Traditional Home To Become a Special Interest Magazine

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Meredith publishing, under financial pressure after acquiring Time Inc. last year for $2.8 billion, laid off around 60 employees. Nearly half of the layoffs were from Entertainment Weekly and Traditional Home. Both publications have dramatically slashed their printing schedules, with Entertainment Weekly cutting back to a monthly schedule and Traditional Home will become a quarterly special interest publication, publishing 4 times a year.

Among the more high profile cuts include publisher Beth McDonough. Traditional Home’s chief editor Jill Waage avoided the chopping block, however most of her staff’s jobs were not spared. Business of Home reported that Wagge has spent 11 years in Meredith’s special interest media division, so her expertise is a valuable commodity.

This is not the first time Traditional Home has seen major changes. In 2017, its publication schedule went from eight yearly issues to only six. In 2018, senior design and market editor Tori Mellot resigned and was not replaced.

Recently, the hearth and home niche at Meredith has taken quite a beating over the last few years. Cooking Light and Coastal Living are no longer on a regular publication schedule. The internal competition for advertisement dollars is proving too strenuous for future viability.

Said a spokesperson for Meredith in the New York Post: “We had five subscription magazines in the home category: Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and Traditional Home. That’s a lot of competition internally for ad dollars, let alone when you consider outside competitors in the space.”

Says Katie of Tin Shingle: “Or is that what happens when your purchase titles and cannibalize your market share?”

Tin Shingle will be monitoring media moves to update our Media Contact Library.

New Podcast Alert! “Going Through It” From MailChimp

New Podcast Alert! From the talented Ann Friedman originally produced for MailChimp. “Ann Friedman sits down with writers, comedians, politicians, and musicians to hear about the pivotal moments in their lives, careers, and relationships when they had to decide whether to quit or whether to keep going.”

See Tin Shingle’s Media Contact Library for details!

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Entertainment Weekly Magazine Goes Monthly - But Keeps Weekly In Title For Now

Entertainment Weekly magazine will go monthly, yet retain the title of Weekly, according to Adweek. The publication, part of the Meredith family of print publications, will start this new schedule in August under new Editor In Chief JD Heyman. The July 5th issue will be the last weekly publication. The new EID is coming from People Magazine. The former EID, Henry Goldblatt, has been at a Entertainment Weekly for 17 years, according to Variety, as highlighted by Adweek.

What Does That Mean For Businesses Looking For Features?

The print publication cycle will slow down a bit, now that there aren’t weekly magazines to churn out. As for an Editorial Calendar, they may release a broad theme to sell to advertisers in a broader way. But, we don’t recommend you to pitch by Editorial Calendar theme anyway because there are way to many ideas out there to wait for a broad theme. 

Tin Shingle will inquire as to what their new print publication cycle will look like, so that we know which months they are working on when. We will also keep our eyes on media moves for those coming and going for our Media Contact Library.

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She's Crushing It! Paola Kustra of BagRomance Is Featured On Houstonia's Women Crush Wednesday

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As you know, dear business owner, you're busy! You ain't got time for pitching your business to the media! But you're making time. You're showing up at Tin Shingle to get the courage and the original ideas that will make you a must-feature by the press.

Paola Kustra, a Tin Shingle memberand founder of BagRomance.com, is killing it right now with features she is getting. Check out her latest at Houstonia in Texas.

PS: Tin Shingle is adding Houstonia right now to our Media Contact Library.

Live From Houston - KPRC Channel 2 Houston Features BagRomance.com

Paola Kustra, a Tin Shingle memberand founder of BagRomance.com, the designer handbag rental company based in Houston, TX, was featured on KPRC Channel 2 Houston.

She pitched and landed the segment, and brainstormed how the taping would all happen during Tin Shingle's private Member's-Only TuneUps.

Paola organized models to display some of the purses available for rent on her website, including the "tiny" purse that fits hardly anything!

Paola regularly attends Tin Shingle’s TuneUps, and it is paying off! She comes away with fresh ideas on why to pitch the media, and then she does it.

WordSwag Releases More Font Options - Look At The Bird In Lumber Jack!

Word Swag does it again by opening up more design treatments on its free version of its app. And you know we love our Word Swag. Paying for the Word Swag app is still very worth it, as you get even more design options on your type treatment. But for now - the free version - just look at these new options for the same message. Your going to see a bird, a Star Wars inspiration, and variations on thickness of a swirly cursive font.

The 15 Minute Variation - Look At The Variation!

You Can Do This

Last week we sent you one of the above design treatments for the almost weekly Money Monday article. This week, we wanted to show you the behind-the-scenes process of getting there. How within 15 minutes, we had such a variation of visual to go with.

Should we go Star Wars theme? Or a "Put A Bird On It" theme?

The best part is, these are some new designs that are available in the Word Swag app now - at the free level. Though we always encourage you to upgrade to paid in order to keep companies like this alive.
What is Word Swag you may be asking? We've written about it here before, but it's one of our go-to apps for creating images that have words on them. Some call them "Word Posters" or "Quote Posters." Call it what you will - it's your easy and beautiful way of communicating with your people digitally. Word Swag takes fonts - and sometimes icons - and combines them into delicate, rough, or shocking combinations.

Combos We Love

Notice the emotional differences that each font presents to you. The bird is in “Lumber Jack,” which is a design treatment combo that has been free and open for a while, but the bird is new (new to us at least).
“Nine Teen Nineties” is new, and is the Star Wars inspo one. Then there are the other simple cursive design combos in the last two samples shown here that offer big differences: “Gothic Wonderland” offers a nice, crisp serif font paired with a thin and delicate cursive. And finally, our long-time favorite, “Summer Soiree” which offers a nice curve to and hug of the words.

If you haven’t been in Word Swag for a bit, update your app and open it up. And if you have been using it, it’s time for fresh styles!

Georgia's New Abortion Law Decreases Likelihood Disney, WarnerMedia, NBSUniversal and Others Would Film There

From the must-open daily email that is Morning Media Newsfeed produced by AdWeek, this news is just in. Several sources are reporting that major media companies including Disney, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia (HBO, TNT, TBS), and CBS are strongly indicating that they may not select Georgia for filming and production locations if the new strict abortion law goes into effect.

In the words of the Morning Media Newsfeed article, with linked sources:

 

A day after Disney CEO Bob Iger said it would be “difficult” for the media giant to produce TV shows and films in Georgia given its strict new abortion law, a handful of major media companies have added their voices to the chorus in a series of Thursday statements. (Deadline)

WarnerMedia—the parent company of movie giant Warner Bros. and cable networks HBO, TNT and TBS, among other entertainment properties—on Thursday joined Netflix and Disney in saying that it will “reconsider” doing business in Georgia if the law takes effect. (HuffPost)

In its own statement on Thursday, NBCUniversal said that the bill, if actually enacted, would “strongly impact our decision-making” for production in the area. AMC, which films tentpole The Walking Dead in the state, also spoke up on Thursday afternoon. (THR)

Finally, CBS and Showtime issued a statement on the recent abortion legislation in Georgia and other states, saying that they “may not be viable locations for our future production” should the law take effect. (Variety)

 

Is It Money Monday? YES!

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Happy Monday!

We were all set to send you the juicy answers from an expert on how she landed herself 2 morning show segments back to back - but then upon walking into the office this morning - after doing all of the pre-game money things to make the Monday run smooth - we were asked by co-worker Kat (she heads up the Media Research around here): "Is it Money Monday!?!" as she excitedly waved around a few bills envelopes in her hands.

"Of course!" So we turned this ship around to focus on your Monday and how you're making it a great one, so that you can hopefully slide into the evening feeling a sense of completion as you coast into Tuesday.


3 Tips For A Great Money Monday

  • Update Your Clients First: For the service providers in the house, stay one step ahead of your clients by sending them an update on the project they are doing with you. Could be big update, or a tiny one. Just touch base with them before they reach out and ask for an update.

  • Get Updates From Your Peeps: Check in on your team members to get their status, so that you can pass it along to those who need the status update.

  • Pay A Bill: That's right. Clear that bill and issue yourself a new payroll check if you need to. This propels you forward to earn more money.

  • Buck The Struggle Habit: If you're constantly living on fumes, you may be suffering from an addiction to a hard ass hustle. Is the hustle the only thing making you hungry? You might need to flip that addiction to welcome abundance and growth. This post from Chiara Mazzucco of Boldself might help you buck this habit.

  • Step Away From The Mess: It was a busy weekend, and your house might be a mess. Monday Mornings are great days to clean - if you are compulsive cleaners like us - and if you work from your home. We work both from home and our amazing office on Main Street in Beacon, NY, and would love to tidy up. But, this mental shift can take you off your money making game, so you need to step away from that slime making experiment left on the table.

  • Exceptions to Cleaning: If you are pitching while you clean on your smart phone, you can clean. If you are pitching new clients, sponsors, or the media while you are mopping, then carry on. We are advocates of fast, iPhone-based pitches because it keeps you brief and to the point. You're also in a state of blocked out fear - so you can power through an otherwise staring-at-the-blank-screen zone that can sometimes paralyze you.


How Concious Living Expert Christine Agro Landed 2 Morning Show Segments At Once

Christine Agro is a member of Tin Shingle and therefore a friend. When I saw in her social feeds that she was on a plane preparing to fly to Connecticut to film a morning show segment, I reached out right away to learn more about the big PR score, in order to find out more about how she did it, and share it here with you Tin Shinglers.

Christine was kind enough to give us the pitching play by play! For anyone pitching the media, if you need help with your actual pitch email, Tin Shingle’s Pitch Whisperer Program is a direct level of help that you can use. Available the public, we can write your pitch from scratch. Available to Members of Tin Shingle, you can copy/paste your draft email into our special Pitch Whisperer Forum and get feedback on it from myself and other members. Outside viewpoints are so valuable!

Here’s how the pitching-to-air-time went down:

Pitching August - February

I started pitching TV segments at the end of August. Each week, I sent out a new pitch.

A Response In February! Of…”No Thank You”

At the end of February, I got a ‘no thank you’ from my contact at Fox32 in Chicago. This was the first response I received from her. I took it as a good sign!

Pivots On Her Pitching In March

In Mid-March, I had pitches set to go, but decided to look what else was happening in March. It turned out the following week was Introvert week.

I was in Miami to do a talk, but I still sent my pitches out.

In my MotivateHer group program, I’ve been working with my clients to step up and into being more visible. Dealing with fears, anxieties, uncertainties. I work with them on the energetic difference between Beyonce on the red carpet of the MTV awards as a correspondent - vs - the Beyonce that stepped fully into her Bey-ness two years later.

I’ve been doing the same work on myself. While in Miami, I was sitting in mediation and looked at where I wanted the visibility – mostly, but there was still a part of me that was holding back. I peeled that away and the next day…

I heard back from two producers. The one in Chicago and one in Connecticut. Both wanted me to come in that week, but I was in Miami. I responded that I was not available and asked what other dates they had. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Very key! Christine was persistent. She presented the other dates.]

Both came back with options and I scheduled them both. Chicago asked me to fill out a form with suggested intro and outro (that surprised me). Connecticut asked for a few speaking points.

THE DREAD CREEPS IN

While waiting for my plane to Chicago, I felt that familiar feeling of ‘why did I say I would do this’ – the Introverts Dilemma, I call it.

I realized that despite having the energy tools to deal with this, in the past, I let it overcome me and did what I teach my students not to do - pushed it down, or away and tried to manage it.

With 3 hours to wait, I decided to get to work on this energy. I started picking apart the energy, identifying what it was made up of, decided whether it had merit (none of it did) cleared it all out and by the time I got on the set in Chicago, I was great.

DAYS OF THE MORNING SHOW SEGMENTS

I had hair and make-up done for both morning shows.

Chicago: the show had a Blue Room. A producer took me into the studio where I waited for the anchor to come and do the interview.

Connecticut: A producer brought me into the studio and had a row of chairs for guests to sit and wait while the entire show was happening right in front of me. I had a tiny bit of energy come up but I cleared it here too.

LIFE AFTER THE MORNING SHOW SEGMENTS

I followed up right away with thank you notes that I sent via email.

One week later, I resumed pitching them with new ideas!

Today's TuneUp: Overcoming Performance and Pitch Anxiety With Christine Agro

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Do you have tons of ideas of who to pitch at what magazine, or what TV segment you'd be perfect for?

But do you not pitch it? Do you just dream it?

You might be suffering from Performance Anxiety (which we have given ourselves permission to stretch over to Pitching the Media as well).

Today we talk with Conscious Living Expert and Tin Shingle Member Christine Agro of Awaken and Grow. Christine had been pitching herself as an expert for months, but was not getting the responses she wanted. Register here for the free version of this live TuneUp webinar!

Then she landed two morning show segments.

Today we found out:

1. How she did that.

2. How she nailed her performance on camera.

3. What she discovered when she went through anxiety and regret after landing the segments.

Christine's going to teach us how to identify Performance Anxiety, and how to get through it.

More About Christine

Christine Agro is a Conscious Living Expert, a Spiritual teacher, and a Clairvoyant. She supports women in realizing their dreams, experiencing the support they need to be successful, and in developing a personal process to maintain balance and calm and deepen their connection to their own inner sight.

Christine has been seen on ABC, FOX, Good Morning Connecticut, Good Day Chicago, Late Night with Seth Meyers, featured in The New York Times and seen in Elite Daily, Ladders, VICE, Brides and Ask Men.

Register Here >

NEXT WEEK:

PR Challenge Members-Only TuneUp Session: 12pm EST
We meet for our 2nd of 4 PR Challenge meetings. If you didn't come last time, that's ok - bring your 1 PR Goal and come this time. We'll workshop it together to get you to nail it.

All-Access Pass Members of Tin Shingle are able to get onto this group call.

If you're a Tin Shingle Member, click here to register.