Comments on VAharoni: out on a limb

Sara, I was aware of the generic terminology being...

2009-12-03T13:59:10.304-05:00

Sara,
I was aware of the generic terminology being used, not the last bit. And it is that last bit that is unfortunate. I have different beading wires on hand and use them differently. The brand I choose depends on the specific need.

I am going to post about the various challenges & contests sponsored by suppliers. In many ways the print publications are being challenged by these companies. I find the dynamic quite fascinating.

Valerie

Valerie, Wow! What a nice thing to hear! I feel f...

2009-12-03T12:26:23.321-05:00

Valerie,

Wow! What a nice thing to hear! I feel fortunate to work for a company that encourages creativity.

I might as well just say what I was thinking! My big bone to pick with the industry magazines is when they won't allow a designer to name our products in their materials list. Some publications will only use terms like "flex wire" or "beading wire". Our brand has specific diameters, colors or levels of quality that other brands don't have. It can be quite frustrating that they just group all "beading wire" together as if it is all the same thing. And in many cases, the publication requires that the magazine staff who are creating projects to use each brand that is advertised in the magazine even if it is not their preference.

C'est la vie!

Sara

Hi Sara! I just finished reading Lisa Kan's articl...

2009-12-02T22:43:14.277-05:00

Hi Sara!
I just finished reading Lisa Kan's article at http://www.softflexcompany.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=spotlightarticle_Dec09.html
Excellent. I also must commend companies like yours (Soft Flex), that encourage new design and give all of us a venue to show our work.

Thanks!
Valerie

Hi bylynette, You are so right in your comments! E...

2009-12-02T22:31:32.602-05:00

Hi bylynette,
You are so right in your comments! Editors do have a 'big' job. A great editor has a great publication. I think we are seeing a reorganization currently. Step-by-Step Beads is being phased out as a separate publication. Interweave is consolidating. I do not think it is merely due to the economy. In part this may be due to a saturation of the market.

The publications that show alternatives to the featured design are trying to address the issue of readers who cannot deviate from the published design. The one design I had published also elicited the response you describe. I encouraged those who contaced me to chose their own colors and to substitute to make the design their own. On the occassion that did not fly, I put together custom packages to send.
I am happy to hear that you have had such great experience with your editors. My own timid testing of the waters got very neutral response and my hesitancy increased!
Valerie

While I generally agree with Valerie's excellent e...

2009-12-02T21:37:29.976-05:00

While I generally agree with Valerie's excellent evaluation of publications, I think there must be a lot of pressure for editors to find great new stuff all the time. They work 6 months or more ahead and have to satisfy our cravings for more, newer, better. Big job. They do all seem to follow the trends, i.e. crystals everywhere. (Personally, I prefer rust...)

However, what is old hat for you & me might be totally new information for others. I was a newbie once and soaked up everything I read, now I'm more picky/discriminating/hard-to-please.

Beading/jewelry mags have proliferated in the past couple years - many more than when I first subscribed to Bead & Button - since beads/
jewelry etc has become to popular.

I am astounded that a magazine claimed no responsibility for verifying their content, especially for distinctive, recognizable or signature style being copied. But many, many people do not seem to grasp the vagaries of intellectual property and what is legal or ethical and what is not. Or perhaps they just don't care.

As one who has had a couple projects published at 2 different publishers, I found submitting ideas got easier after having one accepted. Sort of an affirmation that encouraged me to do more. And the editors I worked with have been a great help to me.

But being published was an eye-opener. Reader response came from 2 types: those who learn intuitively by reading, looking and going on with their own interpretation and those who want to do the EXACT project, same bead colors, following my 'recipe' bead-for-bead. Those in the second group are the target market for some of the publications being discussed.

Thanks for the discussion.

PS I met Ronna at Bead Fest in Philly and her stuff is always amazing. That's what I'm looking for - a new approach, a fresh idea, surprises.

I think that submitting often times seems more dif...

2009-12-02T18:45:08.113-05:00

I think that submitting often times seems more difficult than it actually is. Lisa Kan actually wrote a really informative article about this for our December Spotlight on...http://www.softflexcompany.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=spotlightarticle_Dec09.html.

I think that the same artists are often time featured because they submit lots and lots of designs. I don't think that it is a preference by an editor for only a few specific designers. I agree, that more designers with different points of view would be nice. It does sometimes feel like I am looking at the same magazine time and time again.

Sara

Thank you -- this is very interesting, and I hope ...

2009-11-29T17:23:07.841-05:00

Thank you -- this is very interesting, and I hope more will post comments. I'm a contributing editor rather than an editor, so I can only pass on your comments rather than answer questions, except to comment on my own experience, which is this: Whenever I see something interesting that someone has designed/made, I always encourage them to contact my editors, and always offer to help them in any way I can. Most people decide not to, and I don't want to be so intrusive as to ask why not. My editors LOVE it when I pass interesting things I see, along with contact information to the artist, because they're always looking for new and interesting projects. Some artists feel intimidated by the submission process, and some don't feel like sharing their techniques.

I also think there's a natural progression for all of us. Readers who are new to jewelry are usually more intrigued and enthusiastic. After we've been doing it for a few years our attitude tends to be "Been there done that." Simply put, the more accomplished we are, the harder it is to surprise us with something new.

Valerie, I'm with you: I love Ornament magazine, and probably approach it more eagerly than any other jewelry magazine. But it is not a how-to magazine, so they don't have to choose projects based on how easy it is to show step by steps or whether readers can readily obtain the materials. They're adding to the "conversation" but with inspiration rather than techniques.

Thanks so much to you Valerie, and others who are commenting and/or will comment. And my offer stands to anyone reading this as well: If you have a project you want to submit to a magazine but feel insecure about it, drop me a line. I'm happy to help. It doesn't matter whether it's an Interweave magazine (who I write for) or one of the other publishers. They're all always looking to encourage new contributors, and if I can be helpful, I'm happy.

Marcie, Massive KUDOS to you for taking that leap ...

2009-11-29T15:00:02.379-05:00

Marcie,
Massive KUDOS to you for taking that leap to submission! Hmm, just realized if that is not in fact a double entendre hidden in there?

Another issue I totally forgot to hit on was a recent event that hit the polymer clay community. An article was published that was a step-by-step repeat of a class given by a well-known artist. When that artist brought it to the attention of the magazine, there was no public response. I also emailed the editor. The response I received was it was not their responsibility to verify content originality. My goodness! Anyone versed in the polymer clay community easily recognises this particular technique and who is presently teaching it! At the very least I think a publication would have a consultant on staff to look at these type of potential issues. A quick Google would have shown the magazine the exisiting info.

I agree that the cost of most items in magazines far out reach my pockets. The challenge is to rework that design to meet what I expect of myself and my budget!

Thanks,
Valerie

I think the problem is that they don't actively go...

2009-11-29T13:52:40.393-05:00

I think the problem is that they don't actively go out and "seek" designers. I've had a couple of my pieces accepted by one of the above-mentioned magazines, but I had to submit the piece. It was a big leap for me b/c I've only been beading for about a year and a half, and some of the younger, newer beaders with those awesome ideas don't have the ... See Moreconfidence to submit their designs. I also agree with you on crystals. They seem to have swept the jewelry design world, and I'm really not a huge fan. My things tend to be low key, but totally wearable. I agree with you that it's frustrating to get a magazine and see a beautiful design that's basically a showpiece. (I do not subscribe to Bead & Button for this reason) I also don't have a large budget to work from, so I tend to try to create things that are made with very simple materials and so if I like a design in a magazine, I"ll usually try to create something similar with more simple supplies. Thanks for your honesty, and I agree with you on your points. It's nice to know that someone else sees these things and thinks the same way that I do!