Preparing for the National Stationery Show

The National Stationery Show (NSS) starts this Sunday! I'm so excited to be going again this year. My main objectives are to find story ideas and new products to share, find potential advertisers as well as stationery stores who would like to carry the magazine, and meet others in the industry and share their enthusiasm for our collective passion- pen, ink, paper, cards, mail, notebooks, journals and more. I have a checklist of items that I am bringing which includes:

• Business Cards
• Magazine Prototype
• Postcards featuring the prototype cover
• Stamps for mailing postcards
• Extra suitcase for all of the goodies (information packets, samples, catalogs)
• Camera
• Good walking shoes
• List of fun tourist things to do
• Notebook for ideas and business cards 
• Appointment calendar to make sure I keep the appointments I have set up

Wish me luck! Hopefully, I will see some of you there!
(Photo: Paper Patisserie in St. Paul, MN)

L&J's Newsletter named LetterNews

Letters & Journals ran a contest a few weeks ago to get some suggestions on what to name the weekly newsletter. We had a lot of wonderful and creative submissions and after a few weeks of gradually narrowing down the list, we decided to go with LetterNews.

LetterNews works on many levels. First of all, it's a play on newsletter, so that is highly appropriate. Secondly, the word letter is what makes up all of the words contained in your letters and journals. And finally, letters as in correspondence in the mail.

The lucky contributor is Ilona who most of you know as The Missive Maven. I emailed her the good news and she was just thrilled. For those of you who are curious, she chose the JetPens gift certificate. I'm sure she will share with all of you the updates and reviews of what she ends up buying with her new-found fortune.

The newsletter will start publishing at the end of this month. You can sign up at the L&J website if you want to get on this e-newsletter mailing list.

Letters & Journals Launches the New Website

Letters & Journals website has now launched! We've been working on this for months and are pleased and happy to unveil the new site this weekend.

Keep in mind that things are still new and being changed, added, removed, etc. as we find out what works and what doesn't. We're anxious to start on this new path getting us closer to the print magazine which is scheduled for publication sometime in 2011.

First, we need subscribers and advertisers, and we will actively be seeking both of these on the new website. We have some great contests and giveaways planned and hope you will join us and tell your friends!

We're also seeking relevant, interesting and entertaining content so if you have story ideas or links to other sites that you would like to recommend, please contact me.

Thanks to those of you who have been so vocal and positive in sharing your support for this concept. We're excited by your enthusiasm!

Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper

"The Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper is a traveling monthly collection of the best blog posts about notebooks, pens, pencils, paper products and anything else deemed relevant by the editors." explains Notebook Stories, the originator of the carnival. The editors are the various hosts who take turns publishing the monthly carnival.

Julie (Okami) will be hosting the tenth edition of the carnival at her blog, Whatever, on May 4, 2010. Last month's carnival was hosted by Notebook Stories, and the March carnival was hosted by Pocket Blonde.

Rules for submitting an article to be considered for the monthly publication can be found here and the submission form can be found here. Submissions are due the first Sunday of each month. The carnival is then posted two days later on Tuesday.

Just like finding fun and interesting blogs linked on the pages of the blogs you visit, having the monthly Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper, is a great way to find new articles and bloggers for the pen and paper enthusiast conveniently located in one place.

Fun Mail Sites

Here are some fun sites and blogs I've visited recently on Mail and Letter Writing. Enjoy!

This blogger has set up a stand for her Letter Writing Service. What a concept. Cute Photos!

Carolee and Jennie at Good Mail Day and Red Letter Day. I love their book and their blogs! If you like decorated envelopes and interesting mail, be sure to check them out.

The Art of the Letter writes about finding a book of collected letters of Isak Dinesen her local library.

The fun envelope in this post is from Postmuse. Isn't she talented? There is a matching card that came with the envelope, which I believe was from a calendar. She has a postcard project that is pretty cool and if you're willing to help out, you can visit her site for more information on that.

Making Plans to Attend the National Stationery Show

The 64th National Stationery Show takes place in New York May 16-19, 2010. The annual trade show will have over 9,000 exhibitors and 12,000 industry related visitors- including me! Letters & Journals is looking for story ideas, new products to feature as well as finding potential advertisers for the magazine.

There will be vendors from various industries such as pen, ink, stationery, cards, gift wrap, home office products, calendars, etc. The Letters & Journals blog will update daily from the show just like last year. Here are the entries from the 2009 National Stationery Show.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Name the Newsletter and Get a $50 Amazon Gift Card

Letters & Journals will have a weekly newsletter and I'd like it to have its own name. I will pay the person who submits the chosen name a $50 Amazon gift card OR a $50 Jet Pens gift card.  You decide. Here are a few ideas that are close, but not quite right.

Notebook News
Pen & Ink Newsletter
Weekly Inkling (already taken)

Since it's for both letters and journals, it's too limiting to have something like Letter Writers' Weekly or The Journal Keeper.

As a last resort, I will go with Letters & Journals Weekly or Letters & Journals Newsletter. But I would prefer to have a newsletter with its own brand.

You can email me Jackie or leave a comment. You can help by spreading the word too. Thanks!
(Image was obtained here.)