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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / blog & handmade advice / {thank you, Pregnancy & Newborn and Handmade Sewing magazines! + a few Press tips}

{thank you, Pregnancy & Newborn and Handmade Sewing magazines! + a few Press tips}

November 23, 2011 · 18 Comments
Filed Under: blog & handmade advice, press

psssst! Read below for my tips on how to encourage receiving Press…

* * *

Yay — I’m excited to share with you two new Press features! These last few months have been so fun as Handmade Sewing and Pregnancy & Newborn magazines have featured me. Both were total surprises, and honestly I feel like that’s what makes them so special. Receiving good Press can be difficult, it’s expensive to buy an ad {and they don’t always have the right ROI} and it can be really hard to make a connection with the editorial department. I can only imagine the number of inquiries they must receive… But, I believe in a time & place for everything so don’t feel discouraged just yet if you haven’t heard back from an inquiry {some times it takes months for a reply}.

Pregnancy & Newborn first contacted me when I was selling on Etsy, and it’s like we’ve kept an eye on each other because I’m feeling so lucky that they’ve featured me a few other times. This was an amazing moment for me — to learn that a national publication “shops” Etsy for content. And they picked a great site to search, if you ask me!

For the Handmade Sewing feature, I’m still not sure how that happened {pinch me!} but my guess would be from blogging. Seems like the longer I blog the quicker I connect with other businesses — or see them at blog conferences/meet-ups.

One event that has been *amazing* is The Creative Connection. Last year I met Heather Bailey and Amy Barickman; this year I connected with Carol of BurdaStyle and met Kelly Rae Roberts, to name a few. One event, so many fabulous opportunities.

Maybe you’re wondering how your shop can receive some Press? Here are some personal tips to moving in the right direction:
+ remember there’s no such thing as overnight success
+ constantly work at achieving your goals {practice makes perfect, right?}
+ connect with others online {blog + social media} and attend events to make connections in person
+ share your work. step out of your comfort zone and be the one to say “hello” first
+ follow up every few months
+ start locally: news stations, magazines, boutiques, events {fundraisers, dinners, etc.}

It’s important to remember tip #1, and also to not give up!!! Don’t feel frustrated if you don’t hear back right away. Everything about your business will happen at the most perfect time :) Cherish where you are at right now. And remember, some of the best opportunities will come up when you least expect it by some of the most amazing people you couldn’t have imagined knowing. xoxo

Share your press/editorial experience with us in the comment section below!
What have you tried? What has worked for you, what didn’t work well for you?

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18 Comments
Filed Under: blog & handmade advice, press

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Comments

  1. Southern Gal says

    November 23, 2011 at 6:16 am

    You know what I was thinking when I saw the title of this post, right? ;)

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Skye says

      November 23, 2011 at 6:31 am

      Ha! My initial thought was probably the same thing! :)

      Reply
      • Gussy Sews says

        November 23, 2011 at 8:08 am

        goodness — y’all have baby in the brain ;)

        Reply
      • Angie @ gathered and sown says

        November 23, 2011 at 7:48 pm

        I thought the exact same thing ;)

        Reply
  2. Skye says

    November 23, 2011 at 6:31 am

    What a fun early Christmas present!
    Happy Thanksgiving Maggie! :)

    Reply
  3. Tara says

    November 23, 2011 at 7:09 am

    That is awesome!

    congrats on your feature! Love it!

    Reply
  4. Kasey M. says

    November 23, 2011 at 7:38 am

    What an amazing achievement! Congrats Gussy – and the Gussy team!

    Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

    xo Kasey M.

    Reply
  5. Carissa says

    November 23, 2011 at 7:41 am

    Congratulations, what a mark of success for you. You must feel a great sense of accomplishment, I’m glad for you!!

    Reply
  6. Amanda Knowles says

    November 23, 2011 at 9:35 am

    That is fantastic! Way to go Gussy!

    Reply
  7. Miranda B. says

    November 23, 2011 at 9:37 am

    WoW:) I just LOVE when you share things like this. You’re such a motivated, inspirational, BLESSED person and even though I only “know” you through Matt, I have DEFINITELY bragged about your hard work and success as if you’re my sister. Lol…you’re awesome:)

    Reply
  8. Lauren says

    November 23, 2011 at 10:22 am

    congratulations!! That’s so exciting!!!!! :D

    Reply
  9. Beth says

    November 23, 2011 at 11:22 am

    So well-deserved!! You go girl!!! :) Happy Thanksgiving!!

    Reply
  10. Molly @ A Bit O' Shine says

    November 23, 2011 at 12:16 pm

    Yay for you! I’m sure it helps that you always post these adorbs photos of yourself and it feels like you’re our BFF that lives down the street.

    Thank you for the tips and encouragement not to give up too soon.

    Reply
  11. Diana says

    November 23, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    You deserve this publicity because of your hard work. Congrats! Your photos would inspire anyone new to sewing.

    Reply
  12. Lauren says

    November 23, 2011 at 12:34 pm

    Congratulations!!!!!

    Reply
  13. Lucy Jane says

    November 23, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    Congrats! I had a nursing cover in the same October 2010 Pregnancy & Newborn magazine as you! I think that’s the first time I saw Gussy and thought…that’s cute…maybe I’ll google that and found your blog. It sounds like a similar experience where they contacted me and I was like…WHAT???? And then I jumped up and down about a hundred times. Since then, my business has changed to only bags, but it was an awesome experience. I feel that press is something that you hope for, but at the right time. I often ask myself if I would be ready for a big growth. With being a work at home mom, my goals are mixed between business and personal.

    Keep counting your blessings girl…I think there are a lot more to come for you. ;]

    Reply
  14. Tracy @Liberating Working Moms says

    November 23, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    Though I’m not a shop owner, I feel that your tips are great for anyone trying to grow something. Like me, I have dreams of making money writing, and growing the Liberating Working Moms blog. These tips hold true. I make time to network and socialize on the internet. IT”S SO IMPORTANT for those connections. You are an inspiration :)

    Reply
  15. Cindy says

    November 24, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    How super cool are these features!? Congrats! You must feel so proud. AND FAMOUS! :)

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

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I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

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It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
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Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
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Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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