Have you ever come across a blog that just reaches out and makes a connection with you? Well, that's how it was for me when I found Holiday with Matthew Mead. I have been following Matthew's career for a few years, via the magazine world, and when I stumbled onto this great book-a-zine project, I just knew it would be a success. Luckily we were able to create a friendship with Holiday with Matthew Mead, and now we get to travel down the bloggy brick road together....and keep reading, there's a GIVEAWAY down there...
Matthew is super busy interviewing Nie this week, but has been so kind and answered a few questions for the Blog Guidebook. Thank you Matthew and your lovely partners in Holiday land.
BGB: How long have you been blogging about Holiday?
Matthew: We added a blogging component to our HOLIDAY website so that readers could follow along with us as we produce the magazine and feel part of the experience. Our blog is also a way to include the blogging community. We host frequent giveaways and contests, with many designed to actually include as many bloggers and artists as possible in the pages of the magazine. It is more of a collaborative process – one designed to showcase the online community in a way that really hasn’t been done before.
Linda MacDonald, the Executive Editor of HOLIDAY is a blogger herself, and she really made it her goal to show loyalty to the online community. She knows that it can be difficult to share one’s work and voice within the magazine industry, so ensuring that the blogosphere is included is something she really feels strongly about, as do we. We have discovered so many wonderfully talented and sharing individuals through blogging and we are hooked on continuing to spotlight the online community and providing a connection between it and the publishing industry.
BGB: Are there bloggers who inspire you?
Matthew: Linda of Restyled Home, of course...mostly because she fun and stylish and reached out to me and we became fast friends. I do follow some other blogs as well and am always eager to see what these talented people are doing. We have a great blog panel for our magazine...and also love Curious Sofa, the Bedlam of Beefy, Decor 8, Koralee and many others.
BGB: How do you advertise your blog?
Matthew: We are in a unique position as we are selling a product ( the magazine) via our blog/site. We try to think outside the box and have decided that mutual promotion with other websites and bloggers is a win-win approach to advertising. We ask readers who would like us to add their blog link and/or button to our blogroll page to add our button to their blog sidebar and it has been a fun way to discover other blogs, many which we “keep an eye on” as we continue to add to our list on interesting blogs to someday shine the spotlight on via our publications. We are currently also working on a decorating magazine and have a decorating magazine and two books in development, too. So we appreciate readers sharing their talents and passions with us. Who knows when we might be knocking on their door to share something in print?
BGB: What do you think the future of blogging will be?
Matthew: Blogging is rich with possibilities and links to so many other things. It is our future and really helps us navigate style in a daily, seasonal way that you just couldn’t do before. And for me, it helps to engage my readers between publications.
BGB: Which blogs do you read often? Any favorites?
Matthew: Many of the ones I listed above.. they keep me updated on life, seasonality, great things to eat and amazing new artists and color palettes.
BGB: What are you currently working on?
Matthew: So much coming up for us..books, magazines, reality television and product lines..the blogs have really supported me in this tougher economy and I have a much more direct link to my readers because of them..blogging is the best!
And as I mentioned, we host many contests and our next BIG ONE is a chance to have a reader’s holiday home photographed by me and Jenny and featured as a spread in the upcoming issue of Holiday! It is a very exciting opportunity for those who feel their home is “magazine worthy” but may never get the chance to submit photos which will actually be seen by editors of a magazine. The contest begins on June 15th, so watch our blog to find out all of the details then!
BGB: Matthew, thank you so much for taking time to offer up this great information to the blogging community. It's always a pleasure hearing from you! Good luck in Arizona!
MORE INFORMATION ON HOLIDAY WITH MATTHEW MEAD:
Holiday with Matthew Mead is a book-azine that encompasses the traditions, celebrations and magic that is the holiday season. With 144 pages of holiday inspiration - featuring well-known and admired designers, bloggers and top-notch stories - and printed on beautiful paper (while not drowning in ads!), Holiday with Matthew Mead is part book/part magazine - a publication that you will keep from year to year and add to your collection of holiday decorating, crafting and cooking magazines and books.
And Holiday with Matthew Mead has the very best guests!! Everyone’s sweetheart, Stephanie Nielson and her adorable family will be in featured in Holiday in a VERY special way.
HOLIDAY with Matthew Mead is being sold exclusively online. You will not find Holiday on newsstands! Sold by pre-order only; HOLIDAY will be shipped directly to your mail box in October, 2010. So, head over to their secure shopping cart and check-out and put the kettle or coffee pot on and get ready to curl up with some seasonal inspiration, in plenty of time to beat the holiday rush!
In addition, if you are a handmade artist or small shop owner, HOLIDAY has truly affordable advertising opportunities for you within its pages. Check out their ad rates HERE, and also information about how you can win a full page ad for your product or business! If you host occasional sales, and would like them advertised in HOLIDAY, Matthew and his team offer affordable rates for those ads, too. Check out the rates HERE.
Most exciting of all, Matthew and his team will also be hosting a contest, beginning on June 15th, for a chance to have your holiday home featured in the pages of the upcoming HOLIDAY with Matthew Mead. Matthew will come and shoot the winning home this summer and it will be featured as a spread in the magazine!
Be sure to check out their blog for details…coming soon!
_____________________________
Holiday with Matthew Mead has a signed copy of the Holiday book-a-zine reserved for one lucky winner here on the Blog Guidebook. The winner will also receive two months of free ad space for their blog on the Holiday with Matthew Mead blog! What a great giveaway!!!
(Please note: winner will not receive Holiday until it is published, some time in October, 2010).
TO ENTER: Read our rules here and come back to the post to leave a comment with your name and e-mail address. Entry time has been EXTENDED!!! You can still enter this giveaway through June 7th.
_____________________________
Sue Aflague headbandlady@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWendy @ alankormsby@yahoo.com---love that Mr. Mead!
ReplyDeleteHow fun!! i am already a follower!!
ReplyDeletesuzannebake@gmail.com
Jayme C: jaytensen@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the blogging world.
I already follow Matthew and love his blog...would love a chance to win this! thanks!
ReplyDeleteI oh so want to win this!!!! In the worst way. Love Matthew Mead, I've been following him for years.
ReplyDeletecrystal farish
crystalfarish@yahoo.com
I have heard SO many great things about Matthew! Can't wait for this upcoming HOLIDAY!!! (And I LoVe the look of this blog!)
ReplyDeletepolly wood
p-dove@hotmail.com
This is a great giveaway to kick off your series! I would love to win this book, and as for ad space? Bonus! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win. I can't wait to see what else you guys have in store this month! (I'm a follower of both BGB and Matthew's.)
ReplyDeleteKelly aka Shorty
www.shortyssutures@gmail.com
Hi, I follow both :-)
ReplyDeleteA great giveaway...Thanks Anu
www.mydreamcanvas.blogspot.com
Joey Hansen
ReplyDeletejoey.hansen@gmail.com
I am a follower of this blog and Holiday and would so love to be included in this give away.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/
Would love to win Matthew's book - he is the best.
ReplyDeleteI am a follower of Matthew's.
masperle@austin.rr.com
Just spent some time reading on Matthew's blog. Can't wait for book-a-zine to come out. Left a comment.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
bellablog@shabbycreations.com
I would so love to win this. I've been admiring Matthew's blog ever since NieNie introduced us to him via her blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome prize! Thanks for the chance :)
ReplyDeletepoetees@gmail.com
He's fabulous! I'd kill for this! I even blogged about it already! And I'm a follower. Kathleen at loveyoumoredesigns@rocketmail.com
ReplyDeleteOh, this would be so fun to win!
ReplyDeleteOh I have already been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book! Can't wait! carriestroud@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMarci Hansen
ReplyDeletetm21hansen@gmail.com
Great opportunity - Thank you!