Archive for: Media Database

Stacey Sheppard is the blogger behind The Design Sheppard – originally created in 2009 as a place to store the content Stacey gathered while researching for articles, and now a space for interior design inspiration and one of the top ten blogs in the sector.

We spoke to Stacey about blogging as a job, the importance of keeping things honest in the blogging industry, and being a self-appointed cork ambassador (it’s totally a thing – you’ll see).

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I always say I’m a freelance writer and blogger. I started my career as a staff journalist on a print publication and worked as a magazine editor for a number of years before I started my blog. I find that the response I get is less confused if I say freelance writer first. There are still a lot of people out there who don’t actually understand blogging and how it can be a job.

How much of a community is there around interiors bloggers?
For me, the community is the best part of being an interiors blogger. I don’t know what it is like in other niches but in interiors it is so open, welcoming and supportive. I’ve made lifelong friends through blogging, some of whom I’ve only actually met once or twice in real life but who I speak to every single day. I find the interiors blogging community to be really uplifting, inspiring and positive and that makes me proud to be part of it.

What’s the best thing about being a freelance writer and blogger?
The best thing about it is getting to do something that I love every single day. I wake up each morning excited for the day ahead, eager to get to work and see what opportunities will open up for me.

It’s also the freedom of being able to write about anything I’m interested in and sharing those things with my audience. I’ve come across so many talented people since I started blogging and I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing so many great designers. I love being able to give these people a platform to show off their skills.

What does the future of blogging look like?
This is a tough question and I think we’ve all been asking ourselves this recently. The rising popularity of Instagram has obviously sent waves through the blogosphere and left many of us wondering how our blogs can compete. However, we have to remember that we are in complete control of our blogs and no algorithm changes can destroy what we have built or reduce our visibility – that can’t be said for Instagram accounts. In fact, we’ve started to see lots of larger Instagram accounts now creating blogs alongside just to safeguard their future.

Another thing that is changing the industry is the tightening rules and regulations around advertising and brand partnerships. The ASA is continually bringing out new guidelines and regulations in an attempt to create transparency for our audiences and to ensure that they know when they are being advertised to. There was a lot of confusion at first but what is expected of us with regards to disclosure is becoming clearer. There are a lot of bloggers out there who aren’t playing by the rules though. I think it’s a dangerous game to play and in the long run it will be damaging. We gained our followings because people trusted us, they liked our authenticity and they believed that we had their best interests at heart. Those who don’t properly disclose their relationships with brands are disrespecting their readers and in the long run, this can only have a negative outcome.

How do you describe your style?
I hate being asked this question as I really don’t know the answer. Some bloggers have a really distinctive, recognisable style that is instantly identifiable. I don’t have this. I like industrial interiors, I like Scandinavian style, I like mid-century modern. My style also changes from room to room and from week to week. I tend to just go with whatever I’m into at the time. At the moment, that is biophilic design and incorporating lots of natural materials and greenery into my home.

What’s your favourite room in the house?
I’d probably say my bedroom. Now that my kids are mostly sleeping through the night, they aren’t invading that space so much. It’s starting to feel more and more like our own private sanctuary again. It still needs work before I’m totally happy with it, but plans are underway.

How long do you leave a redesign before wanting to do it again?
I’m actually not that big a fan of change. I like consistency at home and a feeling of stability and I couldn’t get that if I was constantly redesigning and redecorating. I tend to spend a really long time working out how I want a room to make me feel and how I want to use the space before making any changes. Then once I do it, I’m in it for the long haul because I’ve put the hours in working out a scheme that I will love. Of course, I make small changes every now again, like changing cushions, adding shelves and expanding my plant gang. But big changes are few and far between.

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
I recently worked with The Colour Flooring Company who took me on a trip to Portugal to see the cork harvest and then to the production plant to see it being processed. I’ve loved cork as a material for many years and I’d always wanted to see the harvest. It was such a fun trip and I came back so full of enthusiasm for this remarkable material. I’ve pretty much appointed myself as a cork ambassador.

What advice do you have for PRs looking to get in touch?
Drop me an email and let’s talk.

What other blogs do you read?
Swoon Worthy, Apartment Number 4, Archie & The Rug, fabric of my life, Dear Designer’s Blog, Seasons in Colour, Hello Peagreen, Well I Guess This Is Growing Up, Boreal Abode, In Two Homes, The Interior Editor, Nordic Notes, grillo DESIGNS and new favourite Raspberry Flavoured Windows.

Dane Cobain is the author of SocialBookshelves.com, a top 10 UK Literature Blog. A record of all the books Dane reads, SocialBookshelves.com covers every genre and each review is the same number of words as the number of pages in the book.

We spoke to Dane about the book community online, the future of blogging, his favourite new authors and how he likes to work with PRs.  

How do you describe what you do to other people?
This is a great question because I do quite a lot and different people know me for different things. For example, in my local open mic scene, I’m known as a singer/songwriter. First and foremost, I consider myself to be a writer, and so I tell people that I write books and blog posts for a living. Sometimes I’m writing for myself and sometimes I’m being paid to write for other people. So while I am a blogger, that’s not the only thing that I do. I wear a lot of hats!

How much of a community is there around literary bloggers?
For me, I think that it’s more that there’s an overall ‘bookish’ community. Most of the activity takes place on social networking platforms, so there’s a thriving ‘Bookstagram’ community and I myself make ‘BookTube’ videos and take part in the community there. Book Twitter is also thriving but I tend to avoid it as there can be a lot of negativity and there’s a tendency for people to go on witch hunts. At least from what I’ve seen of people talking about it on BookTube, even the people who take part in Book Twitter recognise that it’s kind of toxic at times, although it does of course have plenty of plus sides too. For bloggers, there might not necessarily be a community around blogging, but they’ll typically take part on another platform. For example, perhaps their blog also has a Bookstagram account and they drive traffic and engagement to their blog through that.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger?
I consider myself to be a professional writer, of which blogging probably makes up somewhere between 30-50% of my work. My own personal blogs etc. do bring in some income, but only a small proportion. But they do allow me to charge a premium for my services when I write blogs for other people. I’d have to say that the best thing is that I have a flexible job where I’m my own boss, I control my own destiny and I’m doing what I love. It feels as though everything is aligned, so whether I’m writing for myself or I’m writing for a client, I’m pushing my career in the right direction.

What does the future of blogging look like?
This is another good question and it’s a tough one to answer. I suppose that arguably the most important trend will be the diversification of the blogosphere. What I mean by that is that people of all walks of life and with all sorts of different interests will continue to be attracted to blogging, while new platforms will keep coming along to help power those blogs. Other than that, I don’t think anyone can really know what the future of blogging will look like.

What’s your favourite book of all time?
Every time I’m asked this question, I say that it’s Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. That’s because it’s the book that made me fall in love with reading in the first place.

If you could only read in one genre ever again, which one would you choose?
That’s a tricky one because I read across pretty much every genre. I’d probably have to go for the nebulous genre of ‘modern classics’.

Which new author should we be aware of?
How long have you got? I read quite a lot of indie authors and there are some fantastic up-and-coming writers who have far fewer readers than they deserve. One of my favourites at the moment is an author called Charles Heathcote, who’s written the Our Doris series. They’re basically humorous novels following an old northern couple called Doris and ‘Arold a little bit in the vein of Keeping Up Appearances. I very rarely actually laugh out loud when I read a book, but I did with the Doris books.

How do you work with PRs and brands?
I have a PR details page on my site and I’m listed on various media databases. I read all of the emails that I receive but I get so many pitches that I don’t reply to unless I’m actually interested, and these days I probably only accept maybe 2% of pitches. But I’m up for all sorts of things, from basic book reviews to author interviews, giveaways etc. I’ve also been lucky enough to go on some press trips including to York for York Literature Festival and to Latvia on behalf of the British Council to spread the word about Latvian Literature ahead of London Book Fair.

What advice do you have for PRs looking to get in touch?
The best thing to do is to email me. Bear in mind that I get a lot of requests, too. In fact, unless a book is super relevant to my interests then there’s not much chance that I’ll read it, so it helps to get a feel for the kind of stuff I like. It can also help if there’s something above and beyond just a book on the line – for example, I still have fond memories of a PR from several years ago who sent me a hot water bottle to go with the book so I could get cosy while reading it.

What other blogs do you read?
I actually don’t tend to read many blogs myself, but I follow a lot of people on Goodreads and watch a lot of BookTube channels. In fact, I think quite a lot of people who follow my blog actually mostly get updates from my Goodreads account, because I cross-post all of my reviews both there and on Amazon.

Marcus Jaye is The Chic Geek, cult fashion blogging sensation and author of Fashion W*nkers, a new book celebrating fashion passion. For Marcus, the title is a badge of honour and the book covers the dos and don’ts of making your way in the confusing world of style.

We spoke to Marcus about his book, sustainability in the fashion world and how he likes to work with agencies and brands.

Note: surprisingly, this post contains swear words.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I’m a men’s style blogger under the guise of my alter ego, The Chic Geek. He’s got red hair and glasses, a bit like me, but is much better looking and funnier.

Can you tell us about your book?
My new book, ‘Fashion Wankers – It Takes One To Know One’, launches at the end of October.

Published by Ammonite, the idea is, in the age of Tom Ford’s ‘Fucking Fabulous’, ‘Eggslut’ and ‘Bollocks To Brexit’, the Fashion Wanker is the new fashionista. The truly stylish are the first to poke fun at themselves. It’s all about confidence and being able to laugh at yourself. It’s also a very British thing and what makes us leaders in fashion.

How did the book come about, did you pitch it or were you approached?
I pitched it. I had a previous book in 2011, but I wanted to write something new. This new book is for both sexes and looks at all the different contemporary Fashion Wankers there are and how you can be a better one. Being a fashion wanker is a good thing; a style badge of honour. I wanted to do something that was great for gifting and would put a smile on people’s faces. The world doesn’t need any more boring books.

What was the best part of bringing the book together?
Trying to squeeze all my silly and funny fashion sayings in and celebrating the ridiculousness of fashion, the reason I love it so much.

How important is social media to modern bloggers?
It’s important because it’s your voice. It’s also your ears and eyes to see what is going on in the world. The only negative is the obsession with numbers and vanity side of it.

How significant is waste and sustainability in the fashion world?
Fashion and sustainability are never going to be fully compatible, but there are many things to be done to reduce waste and close the loop on fashion waste and things that are no longer desired. People, brands and companies are making the right noises, but, like with everything, it will come down to the economics.

What’s your favourite item of clothing?
Ooh, that’s a tough one. I bob along on the fashion ocean and am always open to try new things. COS just gave me a trouser/half kilt combo, and, while I was slightly out of my comfort zone, I liked it.

If you had to give one piece of style advice, what would it be?
Don’t overthink it. Ask somebody who you trust and admire for advice. Sometimes it is about stopping wearing something – looking at you skinny jeans – rather than buying something new.

How do you work with brands and PRs?
I want to hear about everything. I particularly like things that are new and never been done before, especially in grooming. You can’t be rigid in this business. What I like/dislike today will be different this time next year. That’s what makes fashion and style exciting and exhausting…

What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
I really enjoy being able to come up with original concepts and ideas. The Chic Geek is over 10 years old now and I’ve done many collaborations over that time. The best ones are the ones which challenge you and start with a really strong idea. It helps if it’s fun too.

What other blogs do you read?
The men’s community is very supportive and we all see each other at events and launches. I like the ones who have a point of view and opinion and really say something (even if I disagree with it!).