Today was a day completely full of ringing people and them not answering their phone!!!! It has been a nightmare - especially as the people I tried to ring were companies regarding smallholdings (hmmm) and portable sewing machine tables (hmmmmm) both which needed 750 words (arggggh).
Then, the fun part came! An edit came through from sales about Candy Spa, an online boutique selling yummy scrummmy delicious bath treats that looked, smelt, and sometimes were made of, real treats and chocolate!!!! I had to ring the lady a few times to get through, but she was the loveliest lady ever and we had a great coversation about her business. She's actually a one-woman-company, making all of these gorgeous soaps and treats by herself, as well as running a shop and website and all of the promo.
Check it out here at www.candy-spa.co.uk it's fab.
Other than that, I did a general 500 on boot camp, which was quite fun. The writer who is away this week is also away on Tues and Weds next week, so I offered to come in to help out, so we shall see whether they want me to or not tomorrow!
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Tuesday 28 July 2009
Insight magazine: Day 2
I had to do my first editorial today!!!! I rang the director of a cosmetics company for a chat about his business, and turned it into a 500-word editorial, emailed it back to him with a deadline and he didn't get back to me, so I'm guessing he was happy with it!!
After lunch I had a 250-word golf general to write, which completely threw me off and took me forever just to write 86 words before I gave up and decided to continue with it tomorrow. I then had a 500 word 'give your home a facelift' article, which was quite fun to write, before ringing the owner of a smallholding company to ask whether he would like anything adding to this weeks editorial from his last one, and finding that he wanted a complete new article. PANIC! But he didn't have time to chat luckily, so I have to ring him tomorrow.
Another fun day eating chocolates, talking weightwatchers and having a good gossip. The girls are lovely and the time goes soooo fast, and I can't wait until tomorrow.
After lunch I had a 250-word golf general to write, which completely threw me off and took me forever just to write 86 words before I gave up and decided to continue with it tomorrow. I then had a 500 word 'give your home a facelift' article, which was quite fun to write, before ringing the owner of a smallholding company to ask whether he would like anything adding to this weeks editorial from his last one, and finding that he wanted a complete new article. PANIC! But he didn't have time to chat luckily, so I have to ring him tomorrow.
Another fun day eating chocolates, talking weightwatchers and having a good gossip. The girls are lovely and the time goes soooo fast, and I can't wait until tomorrow.
Monday 27 July 2009
Insight magazine: Day 1
First things first: I love it!!!
I walked in this morning with completely no idea of what I was going to be in for. But I was greeted by a small office, smiling faces and my own desk. Insight magazine distributes 5,000 copies of their weekly free mag, and has a readership of 15,000. And all of this is created by one editor, two creative writers, one designer and a handful of sales.
I was introduced to the magazine and then set my first task. Because it's a free magazine, the most important thing is to sell the space. The editorials we write are to promote the space, and you have 'generals' - a general article where businesses aren't mentioned, set on a page to accompany adverts of the same subject, and 'editorials' - articles promoting the business, which can range from 250-500-700-2000, depending on how many pages the business has bought. This editorial is then sent back to the company to proofread and check to see if they are happy with it, before we make any neccessary changes and it goes off to design.
My first task was to write a 500 word general on child's toys and gifts, which was really fun. By the time I knew it, it was lunch time and I was off to subway. In the afternoon, I spent 2 and a half hours reading out TV listings to L on design, which was completely boring but fun at the same time.
I was wearing black trousers and my new flowery top with a black cardigan, which had only taken me about two hours to decide on the night before, and I was relieved to find that the dress code is pretty casual and everyone dresses smart yet comfortable.
Can't wait to go back tomorrow!
I walked in this morning with completely no idea of what I was going to be in for. But I was greeted by a small office, smiling faces and my own desk. Insight magazine distributes 5,000 copies of their weekly free mag, and has a readership of 15,000. And all of this is created by one editor, two creative writers, one designer and a handful of sales.
I was introduced to the magazine and then set my first task. Because it's a free magazine, the most important thing is to sell the space. The editorials we write are to promote the space, and you have 'generals' - a general article where businesses aren't mentioned, set on a page to accompany adverts of the same subject, and 'editorials' - articles promoting the business, which can range from 250-500-700-2000, depending on how many pages the business has bought. This editorial is then sent back to the company to proofread and check to see if they are happy with it, before we make any neccessary changes and it goes off to design.
My first task was to write a 500 word general on child's toys and gifts, which was really fun. By the time I knew it, it was lunch time and I was off to subway. In the afternoon, I spent 2 and a half hours reading out TV listings to L on design, which was completely boring but fun at the same time.
I was wearing black trousers and my new flowery top with a black cardigan, which had only taken me about two hours to decide on the night before, and I was relieved to find that the dress code is pretty casual and everyone dresses smart yet comfortable.
Can't wait to go back tomorrow!
Sunday 26 July 2009
Insight magazine: Prep
It is my first day at Insight magazine tomorrow! I'm quite nervous, but really looking forward to it. I don't really know what to expect, but I was talking to DC's friend at a bbq last night and she said they're owned by quite a big company. And as it's a free magazine, it is quite advertisement-based. But one of the two creative writers are on holiday for this week, and they seemed really keen for me to make the most of my experience; apparently I'm working in production and will be a part of the design and editorial sections of the mag, so it sounds like fun.
Dad took me to Wigston on Friday and we found where the place was, and I have to be there for 8.45 tomorrow morning. I've been worrying about what to wear - they said smart/casual with no trainers and jeans, but where's the mark on leggings? So I'm going to go in quite smart tomorrow and see how things go.
And I will be blogging about it every day this week, so wish me good luck and watch this space...!
Dad took me to Wigston on Friday and we found where the place was, and I have to be there for 8.45 tomorrow morning. I've been worrying about what to wear - they said smart/casual with no trainers and jeans, but where's the mark on leggings? So I'm going to go in quite smart tomorrow and see how things go.
And I will be blogging about it every day this week, so wish me good luck and watch this space...!
Replies: 3
I received this response from Look magazine yesterday:
'Thank you for your email D-,
Unfortunately, all work placements have been allocated but I shall pass on your details to the team in the event of any additional positions arising.
Thank you for your interest in LOOK magazine
Kindest regards
HF
Office Manager'
'Thank you for your email D-,
Unfortunately, all work placements have been allocated but I shall pass on your details to the team in the event of any additional positions arising.
Thank you for your interest in LOOK magazine
Kindest regards
HF
Office Manager'
Friday 24 July 2009
Replies: 2
To receive two very nice email replies the morning after slogging for hours sending a zillion emails is quite inspiring. And it completely put to bed my expectations of not receiving any replies at all!
Reveal magazine emailed back from my follow-up email, asking if I was free Tuesday for a phone interview. They don't seem very keen to make it happen and get me on board; and I am only free in my lunch break or after 4.45pm on Tues due to work experience, so even though I reaaaaaaally want it, I'm not holding out too much for this one.
And I also received this response from Red magazine:
'Dear D,
Thank you for your email requesting work experience at Red.
Unfortunately we do not have any spare placements available for the next few months. However, we will keep your CV on file and get in touch should we have any cancellations. Please do also contact us again later in the summer when we will be booking people in for November/December placements.
Apologies but good luck with your search.
Kind Regards
AW
Red Magazine'
Which, even though it isn't a 'Yes come and work at our magazine we would love to have you there', it's very nice and encouraging and I'll definitely be emailing back after my work experience at more to try and book myself a winter placement.
Reveal magazine emailed back from my follow-up email, asking if I was free Tuesday for a phone interview. They don't seem very keen to make it happen and get me on board; and I am only free in my lunch break or after 4.45pm on Tues due to work experience, so even though I reaaaaaaally want it, I'm not holding out too much for this one.
And I also received this response from Red magazine:
'Dear D,
Thank you for your email requesting work experience at Red.
Unfortunately we do not have any spare placements available for the next few months. However, we will keep your CV on file and get in touch should we have any cancellations. Please do also contact us again later in the summer when we will be booking people in for November/December placements.
Apologies but good luck with your search.
Kind Regards
AW
Red Magazine'
Which, even though it isn't a 'Yes come and work at our magazine we would love to have you there', it's very nice and encouraging and I'll definitely be emailing back after my work experience at more to try and book myself a winter placement.
Thursday 23 July 2009
Backtrack.
Okay, I told a lie!!! There IS news this week: I applied for a job. There is a Junior Writer vacancy at Women's Fitness magazine in London, and I applied for it with crossed fingers, toes and everything else. Post-graduation seems to be the busiest time for graduates to apply for jobs, and I probably won't get any kind of response, but I thought it was worth a try.
Working together to make it..
My lovely university friend R last month managed to grab a week's work experience with Men's Health magazine... and has now just bagged herself another week, in London, at Christmas, at... Zoo magazine!! How fab. I'm so happy for her.
On my own front, there's not much news, and certainly no reply back from Reveal magazine. I may send another follow up email, but I am starting to suspect that any email with the title 'Work Experience' automatically gets diverted into a 1000-email-strong pit full of aspiring journalists just like me.
However, R has just sent me a huge list of the work experience co-ordinators for a lot of Emap's magazines, and I'm starting to make my way through the pile and apply for work experience there.
As all of these posts seem to end lately... fingers crossed!
On my own front, there's not much news, and certainly no reply back from Reveal magazine. I may send another follow up email, but I am starting to suspect that any email with the title 'Work Experience' automatically gets diverted into a 1000-email-strong pit full of aspiring journalists just like me.
However, R has just sent me a huge list of the work experience co-ordinators for a lot of Emap's magazines, and I'm starting to make my way through the pile and apply for work experience there.
As all of these posts seem to end lately... fingers crossed!
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