Some Tips for Submitting to a Magazine

Next week is the deadline for two magazines I absolutely love. One is Sew Somerset and I have been completely fortunate that they have included my work in their last 2 issues. My goal was to make it into three in a row. I thought that would fix my wire and fabric work in the minds of the subscribers better than appearing every once in a while. The second magazine is also by Stampington and actually just premiered this June. It's titled Art Quilting Studio. I loved the clean professional looking layout of this magazine. Rather than incorporating any sewn pieces it concentrates on the world of art quilting so it seems to have a more cohesive feel than the first. Sew Somerset is still my personal fave though, just because the projects are all over the place and I LOVE all over the place.

So these two deadlines are then next two goals I'd like to hit. They're on my mind so I thought I'd share my thoughts on submitting.

1-Find the magazine that best fits your work and style. Scope it out and try to get a feeling for the projects they like. For instance, I put more mixed media into the projects I submit for Sew Somerset just because their reader base seems focused on that. So when I created the "believe" mini quilt I added part of an old carpenter's ruler. It pulled the entire piece together and if I hadn't been searching for that little added "something" I might not have thought to include it.
Basically, KNOW THEIR AUDIENCE.

2- Go for Broke! Include an article proposal. It felt completely audacious submitting an article proposal with my first group of work but I figured it was worth it if it put my work in the feature section vs. gallery. Although I would've been thrilled just to have it accepted into the gallery. Published is published! I googled magazine proposals to find the format I should follow. As for topic- did you create a new technique or mix media in a unique way. Is there an interesting story behind the creation of these pieces? Artists love to know what inspires others so telling a little about what inspired you is a great addition to the proposal/article. It also helps if you have 2 or more pieces to illustrate your article idea.

3- See a Need and Fill it. Sew Somerset seems to get less submissions for their wearable art section than the others. You might have a better chance of getting accepted if you tried focusing on a section like that. Could you adapt your work to a wearable format-plus you could be discovering a whole new direction in which to take your work! Fun!

4-Be Different. Don't worry if your work is a little offbeat or a stretch for the magazine. It should fit the general theme per Tip #1 but it's great if it's a little off. The editors could be looking for something a little different to help them expand their look. No one was doing wire and fabric sculptures when I submitted them. I figured they did use sewing techniques so although it might be a stretch that might also be appealing. You never know!

Mini Art Quilts: Whoo- Hoo!

Yesterday I received notification that one of my two articles that had been accepted for the June issue of Sew Somerset was moved to the Aug. issue of Somerset Home instead. Very cool because now I'll have a whole new subscriber list seeing my work and I'll get another free issue! Ok, so I could probably drop the $14 dollars if I needed to but it's still kind of cool. :)

I actually got to see a proof of the Sew Somerset article yesterday as well. This will be the second time I've had an article published and it is still such a huge thrill. Maybe there are artists out there that can go on creating with absolutely no validation that their work is meaningful or interesting to someone other than themselves- but I am definitely NOT one of them. I love all your comments, especially the ones that are constructive. They really help me to thrive and grow in my work. Before I started on Etsy I was really reluctant to show my work to anyone. In fact, the few people I did show were pretty ho-hum in their reaction to my wire work. They loved my paintings, my drawing, but the fabric and wire thing just wasn't doing it for them. But here's where obsession can be a positive thing- I didn't care. I loved what I was doing so much that I just kept on doing it. Finally filling the entire house with my work- which then led me to Etsy (I had to clear the house out somehow). :) I don't know if I could have kept on as long as I have though without someone else saying they liked it too. Fortunately, the Etsy community of buyers and sellers have been incredibly supportive. They let me know that THEY liked it too and that has really kept me motivated to continue on creating and innovating. That and my husband has been incredibly supportive this entire time- totally important!

So thank you! And as a sneak preview and to kind of celebrate I thought I would post one of the mini art quilts that will be featured in the June issue. "dream" was created as a collaboration with my four year old son. I sectioned the piece off into 4 boxes and cut out a bird for the first section. Then I asked Jasper what should go in the others. And of course what he says goes.... And that is how this quilt was designed. After the major images were in place I was looking for a way to embellish the quilt. It seemed to need just a little more "something" to make it complete. So rummaging around in my bag I found a wire "dream" I had created for an ornament that was just perfect! I added the tweedle dee dee at the top because Jasper had been watching The Backyardigan's Tale of the Mighty Knights a lot and the "tweedle dee dee" of the flying fairy song was constantly running through the back of my mind. My own little soundtrack for this piece.

So those are a few of the little "behind the scenes" details of the construction of this quilt. I hope you enjoy it!