, which is something I could do. But I would like to make more contact than this really.

So any help/experience on how to stand out and not look like a spammer would be great!

Does anyone else have any experience of this?

Thanks

 

[BetteT]

Great topic ... of use to many people, if anyone can come forward and post about their experiences with contacting the press.

I don't think we have many members here who work on the receiving end of this sort of thing ... although journalists are aware of tFS, but are not necesarrily members. So, you may not get any advice from their perspective.

But, I'm hoping that some members have sent off press releases and that sort of thing and have had some positive responses. That would be very helpful, if they could share what and how they did it.


I'm unable to view your peice ... my Trend Micro Virus protection says it's on a "dangerous page" .. and may have malware or a virus connected to it. So I can't risk it.

But I would think that if you work in PR ... you just need to follow what you have learned there ... what you shared with us, above.

Here are some of my thoughts about it:

• Always make it short, sweet and exactly to the point. People don't have much time and won't waste it on reading fluff.
• Remember ... all you want them to do is to take a look and see if it's anthing that is of interest to them or not.
• Grab them with a killer remark, in the first sentance ... and give them a link. Make them want to click.
• And it's a numbers game ... so the more you send out, the more likely you will interest someone, somewhere, sometime.
• Repeat every few months .... they will forget you sent them anything before.
• And if you have something that is really news worthy or is really different take on something, use that as your intro. Change that each time you sent your piece.
• It takes at least 6 times before someone will even remember your name or the name of your blog. Don't worry about being a spammer ... just get your name out there.
• Getting unsolicited mail is annoying ... but the moment they have an interest in what you have to say or need to solicit some bloggers for ideas, input or sources .... it will not longer be annoying to them.
• It's also being at the right place at the right time. So the more often you send something out, the more likely you will be there at the "right time".

 

[Sophie66]

Thanks BetteT,

I actually found your post really inspiring!
I am ready to go an and email some press now! (although I think it can probably wait until the morning -I'm in the UK)

What a shame you can view my mailout
Maybe try this link: http://pastehtml.com/view/bn5xwpuyr.html

If not no problem. I understand no one wants to click on anything virusey.

It would be really great to hear more from people who have experience of this sort of thing.

But I genuinly found your advice really interesting so thanks

If I send anything out I will come back and let everyone know how it goes. Anyone else who reads this and has some advice to share PLEASE DO!

 

[BetteT]

Nope ... that was blocke too. I think it's the site you are hosting this on.

Glad you found some ideas in my post. It's what I have been taught over the years by people who are great at PR and press releases ... and marketing people, too.

 

[_Andrea_]

Hi Sohpie. I find you thread really interesting and helpfull!

Two months ago I send 17 e-mails to different illustration agents and I got 3 replies. I had it easier than you because i most of them they have and specific mail to send your portfolio.

I introduced myself shortly and then, depending on the request of the agency, I send them some images or the link to my porftolio. One agency aswer me to tell me my work was ok but not in their line. And the other two agencies told me they were interested but that I need more illustrations. So right know I'm working on that. The link I gave them wasn't my blog, but my carbonmade webpage.

I hope it helps a bit... In case anyone is interested: I also e-mailed some fashion illustrators and two of them answered in a few days. I even recieved feedback of one of them. (She told me to work on backgrounds!).
Sending e-mails for me is no problem because, as I read in an agency, agents want to see new illustrators and future talents, so it's their work to check on e-mails.

My problem is finding a job by myself...I don't know how to ask, for example, Vogue to publish some illustrators of mine. I would also like to know how could I go to some luxury brand and ask to work for them...I suposse it's just trying.

 

[BetteT]

This is helpful ... but as you said ... your's was for getting an agent and to do that, the will always ask for your portfolio. So, you always send whatever they ask for.

Magazines are a bit different ... unless they have published how they take submissions (or in this case, links to blogs) etc. In that case ... always follow their sprecific instructions ... if there are any instructions.

However, I just made an assumption here that Sophie was just sending links to her blog so that she might get quoted and increase her readership via a little bit of Public Relations. So ... in that case, it's a whole different animal ... if she's not looking for work ... only publicity.

Sophie ... would you clarify that for me, please? Are you looking for employment or just publicity?

 

[Sophie66]

However, I just made an assumption here that Sophie was just sending links to her blog so that she might get quoted and increase her readership via a little bit of Public Relations. So ... in that case, it's a whole different animal ... if she's not looking for work ... only publicity.

Sophie ... would you clarify that for me, please? Are you looking for employment or just publicity?

I am looking for anything! At the end of the day I love blogging and so getting publicity and more readers always makes me happy so this is definitely one aim -to get a mention in one of my favourite magazines.

But also it is to get my blog out there and noticed by influencial people that are interested in art and fashion and hopefully be offered work as a blogger/or internships/or gain more press invites so I can produce better content for my blog.

Even constructive critisism would be welcomed if it goes towards helping me improve and one day being able to work in fashion.

P.s Thanks for sharing Andrea! It is encouraging to know you got responses

 

[BetteT]

Well then, it sounds like you are needing to approach them from two different angles.

If you are also looking for work you also need to route requests for internships and employment through their HR departments and make a formal job application. So you need to contact them and find out about openings and if they use interns and ask about how they would like you to apply. HR doesn't respond well to misc. emails etc ... they want you to follow the rules in applying.

The other thing ... that's just press releases for publicity ... so follow the usual PR process ... but just make it memorable. There is a tiny possibility that someone will want to hire you from that ... but not likely. But ... a mention is always good.