A few months ago I did a post called How I Got Into Seventeen Magazine and You Could Too. Several people emailed me afterwards asking questions about what a look book was and how I put it together. Several other people made comments about the fact that they too made one of a kind items and by the time they put something into a look book to send out to a magazine that item might be sold. I just had my look book redone and am posting it here for you to see and answering a few questions. The look book is two sided, on shiny paper and folds up and is stapled like a booklet.
This is the cover and the back page. I wanted my logo big and lots of jewelry. I also wanted my name. Lots of people go by a company name, but no one knows their real name. When I write an article as Jennifer Perkins I would like for that to be synonymous with and just as familiar as Naughty Secretary Club. I feel like people are doing themselves a disservice when they hide their name. Sure your brand name takes precedence, but people want to know there is a real person behind that brand too.
The back cover of the look book is an ad for my new book The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry. Since I am taking this current batch with me tomorrow to BEA in Los Angeles and that is my biggest announcement on the horizon I thought it was important to dedicate an entire page of the press kit to this.
The next page in my press kit is my bio and my contact information. Some magazines will just want to use my jewelry for a photo shoot and others might be interested in writing an article about me. I want to be sure the press kit has both. This is pretty much the same bio that is on my website.
Who doesn’t love bullet points? When it comes to busy magazine editors they all do. Some might love reading my bio and others might find it daunting and would prefer the bullet points. These bullets let editors know a few fun facts about Naughty Secretary Club: I’m an Austin Craft Mafia member, I host Craft Lab, the books I have projects in and more. Just quickie highlights. Most importantly there is more jewelry on the page.
Editors like to see what kinds of press coverage you have received. As the saying goes: No one reads your press, they weigh it. These are a few of the mastheads of magazines I am most proud of. The second page are a few tear sheets of where I have been featured. This page gives editors an idea of how your work has been previously featured and how they might work with you. I actually might go in and add another page of tear sheets before I have a huge batch of these printed up. Again there are more jewelry pictures sprinkled around the page.
Also, if you are just starting out and don’t have a page full of magazine pictures to fill the pages with don’t fret. It is not the most important part of your look book and hopefully after you send yours out you will have some to fill the pages of the second edition.
What I do not have shown here is the cover letter (and of course business card and free jewelry sample) that I will also send along to magazine and blog editors with this look book. This is where I will introduce myself and let the editors know that my work is mostly one of a kind and they should treat the ever revolving stock on Naughty Secretary Club as the most up to date look book. Very seldom have I had an editor want to pull something they specifically saw in my look book. A look book gives them an idea of your work and style, it puts you on their radar. From here they know to contact you if they are shooting something that they think your work might fit with. Editors will not call and say can you send the necklace on page two in the bottom right hand corner? They will call and say we are looking for huge chunky necklaces with lots of colors and pearls can you send us some samples.
Hopefully this helps give you a better idea about look books and press kits. This is my new press kit and it is different and shorter than the last one I sent around so I am curious about what the response will be. I’ll keep you posted. Does your look book have a completely different look? Do you think I am missing something? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this or answer any other questions.
This is really helpful and I will definitely be using this information very soon! Thanks Jen;)
I’m still getting over the design and how glam it is! Love it.
This is really great and informative. I’m sure I will refer back to this and tell my friends to read this too.
Did you design the layout yourself or did you have someone do it for you? If you did it yourself, what program did you use?
great post! love that you shared all this info. it’s so helpful for people to know this stuff.
My friend Karly Hand did it for me. I can barely crop something in photoshop. We came up with the idea together, but it was by far more her than me on the design. I try to keep the same style and theme with my branding so it all ties in with my packaging, ads, business cards, ect.
yay! as a former magazine editor, i think it looks great. and it really comes down to this: if you make it easy for us to feature your stuff, then (assuming we like said stuff), we probably will!
it looks amazing! thanks for posting this, super helpful!
I love it! The way your jewelry is huge, and all around the page really speaks wonders about your brand.
Seeing this I can visualize different approaches for the different jewelry styles people use.
Ah so that’s what a look book is! Your’s is awesome!!!
Btw where/how did you learn about Look Books? I mean at one time you were a beginner.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I will hopefully need it soon.
What fantastic advice. Do you do all of the graphics?
Your look book is wonderful! Great colors, super eye candy!
Thanks for this great post!
You are the Ayotollah of Rock n Rolla!!!
I am FINALLY working on my own book and googled some to help me figure out good ways to make one-Voila! here you are with it laid out so simply!!
Now I just need some press to fill it LOL. Thanks for being a doll and helping us novices out!
MWAH!