Slappy Cakes - The Extended Version

Dear People,

I think I have already told you about this magical place: Slappy Cakes. It is in Portland. Now, your next question will automatically be, "Where in Portland? What neighborhood?" I cannot help you. You see, I was born without a sense of direction. I do not drive. I do not think about where I am in relation to the larger world. I do not know what the neighborhoods in Portland are called.

I do know this though: The Internet exists and by telling you the name of the restaurant: Slappy Cakes and the word Portland - you will be able to find everything you need.

Here is the most important thing: Slappy Cakes is a restaurant where your table is a griddle and you buy pancake batter by the squeeze-ey bottle and make your own effing pancakes at your table. 

SHUT UP!
I know.

I've been there twice. The first time I went, there was no one in the place but us. The next time I tried to go there, people were lined up outside waiting to get in. I should really stop telling people about this place but I just can't help myself.

These are my friends, Tim and Merritt. They were kind enough to drive me to Slappy Cakes at the crack of dawn. Look how excited Tim looks! p.s. Merritt has a baby inside of her.

This is my friend Marlo. She is also very excited!

This is the table that is also a griddle. Look at Merritt's belly!

We arrived with these other people - literally the moment they opened for the day.

My first pancake attempt. MONEY!

I go for the flip.

I bungle it.

I think this pancake was too complex for my first try.

PAC MAN!

BOOBS!

Unrelated, but these two Slappy Cakes customers cracked me up because they looked like an old married couple reading together at the table, but one of them is 5. Ha!

The end. (Tim wanted less kissed and more PANCAKES!!!)

Submitting your Work to Blogs, Summit of Awesome

I attended a bunch of session at The Summit of Awesome -a three day crafty conference held in Portland, OR a few weeks ago.

I was fortunate to meet Kim Werker from Mighty Ugly and Jena Coray from Modish. They co-led a session on how to submit your work to blogs. When you submit your work to mainstream magazines, keep in mind that submitting your work to magazines is a completely different beast from submitting work to online venues. The biggest difference is the amount of lead time lead time necessary for print venues. It takes months and months to get an issue to print so be sure to check their publication schedule.

If you want them to write a blurb about your work, send them information about what you do, your contact information and a great image. Convince the editor that your work will please their readers.

Press releases are overly formal and irrelevant these days. Be sure to keep everything short and to the point. Your goal is to make the editor's life easier. If your goal is to get more in depth coverage like an artist profile, you want to be an active participant in the community.

The best people to pitch at a magazine are the Assistant Editors. If you can't find contact information for them on the website or in the magazine, contact the Managing Editor to find out where to direct your inquiry.

You want to tailor your pitch to places that share the same aesethetic as your work. Don't send fabulous, edgy indie work to Martha Stewart. If you want to pitch your work to bloggers, make a list of your favorite 20 blogs in order of importance. Pitch your first choice first. Always address the blogger by name in your brief email. Send them a link to your website (always double-check that it works!) and most importantly: be casual and be yourself.

Don't bcc a bunch of people at once. Contact each blog or website in order of importance. Let them know if it will be original content and you have never been featured before. You should only contact multiple folks at once if they don't have the same readership. If you don't hear back after a week send a polite follow up email. Then, contact the next blog on your list.

Keep in mind that above all else, good photography is the #1 reason people get featured. Make sure you take the best pictures possible or hire a photographer. You can have the best product in the world,but if you submit terrible pictures, you will have a hard time getting people to take you seriously.

Now get out there and do it, peoples!

Location:14th Ave NW,Seattle,United States