Thursday, March 5, 2009

Going for it

Friend-of-the-Blog ArtSnark, whose work I greatly admire, suggested in one of my recent posts to seek out publicity at various magazines and media outlets.

This has worked out well for me in the past, and I feel stupid for not doing it again sooner, but I definitely will! This past fall I wrote the editor of the local newspaper, and within two hours I had an interview. Within a week I was on the cover of the newspaper and had an online video interview and feature! Good fun!

So, because I am COMPLETELY incapable of holding back on anything, I'm really going for it this time. I have three major components to my "business": Fine art, Local Art, and Custom Anniversary Art. Therefore, I will be customizing several digital and printed press releases and harassing (politely) editors until I get some attention. All tastefully, respectively, and humbly done of course.

Here's the lineup, feel free to suggest others if you know of any:

Fine Art:
Crafts Arts International
Art in America
The Artist Magazine
Cloth, Paper, Scissors
Paper Crafts
Elle Decor
ART News
Paper Creations
World of Interiors

Local:
Down East
Portland
Boston
Maine Home Design
Port City Life

Custom Anniversary Art:
Rachael Ray
O
InStyle
Readers Digest
Better Homes + Gardens
Real Simple
The Nest
Lucky
Martha Stewart Living

(took FOREVER to get all those links!)

Frankly, if I get even one of these to so much as mention me in a footnote, I'll consider it successful. I have to believe that my work is the best thing ever or nobody else will think so. I've definitely learned that if you wait for things to come to you, often they never do and you have to sometimes show people what you are worth in order to get any attention. It's pretty much the only way I've gotten jobs, interviews, offers, gallery shows, displays, apartments, internships, articles...

I'm going to look into papercutting classes at Michaels too. I've got the Boys and Girls club workshop as experience and that was SO much fun.

One question for all of you to help out with: Should I send an 8x10 "custom" anniversary papercut to all the major magazines as a good visual (O, Instyle, Rachael ray, etc)? Lots of work, but might be worth it? I figure the more fine-art oriented publications can work with just images since that's really what they do anyway.

I'll share the stuff I'll be sending with the package with all of you when I make them (soon)

Thanks again ArtSnark!!!!

4 comments:

Artsnark said...

Hi Joe. Thanks for the shout out. Glad to hear you're diving right in!

I'd also recommend the various Somerset publications: http://www.somersetstudio.com/index.php (then click on "about us" to see a list of their mags)From what I hear around the web these are really popular reading.

Also, if you are still selling in the south, I'd add Southern Living to your general list

Regarding the custom pieces, other than time, what have you got to lose? An original would certainly have more impact than a print. If you can make the time, I say go for it!

Good luck! Look forward to hearing the good news :)

Artsnark said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Artsnark said...

Me again. I'd add http://www.victoriamag.com/

& maybe Sandra Everston to your custom list http://sandraevertson.blogspot.com

I'll stop hogging the comment section now ;D

Joe said...

ArtSnark, you are the best! Thanks! They are officially on my list here at home.

I am taking a bit of time to really get my custom page up to snuff. I figure I should really perfect that page before I try to get everyone to read it. Hopefully after today or tomorrow, it will be updated and improved. Dont want to put out the flyers for the show before I write the play.

Read an entire book on marketing this weekend. Learned a LOT. here goes...