On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, I’m visiting the offices of F+W Media in Sudbury, Massachusetts, to talk with two editors who have extensive experiences in the world of craft magazines. My guests are Vivika Hansen DeNegre and Cate Coulacos Prato.
Vivika is the Editorial Director and Editor of Quilting Arts Magazine, Modern Patchwork Magazine, and related titles. In addition to writing and reading about quilts, she also enjoys the creative process of the craft. An avid art quilter, her work has been exhibited throughout New England and is in held in private and corporate collections. In her free time, she loves to cook, travel, hike and read about cooking, traveling, and hiking. Vivika lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her husband and children and is a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and the Modern Quilt Guild.
Cate Coulacos Prato is the Senior eCommerce Online Editor for F+W catalog brands, having spent more than a decade writing and editing for Quilting Arts, Cloth Paper Scissors, and Quilting Daily. She considers herself a ‘fabricianado,’ one who enjoys collecting fabrics (especially vintage) and fibers more than actually making something from them. She has written two books, Mixed-Media Self-Portraits: Inspiration & Techniques and Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space In her free time, she loves to bake, prowl flea markets, go to the theater, and document it all on Instagram. Cate lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband.
Vivika and Cate explain their respective career paths and then we have a terrific conversation about craft publishing. We consider:
- The fast pace of writing for the web
- why SEO is important even if it sometimes feels like a game
- what’s still working in craft magazines
- competing with Instagram and Pinterest
- craft magazines as lifestyle magazines – aspiration and inspiration
Vivika details what she’s looking for in a project submission and gives tips on when to resubmit if you’re work isn’t accepted the first time. We talk about magazine contracts and what you need to know about copyright for your published projects. Finally, we look to the future and think aloud about what craft media might be like in five years.
During our conversation we reference:
- Pokey Bolton and Helen Gregory
- Erica Wilson’s PBS embroidery shows
- Fons and Porter Love of Quilting PBS show
- Craft Online University
- Lilla Roger’s book I Just Like to Make Things
I ask Vivika and Cate to recommend great stuff they’re loving right now.
Vivika recommends:
- audiobooks, especially books written by women about adventure or “the inner adventure” including Circling the Sun, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,Wild, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Cate recommends:
- Hand embroidery. She recently completed a project for the Quilting Arts 15th anniversary celebration and a block for a collaborative quilt with Francis Holiday Alford
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Today’s episode is brought to you by Wordcraft: Communications for Creators. Do you have an online craft business but struggle to keep up with writing web copy? Do you need an editor for your craft book or a writer for your craft fair application? Then you need Wordcraft: Communications for Creators. At Wordcraft, Lauren Lang offers communications and editing services for artists and artisans, and she can customize any package to fit your needs with affordable rates and a quick turnaround. Visit her today at Wordcraft-Editorial.com.
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You can listen to the show right here by clicking on the arrow below or subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher (perfect for Android or Kindle) and listen the next time you’re in the car, at the gym, folding laundry, or sewing.
What a great interview! I ‘ve worked with both Vivika and Cate for years on articles and QA workshops, they are really awesome folk! They share some great tips here, as well as showing us how down to earth and approachable they are!
Thank you so much for listening, Candy. I agree that they are super approachable and terrific to talk to!
Abby, As an assistant editor at Modern Patchwork, I am privileged to work with these two strong, talented, and caring women. The interview provides useful information, advice, and vision for people interested in taking their craft business to the next level.
I’m so glad to hear that, Barb!
I need to weigh-in here too. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Cate and just think she’s the bee’s knees. I regard her as a mentor more than a boss. She’s one of those rare few who pushes back and says “do better”. Unfortunately, I’m no longer on her team, but I’m happy I had the opp.
Loved the interview with Cate and Vivika and loved having a peek into the world of craft magazine publishing.