Creative Marketing: Glossi E-Publications

Sometimes you want something for your jewelry business that creates a splash. Something beyond a newsletter or blog post that really brings in new traffic and you can excitedly share on your social media channels and that your fans will share with their friends. I would like to introduce to to Glossi.com to create catalogs, look books, gift guides or e-magazines to promote your business.

Here is one we put together for my jewelry business, it's a mini-magazine that will be put out monthly featuring jewelry, gift ideas, quotes and inspiration for nature lovers. (I have an assistant who helps me with this - just so you don't think I'm some kind of super woman!)

Click to view Inspired by Nature - May 2013 on GLOSSI.COM

Be a team player and pair up with other artisans to create a seasonal gift guide.   Or if you feature a gift guide using other artist's work, get their permission first and then send them the link when you publish your guide. 

Glossi is super easy to use, just grab the link from your shop or website and pick what photos you'd like to upload.  They will automatically include the link back to your item.  They have templates that making designing a snap and some fun backgrounds and other features to make your publication a little snazzier. 

My advice with Glossi - bigger photos, more quotes and less wordy text seem to provide the best results. 


The one drawback to Glossi is you can't download or print a publication.  If you are looking for that option, I would point you over to Issuu.com to upload PDF's that turn into ebooks that can be viewed online, downloaded or printed.  Of course, you have to create each page using a design program. 

And don't do it all yourself! Pair up with a design student to work on this for their portfolio or trade a designer jewelry to create your pages for you. Or work with a team of other creatives - this would be a great project for an Etsy team!

"Working smarter, not harder" really means not doing everything yourself!

I'd like to give a shout out to Artisan Whimsy and their Bead Chat magazine for their inspiration!

Studio Saturday with Shannon LeVart

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is commenter number 13; Barbara! Congratulations! 

You have won 2 Puzzle Piece Buttons from Tari Sasser's studio of Creative Impressions in Clay.

Please forward an email to Tari with your address so she can send these buttons out to you.

 

This weeks Studio Saturday is Shannon LeVart of missficklemedia.com. Who is presently not in a studio creating but rather elbow deep in correcting dangling participles.

 

 What an intense week this has been with the launching of the Color Drenched Metal tutorial. I have been attempting to bring this file to completion for some time now and its delay has been overcome with the help of friends and family.

  In spite of the fact that I am NOT a professional writer, the tutorials I offer are tangible items that I am proud of. Overcoming a lack of funds and a lack of time to pull together organized, thoroughly researched and personally tested files is feat that I pat myself on the back for. I know by the hundreds of emails I receive that I have helped many a jewelry designer achieve personal goals of adding new skills to their repertoire. Sharing what has given me thrilling moments of discovery in my own work is a driving force that I cannot ignore.

    But darn it if it isn't one of the most difficult things to get a handle on!

 

 - Researching the topic can take months; is someone already offering this? Is this useful, practical information? What kind of buyer will be interested? 

 - Purchasing the necessary supplies to complete the stepped out instructions is expensive. From beginning to end, every tiny detail needs to be accounted for, logged and linked for buyer availability.

 - Photographs need to be focused, well lit, chronologically listed, and edited.

 - Text needs to be clear, grammatically correct and laid out in an easy to read manner.

 - Proof reading by an editor, testing by honest people who will tell you what to fix and re-working it until the tutorial flows is a final process that takes weeks to complete. 

 But complete it is! Ready for consumption so to speak! Aaaaaaaand I have a free copy for a randomly drawn winner next Saturday! 

 

 However, in order to qualify for next weeks drawing, you must leave a comment with an answer to this question;

What obstacle is in YOUR way of seeing a project to completion? 

 

 Heath issues in my family is a big obstacle of mine. I am constantly torn between caring for sick ones and soldiering on through business projects. It can make a good mama feel guilty and a good business woman feel neglectful.  But I did something different this time, I asked for help! I received it in abundance and went forward in my goal. And the reward is all that much sweeter sharing it with loved ones who took the time to assist me.

Thank you for sharing your time with us here at Art Bead Scene and for participating in comments!

Much Love & Respect,

Shannon

 

missficklemedia.com

 

Bead Business: Self Publishing Your Secrets

So do you have a book inside you? Glass beadmaker and photographer, Val Cox did. Shown above working in her studio, Val has just self-published a luscious book entitled, Frit Secrets: A Flameworker's Guide to Using Reactive Glass Frits." Not only is Val the author but she's the photographer for her book - the photos of beads are to die for!

Believing that ABS readers may have a book just waiting to get out, I asked Val if she would share her experience in self-publishing. She graciously accepted. This is what Val had to say:

"The great thing about self-publishing is the total control. Control over the content, the number of pages, the photos, the final price and the time frame for completing it. I took nearly four years to research, write and photograph my "Frit Secrets" book. I suggest you don't take quite that long-it will make your family crazy.

One of scary parts of self-publishing is the need to pay the printing and binding costs yourself--up front. That's when it's smart to go with one of the many print-on-demand publishers, such as Blurb.com or Lulu.com where you can order only as many book as you need-and as few as a single copy.

I like Blurb because they provide a restrictive template design to work within, which becomes your best friend by the time you get to page 11. Trust me. Then within about a week of uploading your file, you receive in a mail, a beautifully bound book, or two or two hundred, to share with your friends and family. Maybe even sell a few."

Thanks for sharing with us, Val. All pictures are courtesy of Val Cox and if you're a glass beadmaker, you can read my review of her book on The Lampwork Diva Blog.

Written by Cindy Gimbrone, glass beadmaker, jewelry designer and newly energized frit lover.