I received not ONE but TWO different issues of “Artful Blogging” by Somerset Studios over the holidays. I LOVE art/craft magazines, and my thoughtful family and friends know that I’m an artist/crafter/maker and a blogger. They figured that this magazine would be right up my alley.
WRONG.
I am usually very open-minded and try to be objective, but I just don’t get this magazine AT ALL. Why would I want to read about arts/crafts blogs? Why wouldn’t I just READ THE BLOG?
The pictures are pretty. (But I can see them for free on the blogs.) There are plenty of artists in each issue, some of whom I really admire. (But I know most of them already, or could find them on artist/crafter blogrolls.) And worst, the layout is poor. There are so many headings and sub-headings and headlines, I’m not sure when one blog profile ends and the next begins. I don’t often read magazines linearly, and I like to jump around as articles catch my eye. You just can’t do this with this magazine at all.
Lastly, this is an EXPENSIVE publication- over $15.o0 with tax- and it seems to me that a print magazine about an online phenomenon is missing the point. Artful Blogging should be an ONLINE publication, with links out, online profiles, etc.
I’m an advocate and lover of print magazines, but this one really misses the mark for me.
Your view?
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CraftieGal says
I agree with your comments! I thought this magazine would help me create a better craftie blog…um not so much.
Laurel says
THANK YOU for having the courage to say something honest about a great-and-mighty-Stampington publication!
SisterDiane says
I totally agree – these Artful Blogging titles always strike me as “form over function.” There’s very little substantive information about blogging in them, and the features on the bloggers don’t tell you much about them, either. Lots of pretty pictures are great in context, but for $15.00, I want information I can use.
Lori Paximadis says
I’m with you, too. I generally like the Stampington pubs for inspiration (although if I see one more collage with a girl’s head and a pointy hat and … never mind), but they do a terrible job of writing/editing good instructions and and a worse job of readable layout. (Dear Stampington: There is nothing wrong with black type. Really. I promise. Love, Lori) I get Belle Armoire Jewelry for the photos (although it’s rare that something really wows me) and profiles, and Where Women Create usually has some good ideas (or at the bare minimum prods me to actually do something with my studio space). But overall, eh.
The former editor-in-chief has recently moved on to other things, though, so I’m hopeful they will be able to broaden their vision beyond their typically overly fussy look.
Jenny says
Lori- so well-put! Next time we’ll review the magazine together and do a tandem review. Thanks for your insightful commentary!
Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor says
Interesting review Jenny! I was wondering about that myself, when the magazine came out. Have yet to see it for real, just seen it online… same place I see the blogs. I suppose it may expose you to people that don’t easily come up in the searches, but they could still be found with a little work. If I’m going to spend that kind of money on a magazine, I want it to be so inspiring that I will go back to it time and time again.Doesn’t sound like this will be the one!
Dawn says
Wow, thank you for such a candid and honest review.
Laura says
I looked this magazine over in the bookstore and decided not to buy it- had no idea it was $15.00, but seriously? Its a *magazine* – you could buy a whole novel for that!
Thank you so much for saying you didn’t get it either. I had one of those moments of self doubt where I thought surely I wasn’t sophisticated enough to understand. The layout made no sense and I was really looking for more blogging tips, having only blogged for 9 months at that time. It was really just a print version of some of each author/artist’s best work from their blog. You’re totally right- I could have seen that for free.
Jean Wolfe says
what a pleasure to read a blog post which is so honest, without in any way scoring points! Not seen the mag as I am not in the US, but it definitely sounds like something which “ought” to work.
Jenny says
Jean, if you’d like a copy of the magazine, I’d be happy to send it to you- maybe you’ll have a different take. Let me know if you would, and I’d be happy to post your opinion on CraftTestDummies!
Jennifer says
Yes, I had so much hope for this magazine – but it seems in the years its been out it hasn’t offered anything different than it did in its first edition. I stopped buying it because I swear I can’t stand to look at ONE MORE PHOTO OF A BLOGGER’S FEET! It was charming the first five times, but clearly this magazine is not about originality. It’s about one, unchangeable look.