So, we've talked a lot about submitting work to magazines. Now we're going to spend the next week addressing another part of the crafting industry: design teams.

What is a design team? It is a group of crafters that are chosen by a store or product manufacturer to create projects using the materials that they give them.

How does it work? The company will send their products to the designers. Sometimes they send things monthly (for example, kit clubs will send their designer a kit each month) and sometimes they send product as it releases. Typically manufacturers send new product to designers right before the big Craft and Hobby trade show.

The company asks the designers to create projects using their products in exchange for compensation. The designers are typically asked to create projects to use in advertising pieces at trade shows, on the company's website or in print ads.

They are typically also asked to post their projects in online galleries and blogs as well as submit them to magazines for publication.

Some design teams give their designers assignments, requesting certain items such as cards or they will require a minimum amount of projects to be created. When applying for a design team, they will list their requirements so that you know what to expect.

What is the commitment? Companies often ask for a 6 month to 1 year design team commitment from their team members. At that time they typically rotate designers in order to keep their talent pool fresh.

What is the compensation? This varies from team to team. Some companies pay only in product. Others pay a small stipend as well.

Still other companies pay in product + a small cash bonus if you create a project with their product that is published in an approved publication.

Here is what I can tell you for sure: no one is getting rich working on design teams! :)

I've been working in the industry for about 7 years now and have been on several store and manufacturer design teams. I've had some wonderful experiences and some not-so-wonderful experiences. I hope that with the help of some of our guest posters, I can shed a little light on the subject so that you can apply for the team of your dreams with total confidence!

Over the next week we will cover: Finding design team calls, writing a submission email, promoting your work and we'll be getting some tips and tricks from some design team members to help you out!

Between them they have had over 600 projects published in paper crafting publications. You read that right. SIX HUNDRED. Now, I consider myself pretty well versed in the whole submitting to magazines thing, and I've had like, twenty things published. So let's call them EXPERTS, shall we?

I (Kayla Aimee) will be contributing to this little interview as well because I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. Just kidding. That's just a quote from a movie. I only wish I was important. But I do have some things I want to share that I learned from those twenty odd pages I had published (seriously, SIX HUNDRED?!)

We'll be visiting with them again later in the series when we explore the Design Team side of the crafting industry! For now, let's find out what tips and tricks they have up their sleeves for submitting projects to craft magazines!

LLS asks: What is your best piece of advice for someone trying to get published for the first time?

Kelly answers: First and foremost I would encourage you to get good images of your projects! It sounds so very basic, but I can tell you there are a good number of people who don't do this and it's distracting to see distorted, poorly exposed or colored images, images with no photos, or images with glare submitted for any type of serious consideration. I would even go so far as to say that those types of images are just eliminated from consideration all together no matter how wonderful the project might be as usually the initial sorting phase is very quick given the volume of submissions that can be received.

Kathleen agrees and says: This is important on two levels. Firstly, are the photos on your scrapbook layout of good quality? Look at the photos of the projects already published and notice the quality of the photographs. You could be an incredibly talented scrapbooker and crafter, but if your photographs don't meet "publish-worthy" standards, your projects will be passed over. Secondly, make sure the image of the project you are submitting is fabulous quality too! Editors want to see how your project will make their article shine and if your picture is dark, unclear, off center, etc, it will make it more difficult for the editor to see its potential.

(LLS interrupts the interview to say that we totally agree with Kelly and Kathleen. See our tips and tricks for photographing your projects!)

Kelly says: Also, in my submission I'd include a brief description about why my project fits the call that the magazine has posted or why it is special (for a general submission) so that they know *my* submission was tailored just for them.

LLS asks: What is the most important thing to remember when composing your submission email?

Kathleen answers: Follow the requirements. First, make sure you are following the basic requirements for that publication. Is there a maximum filesize? Know what "pixels" and "dpi" mean. Pay attention to specific call requirements too. Don't waste an editor's time submitting something that doesn't really apply and think "maybe the editor will go for it". Include all the information that is requested in the call description. If a supply list is asked for, take the time to include a complete supply list.

Kelly agrees and says: It's also vital to make sure that once you get a good photo of your project to size it large enough to show the details but not so large that it bogs down a company's email system (keep in mind they can truly received hundreds of submissions for just one call). A good rule of thumb is a 6"x6" image saved at 72 dpi and 100K though quite a few companies take images up to 500K.

(LLS interrupts again. We have a bad habit of that. Unsure how to re-size the photos of your project? We'll be addressing that in the next portion of the series!)

LLS asks: How do you keep track of your submissions? Do you have any special system?

Kelly answers: Not as well as I should unfortunately and to be honest, my submissions these days aren't what they once were. My system is pretty simple. I use Gmail as my email account and when I submit, I tag each of the emails with "submission." Then I can look at one glance all the emails that I have submitted and know to whom I've sent them simply by clicking on that tag.

KA says: I do the same thing as Kelly. I also keep an excel document for items that get picked up where I list the name of the layout, magazine that picked it up, payment amount,date due and date mailed. That way I know what is out at any given time and who to contact if my page doesn't come back in a timely manner!

LLS asks: What piece of advice would you give a new submitter about the overall submission process?

Kathleen says: Submit and forget. Get in the habit of not searching out if publication requests have gone out or not. It can get too discouraging to know every time something of yours did NOT get chosen because the rejections definitely happen more often than the acceptances. If you "submit and forget" properly, it is such a fun surprise when you finally do get a request for publication!

LLS asks: What is something you didn't know about the publishing process until after you had a project picked up by a magazine?

KA says: Oh! I'll take this one! I have two answers.

First, the turn around time is really quick. Most editors want you to box up and ship out your project within a week of asking for it, and sometimes even sooner. By the way, we'll talk about how to package your project for shipping a little later in the series.

Second, sometimes after you've been published a few times an editor will contact you for an assignment. This is why you want to make sure that you are VERY professional when submitting and are easy to work with! On occassion the magazine will add in a last minute article or change and not have time to put out a large call, so they will ask someone they know can create a specific type of page for them in a very short amount of time. Following these tips can help get you on the short list!

No wait, I have three answers! Finally, a magazine sometimes needs to showcase a specific product or technique and may ask you to make changes to your design! This has happened to me before- click here to see the before and after of a layout that a magazine asked me to make changes to before publishing

A huge thanks to Kathleen and Kelly for taking the time to answer our questions! Next up in the series? DESIGN TEAM INFORMATION! Also, I know we have some new readers from Betty Bee's Buzz! We hope you enjoy the series and other free tutorials here at Little Light Studio!

Kelly Goree lives in the beautiful horse country of Kentucky with her husband of more than 13 years and her three rambunctious boys. She was introduced to scrapbooking in early 2000 just after her oldest son was born and it quickly became a favorite hobby then all-out passion. She'll tell you if she's not out chasing her boys, you can find her scrapping!

Kelly is currently a full-time staff designer and international instructor for BasicGrey where she is a driving force in designing work for classes, trade shows, catalogs, and special events. In 2006 she had the honor of being a Memory Makers Master and has over 500 published works that can been seen in the pages of Creating Keepsakes, Better Homes & Garden's Scrapbooks Etc., Scrapbook Trends, Paper Trends, Scrapbook & Cards Today and other scrapbooking and paper arts publications.

Kathleen lives in California with her husband and three children and has been practicing "safe-scrapping" since late 2001. While she paper scrapped for years, she is now exclusively a digital scrapbooker. Kathleen has been published over 100 times in print publications including Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks etc, Scrapbook Trends, and Memory Makers, as well as magazines in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Today is a really big day here at Little Light Studio. It's the day that Oprah airs her last television show ever. Just kidding. I mean, it really is her last show and all but that has nothing to do with us. We're excited for a totally different reason and it's a pretty awesome one.

Today we're happy to welcome Susan Opel to the Little Light Studio blog! Susan is the Creative Editor for Paper Crafts magazine and has graciously agreed to give us a little inside look at what goes on behind the scenes. I know many of you are wondering: okay, so now we know HOW to submit projects but how in the world do we know what the magazine editors are looking for? So we went out and we asked them!

Here is some how to get published info for you that comes straight from the source!

LLS asks: Hi Susan! Thanks for answering our questions. First up: what is your best advice for someone trying to get started submitting their pages (or cards) to magazines?

Susan says:

• Be YOU! In the end, those scrapbook pages will be treasures for your family or your cards will be sent to someone you love, so don't try to be like anyone else.

• Ask for constructive criticism from an honest friend. If you're serious about getting published, sometimes it's good to bounce ideas off someone you can trust.

• Another smart thing to do is look at the publication you're planning to submit to. What sort of styles are they looking for based on what you see in the magazine?

• Read the calls for submissions very carefully. Check up on the blog and Facebook page for reminders and hints that might come in handy as you submit.

• Have fun with it! Look upon it as a great way to challenge yourself with the specific calls for submission. The calls often ask for a certain approach to creation which you might not have considered. I've found that stretching myself helps me grow in my craft, and at the same time I'm being creative and enjoying myself. And that's what it's all about. If you fear rejection too much to submit, you'll never experience the elation of being published.

LLS asks: That's great advice! So what would you say is the most positive thing about working in the crafting industry?

Susan says: I love getting up for work every day, because I love my job! Even after three years, it does not get old. And the very best part of all - most DEFinitely the people! I have met SO many caring, amazing, generous, and delightful people, and they are at the heart of why I love this industry.

Once upon a time I was submitting my creations hoping against hope that I would get picked. Now, the tables have turned, and there's nothing I love more than cheering designers on. Once we've picked the projects that will appear in our issues, I'm the lucky girl that gets to notify all of the designers who will be published. It is gratifying to share such joy with people all over the globe.

What I love about Paper Crafts in particular is that we try to be very up front about our processes. We try to debunk the mystery to keep it fun and inviting!

LLS asks: Okay so here is the million dollar question: what are some things magazine editors are looking for?

Susan says: That is an easy one! This is seriously what I spend most of my time doing each week - sorting through submissions. We look for great design, superb execution, clever uses of product, fresh approaches to catch the reader's eye. If there is a particular product or stamp set that is all the rage, you can be assured that there will be LOTS of projected submitted with it. If we have four projects lined up in front of us, how will yours stand out from the rest? If you can make us laugh or get nostalgic or a little misty, that is always a great indication that our reader will love it, too.

Susan R. Opel is the Creative Editor of Paper Crafts magazine. She loves color, creating, and a clever turn of phrase so her position at Paper Crafts magazine fits her style just right. After receiving a BA in English from Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI, Susan taught English to students in Illinois, Nevada, and Indiana, but now the creative field has lured her into its fast-paced and deadline-packed world. When the day is done, Susan enjoys card making, spending time with family, and hitting the open road. She's also been called a Facebook "mega user." Through Facebook she's been able to reconnect with former students and people from all facets of her life, and connecting on a personal level with Paper Crafts readers and designers is one of her favorite things! Susan has been published in Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbooks, Etc, and Paper Crafts.

A huge thanks to Susan for taking the time to unveil a little bit of the publishing mystery for us! We're big fans of Paper Crafts magazine ourselves, we love their inspiring projects and how open they are with their submission process. They really love their readers and that's one of the reasons we love them! If you haven't yet, take a minute to LIKE them on FACEBOOK and stay up to date on all things Paper Crafts! And while you're there, swing by the Little Light Studio Facebook page to see what's coming up in the rest of our Crafty? Get Published series!

Call me Emily Post but I'm a little old-fashioned when it comes to etiquette. I believe in please and thank you and just good manners in general. It's exciting to start submitting your projects to magazines and design teams and one could easily slip into submission frenzy (guilty!) and ignore some basic submission etiquette.

Unsure what that is? Here are a few basic things to keep in mind while submitting (so seriously, you can totally call me Emily Post. You could even abbreviate it or some thing, like J-Lo. Em-Po. That's awesome.)

1) No spamming submissions. Make sure your page actually fits the call. If it asks for 4x6 photos and you send in a page with one 4x6 photo and seventeen 2x3 photos, that's kind of a waste of the editor's time. And time is money, folks. Literally, I made $0.00 dollars while writing this article. Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got. On the other other hand, if the call is for Christmas photos and you have a great page about Christmas in July- send that baby in! That's what we like to call "Standing Out In A Crowd." You have a unique twist on the call that will make your submission stand out in a sea of traditional Merry Merry Holly Berry pages.

2) No sending unsolicited emails. Magazines have specific email addresses listed for you to send your projects to. There is even an email address for general submissions that don't fit any of the calls. Use those. If you happen across an editor's personal email address, don't send them every project you've ever made. That's kind of rude. I've heard people say to search for an editor's specific email address and avoid the general call address. And while occasionally someone might get lucky doing that, for the most part it's more likely to move your project right to the trash bin next to that email from the foreign prince who will pay you millions of dollars to help him escape from that little coffee shop he's sending his scam emails from. You don't want to be like that guy. As mentioned in the submission post, the emails are set up so that the right page goes to the inbox for that specific call. Randomly sending it to email addresses at the magazine might get you flagged as spam!

3) No sending every page you ever made for one call. I know it's tempting. It's a rookie mistake. We've all done it, made a magazines email fill up from sending them every single project we've ever created in one night. No? Just me? Right. Well, ahem, as it turns out clogging up a magazine's inbox isn't the best move. And maybe it looks a little crazy. But the point is, you want to put your best face forward. Look over your work and make sure you are selective when picking out what to submit. Edit yourself, you want them to see your very best!

4) No playing favorites. If you submit your project to two magazines and both ask for it, then go play the lottery because you are one lucky duck. It has been known to happen though, and the rule of thumb is that the project goes to the first magazine to ask for it. That's just respectful. When submitting projects for blog features, be sure to read their submission policy. Many blogs ask that you do not submit projects to other blogs during the time they are reviewing your submission!

5) No being late/demanding. If your project gets picked up for publication, fill out the paperwork, package it up, and send it in before the deadline they give you. You don't want to be late. You know what happens to people who are perpetually late? They stop getting invited places. If you make it a hassle for magazines to work with you, well then they probably won't want to work with you. Like that starlet that spilled coke on the Versace gown she wore on that photo shoot. Think the magazine asked her back? Right. It's exactly like that. Don't be a diva. Unless you're me, Em-Po. But don't worry. No matter where I go, I know where I came from.

Also? If you get an acceptance email it's perfectly fine to email back with a polite thank you expressing your joy at getting to work with the company. It's not okay to write "OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so TOTES STOKED! I expletive LURVE u so much!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! We off the block this year!!!!" That hurts my eyes. Also, refrain from using lyrics from Jenny On The Block. That only works in serious articles, like this one.

Questions? Comments? Tell us what you think in the comments section below! Did you LURVE this article? Click that little LIKE button at the top to like it on facebook so that one day we too might be able to "stay grounded as the amounts roll in."

Special thanks to Jennifer Lopez for writing Jenny On The Block, a musical masterpiece with lyrics that really fit well liberally sprinkled throughout this article ;)

Next up in the series: Paper Crafts Magazine Creative Editor Susan Opel will be sharing her tips on WEDNSDAY, MAY 25 so mark your calendar! 

So you've taken a great photo of your project and pulled together a supply list. The next step? Submitting! Here are some tips on how to compose your submission email. (This lesson covers submission emails for publication, we'll have a separate example for design team submission emails!)

There are many different ways to do this and you'll want to tailor yours to best fit your personality. There are a few staple things that most magazines prefer to see in your submission email so we'll cover the bases.

LAYOUT TITLE - What is the title of your layout? Be sure to include that here. If your layout doesn't have a title written on the page itself, use a line of journaling that bests describes your page

SIZE OF LAYOUT - Is your layout 8x8, 12x12 or another size? Is your project four feet tall?  Sometimes editors are looking to feature, say, 8.5x11 sized layouts so it's helpful for them when you make a note of the size.

HOW MANY PAGES? Is it a one or two page layout? Sometimes magazines are looking specifically for two pages so it's always good to mention.

JOURNALING- Type out any journaling on your page here.

SUPPLY LIST- Include your supply list in the text of your email.

CONTACT INFO - Who are you? What's the best way for them to reach you?

PROJECT PHOTO - It seems like a no-brainer but trust me on this: don't forget to attach or embed the image of your project!

Our big recommendation? Include a Tips & Tricks portion in your email. If you used a unique technique write out what you did! Or you can mention anything interesting about your layout. If it includes a lot of 4x6 photos tell them! You never know what they are looking for and  this section gives you the opportunity to let them know why your project would be a good fit for them. Tell the magazine why YOUR layout is a good fit for their publication.

Other tips?

-Good spelling and grammar never hurt anyone so make good use of your spellcheck.

- Don't be wordy (I know, it is definitely the toughest one for me!) Editors are reading submission after submission so be concise.

-Size your layout for easy viewing- we will cover this in an upcoming lesson. Most magazines require your attached image be no larger than 100K.

- Embed your image if possible. If you have Outlook you can embed your images. Don' know how to embed your image? Click HERE for instructions. Don't fret if you can't embed- attaching is just fine!

- Title your email according to the magazine's submission instructions. Most will tell you exactly what to use as your title. This is important because a lot of the editors use filters that use your title to send your layout exactly where it needs to go! If you submit to a Halloween call and title it "Johnny As A Skelton" it might not go to the Halloween Folder and get missed entirely! So pay attention to what they ask for!

SAMPLE: Below is an example of a submission email that I used on a page that was picked up for publication. I tend to use this general template for all submissions. I just change it up a little for each individual submission. This way I know I'm covering all my bases!

Don't follow my format exactly. Remember, you don't want to be like everyone else! Just use it as a general guideline and checklist when you are submitting your own projects!

Speaking of submitting your own projects...you're almost there! Check in all this week for tips & tricks from scrapbook magazine editors and frequently published artists that will help YOU get ahead of the game!

When you are submitting your work, most publications ask you to include a supply list.

This is just a list of everything you used to create your project. If you flip through a scrapbook magazine, you'll notice that underneath the photo of each project is a list of all the different products found on the project. That's basically what you will be sending them so that if they publish YOUR project, they can include that nifty little bit of text with it. You'll always, always, always include a supply list in your submission email unless otherwise noted. And honestly? I've never NOT been asked for a supply list.

There's a pretty standard way they like them to be written so we'll share that formula with you. It's pretty easy once you know what you are doing.

Your supply list should be written with the product listed first, followed by the manufacturer. Here is a sample of my supply list for the layout pictured above:

SUPPLIES USED:

Patterned Paper: Jenni Bowlin Studios
Kraft Paper: Hambly Studios
Letter Stickers: Making Memories, Jenni Bowlin Studios
Butterfly Stickers: Jenni Bowlin Studios
Garland Stickers: Jenni Bowlin Studios
Decorative Stickers: Jenni Bowlin Studios
Tag: Jenni Bowlin Studios
Pen: American Crafts
Other: Staples, Glue Dots

My best piece of advice? Make your supply list AS you make your layout. You don't want to see a call for Halloween pages and think to yourself "Self! I have the perfect page for that!" only to look at it and realize that you have no clue what supplies you used to create it.

I keep a folder on my desktop named Supply Lists (I'm very creative, y'all) and as soon as I make a page or project, I open up a new word document and create a supply list for it. I keep a blank supply list template on hand in the folder with categories such as CARDSTOCK, PATTERNED PAPER, LETTER STICKERS, EMBELLISHMENTS, etc. so that I don't leave anything out. I also jot down any techniques or interesting facts about the page, as well as the name and size of the layout and any journaling. This way when I go to submit it via email I have all the information I need and can just cut and paste.

I also like to include a thumbnail image of the project on my supply list just to serve as quick reference for me. Here is what a supply list document looks like for me:

It's pretty easy right? Really the trick is just to stay organized. 1) Keep your supplies organized in a fashion that allows you to easily note who the manufacturer of a product is. We'll help out with this in a few weeks as we showcase some favorite scrapbook rooms! 2)Keep a supply list on hand for all of your projects. That way you aren't looking around in a panic going who-makes-that-pink-stripey-paper?! at the last minute!

That's it!

Coming up in the series: how to write a great submisison email, tips & tricks for getting noticed, and advice from editors, design team leaders and frequently published artists!

Hi everyone! Today we're going to do a little mini-lesson on how to get great photos of your projects. We'll be using a scrapbook page as our example. Photographing a scrapbook page can be tricky. And after you've spent all that time creating a beautiful project, it's a bummer to take a photo that doesn't do it justice, especially if you want to share it online or submit it to a magazine!

Magazines and design teams get tons of submissions. You want to make sure that yours stands out. Blurry photos, photos with flash spots, photos that lack dimension- none of those look very appealing! Remember, they aren't seeing this project in real life so they aren't getting the full effect. And they aren't just looking at tons of photos- they are looking at tons of small photos because most of them request that you set your photos to be a certain size (we'll go over how to properly size your image in a future lesson!) So your photo needs to be attention grabbing- it needs to be clear, show detail well and have good color.

Here is the simple formula I use when photographing my scrapbook layouts. It's quick and easy and can be counted on for pretty good results, even without using a fancy camera! I took these with a point and shoot to show you that while having a big camera is nice, you can get great photographs of your scrapbook page with any camera as long as you do the following:

Step One: Finding Good Light!
This is the most important part. You want to take a photo of your layout in natural light without using your flash. The best thing to do is to find a light source like a window or a door. Then position your layout to the side of the light source, so that the light is hitting your layout softly.

This is the best light source in my house in the morning. It's our entryway. When you look at the photo, you can see that the light streams in nicely to the left of the door, the right side is too dark for a photo. Our entryway works nicely for photos because it's well lit and it's a neutral paint color so there is a blank canvas behind the layout.

Step Two: Setting Up The Layout
What you want to do next is set up your layout so that it is positioned in such a way that the light falls across the front of the page. You want soft, even light, not streaks of light. Another important part of getting a good scrapbook layout photograph is taking the photo face on. While you can lay your page on the floor and take a photo from above, that tends to make the page look flat. By propping up the layout you get a true feel for it, a more three dimensional look.

Here is what I do. I take a stool and position it so that it is facing the light at an angle. Then I take an book that's just slightly smaller than my layout and stand it up on the stool. Position the book on the stool until the light illuminates it nicely. Once you've found the right position, place your layout in front of the album.  you can use anything- a box, an album. I've even used plate holders like these seen here on pages that don't have embellishments on the bottom.

Step Three: Photograph and Crop

Take a few photos of your layout. Dont use the flash, if the pictures are too dark just move around until you have it in better light. I took a few shots then opened the door to get more light. Then crop it closely in your photo editing program. If you don't have a photo editing program you can use a free online photo editing site like www.picnik.com.

And okay, so maybe you want to try to take your photo a little straighter than mine ;) But you can see how photographing it straight on gives it a lot more dimension. And using the natural light makes the colors true to life.

It's so easy and looks much more professional than photographing your layouts on the floor or using the flash- no one likes those flash spots covering their photos!

So here's your homework: Grab a layout and try taking a few photos using what we learned today!

So you've joined us in our Crafty? Get Published series! Awesome! We're so excited to have you!

The first thing you want to do is decide: What do you want?

Do you want to get a scrapbook page published in a magazine? Do you want to have your project featured on a design blog? Do you want to join a manufacturer's design team?

Let's make one tangible goal that we can try to accomplish by the end of the series.

Decide what you want and why you want it. We'll spend the rest of the month doing our very best to help you reach it.

Now the big question is: What do THEY want? What are the magazines/blogs/design teams looking for? That is the million dollar question. We don't want to just throw things at them and hope for the best. We want to know what they are looking for and then we want to give them what they are looking for.

We'll be getting very detailed with this over the course of the series (and we even have some editors coming on board to tell us exactly what they want!) but this is a general overview.

They all want something specific. For example, if a magazine is working on it's December issue, you can bet they are going to want holiday themed items. Often times they will put out a "call" for submissions, requesting that people email them images of projects that might work for their issue. The calls tend to be very specific in what they are looking for as far as theme, size, number of photos, etc.

How do you find these calls?

Most manufacturers and magazines post their calls on their websites. You have to check their websites frequently to see when they have posted new calls. Some websites have a specific place on their site where they post the calls and some just post them to their blogs or facebook pages.

We've simplified the process for you and added a PUBLICATIONS tab to little light studio. Now you can just click on that tab and see links to ALL of the current calls for publications and manufacturer design teams for any given month. Right now there are several calls for May! Click HERE to see the calls.

(We'll also let our facebook fans know when new calls are posted so be sure to LIKE us on facebook so that you don't miss any!)

What else do they want? They'll want you to send them examples of your work. You'll send a submission email with your information, project information and a photo of your layout/project attached. Because they see a LOT of emails every day, you're going to want to look at your intended submission with a critical eye. In this series, we're going to cover how to evaluate your submission to make sure you have the best photos and text possible!

So your homework tonight is to choose a layout/project as your practice piece. Next lesson we're going to photograph it, create a supply list and work on crafting a submission email that will get you noticed in a good way!

Welcome to our Crafty? Get Published! Series at Little Light Studio. Ever flip through a craft magazine and wonder how you could see your work in their pages? Or maybe visited a product website and wondered how to make their design team? You are not alone! We've gathered up a team of "experts" to share their experiences as well as helpful tips and tricks on getting published, making design teams and more! Check back here each Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in May for a new article in the series. By the end of the month, you will have a great guide to submitting your work!

Why should I submit my work to magazines/design teams?

There are many reasons why you should submit: you're talented, it's fun to see your work in a magazine, and it's nice to get paid for your hobby...I could go on and on. I'll tell you how I got started and why I personally submit still today.

I originally began submitting because I found out that magazines paid you money to publish your stuff and I thought I could use that money to buy scrapbooking supplies. Essentially I began submitting to fund my hobby. And that worked out pretty well for me, because I was a poor college student living on ramen noodles and beef jerky (gross.) And since I was making pages anyway, it was a nice perk to get paid for them.

A small reason is that I submit pages out of vanity. Can you believe I just admitted that? But the truth is, I like seeing my work in a magazine. I put a lot of love and effort into my creations and it's validating to see that reflected back off the glossy page of a magazine. That's not the only reason I submit, but I'd be lying to you if I told you it wasn't one factor in the equation. And I think that's okay for all of us to like a little recognition. There's nothing wrong with taking pride in something you've created and wanting to show it off a little. Give yourself permission to be okay with wanting it.

Eventually I wanted to try out for some manufacturer design teams. Most design teams want you to have a history of having some published work. There are exceptions to that rule, but it's fairly common. So I submitted more pages in hopes of having some "credentials."

I have had good and bad experiences with design teams. More good than bad, which we will cover in detail later. Most design teams pay in product in exchange for projects made using their products. They use these projects in marketing samples, at trade shows, etc. My goal to join a design team was borne out of the same reason I started submitting to magazines: I wanted free product. See: seriously poor college student. I was still spending money on scrapbooking products and figured if I could make the design team of a manufacturer whose product I already loved anyhow; it would be a good fit for me. I would get to work with product I already really liked and learn more about how the scrapbooking industry worked. I also enjoyed getting to work closely with other people who were active in the hobby I was so passionate about.

Submitting is not for the faint of heart. There will be lots of rejection before that first acceptance. It takes time to write up supply lists, size images, submit emails. But it can also be incredibly rewarding! The tips and tricks in this series will get you closer to your goal of seeing your work in print!

Join us again tomorrow for our second installment: What Do You Want From Me? (Thanks to Adam Lambert for unknowingly letting me borrow that title. Rock on.)