A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of scrapbookers who were interested in the publishing process. Like so many of you, they had questions about how to submit, what to submit, and of course, they wanted to know what we’re looking for. A few important topics came up during our conversation, and I thought I’d share a summary of them here.
- Most importantly, we look for originality in scrapbooking. We love seeing something we haven’t seen done before—a new take on an old scrapbooking technique, an inventive use of store-bought supplies, a fresh color palette—we get so excited to see this.
- We like when people take on our challenges. We have them listed on our website to give you an idea of what we’re looking for. We always welcome general submissions, but pay attention to our challenges as well. If we put out a call for them, it means that’s a big part of what we’re looking for.
- We want to know what or who inspires you. If you created a piece that was inspired by something or someone you’ve seen, we want to know that. Not only is it proper etiquette to give where credit is due, but as creative people ourselves we’re fascinated by where inspiration comes from.
- Construction is important to us. (Part of this entails knowing what type of adhesive to use on your project so that it doesn’t fall apart before reaching us. Don’t worry; if anything does fall off during shipping, we’ll always contact you to let you know.) It also means making sure glue globs are cleaned off before you send it in.
- Did I say we like originality? I can’t express it enough (though I will attempt to in a future podcast with Ricë). We don’t want to see you copy another scrapbook artist. We don’t want to see something you made in another artist’s workshop. We want to see you flex your creative muscles and create something of your own.
I hope these bits of information give you a better idea of what catches our eye when selecting artwork for our publications. Of course, how to submit art is one of my favorite conversations to have with artists, so you’re always welcome to e-mail me at [email protected] with any questions.
Christen Olivarez is is the Editor in Chief and Director of Publishing for Stampington and she oversees all 30 of their titles. To read her blog and get to know her better, go here. or listen to a podcast with Christen by clicking here. You can contact Christen via e-mail at [email protected].
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