Top 10 Tips for Submitting!

[Dianedi]

 I've been submitting for quite a few years now and I just figured things out as I went along. I thought I would put this information on a separate post for those of you that have questions on submitting.

Here are some suggestions as provided by Scrapstreet magazine:

We love seeing all of your submissions and would like to offer a couple of tips to help you get noticed both here and in your other publication tries.

1.  Send one submission per email with the title of the call in the subject line.  The projects are usually sent to different editors writing the specific columns.  If you include all of your projects in one email, the "sorter" either has to send them to everyone or just toss it in the "too much trouble" delete file. 

2.  Make sure you include your name in the body of the email as well as the title of the work.  An editor does not want to request "jpgphoto64.jpg" from you.  Make it easy on him or her.

3.  Send your pages in at a size around 500px by 500px unless otherwise requested.  Subs that are either too large or too small cannot be properly judged.

4.  Choose your pages wisely.  Although sub and sub again definitely can work, you really do not want to send the same page in to the same place each and every month.  Pick your spots and space out your emails a bit.  No "sorter" wants to look at 20 emails in a row of your work, even if you are spectacular.

5.  Always be polite.  It is always nice to see a line that says "thanks for looking at my work."

A few of my own additional suggestions!

6. Be sure to put a small paragraph in the email explaining any techniques used on your page or anything interesting. Why did you create the page? why does your page stand out? You don't need to write a book - just a few lines.

7. Always include a supply list of what is used on your page or project.

8. Always include your journaling in the email. Journaling shows emotion and the meaning of your layout.

9. Make sure your layout is relevant to the particular call. Only submit random layouts to general calls.

10. Submit as early as possible when a call goes out.

[ScrapGoo]

 Thanks so much for posting this, Diane... very helpful!!

[Kimandasmo]

Thanks so much Diane- great tips

[Kara]

 thanks!

[lizziej]

 Thanks for the great tips, Diane!!

[DiHickman]

 Totally agree with all of these and wanted to add a couple more

- make sure you submit work you still have on hand! Most paper mags will want you to mail the item in for submission. You don't want to look red faced and explain that you sent the layout to great aunt Ida for her scrapbook.

- Take good clear photo's or scans of the project.

- if you get an email requesting a layout and you already promised the layout elsewhere, politely decline BUT offer them another layout of similar style, quality and subject matter. You never know!!!

[Dianedi]

 Totally agree with all of these and wanted to add a couple more

- make sure you submit work you still have on hand! Most paper mags will want you to mail the item in for submission. You don't want to look red faced and explain that you sent the layout to great aunt Ida for her scrapbook.

Thanks for adding these! This a great point. ALL of the paper mags will want you to send the HARDCOPY of the layout or project into the magazine. If you are submitting to some of the ezines, good photos are the only requirement and you won't need to send in a hardcopy. So, it will depend on who you are submiting too!

[Dianedi]

- Take good clear photo's or scans of the project.

Good photographs and scans are a ESSENTIAL ingredient to getting your work noticed. Here is what I do:

Layouts - I always scan and stitch to send in unless a project is really bulky and the scan doesn't come out very well. If I need to photograph, I always put mine on an easel that doesn't have any ornate pieces that cover the layout. Make sure to crop around the layout leaving a small border.

Cards - I always photograph outside in the daylight. I put my cards on my deck railing and use a 50mm lens which blurs out the background. If you don't have a 50mm lens, just be certain to take your photographs without any distractions in the background. For holiday cards, I may add a small piece of holly to add some spice to the photo. Just don't add anything if it distracts from the project.

Altered projects - I always photograph outside in the daylight with a prop.  I may use something like plants/greenery for added interest. 

If you can't take photos outside, I've seen other people use white sheets or black velour blankets as backdrops. They also make a photographers portable studio or light tent which alot of people who submit regularly use. It is essentially a white cube on all sides and diffuses the outside light so you don't get any shadows on your projects. People who sell on ebay use these for good photos!

Here are some examples of the photo tents: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_e?url ... photo+tent

[Dianedi]

 - if you get an email requesting a layout and you already promised the layout elsewhere, politely decline BUT offer them another layout of similar style, quality and subject matter. You never know!!!

Another great point! This has happened to me with cards that I've submitted to mutiple magazines. I always offer an alternative immediately and it has always been accepted! It should definitley be within the same style and subject as the original submission!

[DolphinSoul]

 How do you make sure a file is not over 500X500??

And also do you have to send in a hardcopy of it if they request it?? Because I would be so afraid of them losing or ruining something I wanted to keep and treasure. Always a fear of mine to send them in. I know you said all of them do not require it, but if you refuse, will they just go to someone else or demand you make another one? 

[baltoscrapper]

 I 2nd the question............how do you make sure a photo is less than 500 x 500?

Thank you for all the helpful information Diane!

[Dianedi]

 How do you make sure a file is not over 500X500??

When I am working with my files, this is what I do. I usually try to send my jpegs around 150KB each so they don't bounce back. Most of the magazines except 500KB at the very maximum, but the will bounce if they are too big. To be on the safe side, I would send no bigger than 300KB in the file. After I've taken a photo or I've scanned my project, I go into paint shop pro (PSE will work also) and I click on Image - resize, then I put it to 500x500. I click on save as jpeg and save at a high resolution. (My program gives you the option to save at best, high, medium or low quality) By saving at high quality, it will also reduce the size of the file. You don't want to click on low quality because the image will get blurry. I always keep my file at 300dpi not 72dpi because you will lose too much on the quality.

I'm sure other people have ways that they save there files also, but this is what works for me!

[Dianedi]

 And also do you have to send in a hardcopy of it if they request it?? Because I would be so afraid of them losing or ruining something I wanted to keep and treasure. Always a fear of mine to send them in. I know you said all of them do not require it, but if you refuse, will they just go to someone else or demand you make another one? 

If you are going to submit to paper magazines, you will always have to send the hardcopy. I won't tell you that it is risk free. I've only had one layout with edges wrinkled when I got it back. But, I did have a vase that was broken when I received it. That is a pretty good ratio. I've had over 65 projects published and only 1 was not usable and the other was just a small corner. They do take good care of your work because they want you to keep submitting!

If something is that sentimental to you, I wouldn't send it. It wouldn't be worth the worry. I always use copies of photos and never an original photo in my layouts to avoid this problem. If you refuse to send it in, they won't publish your work. You could always make a duplicate, but the turnaround time for sending the layout in is only a few days after they make the request!

Once you go through the process a few times and have some of your work picked up, the more comfortable you'll get!

[Jeanne Marie's Scraps]

 Oh I think I might give this a try!

[DiHickman]

 So far in the 3 years I've been published I've only had 1 card go missing, and the magazine went poof a few months later. But that was a card easily replaceable. The only downside I've had with sending in layouts is: don't expect them back for at least 6 months. Magazines work 6 months ahead, and you won't get your layout back till the issue goes to publication