Associate Editor Ashley Trent To Lead NYIGF New Buyer Seminars

posted by Mary Gerlach, associate editor

Talcott Publishing is pleased to announce that Associate Editor Ashley Trent will lead the New Buyer Orientations during The New York International Gift Fair, January 30-February 4, 2010. Along with GLM’s Buyer Services Representative Helen Overly, Ashley will provide tips and her own insight to help new buyers navigate the Fair, use the directory and make the most of their time at market. She’ll also answer industry-specific questions.

“During my career in publishing, I’ve covered it all,” says Ashley. “From home décor and gourmet to gifts and juvenile merchandise,” she adds “I’ve had a hand in everything. I’m excited about the chance to work with new buyers and generate excitement for the week ahead.”

“Talcott Publishing has a long-standing tradition of helping buyers at NYIGF not only before and after the show, but during as well. It’s always satisfying for us to lend any assistance we can in supporting the gift industry,” Publisher Daniel von Rabenau adds. He says that this winter, the company’s editors will be in Atlanta, New York, Las Vegas and Dallas, speaking formally and informally with buyers. “This helps us create a better magazine to serve the industry,” he said, “and it also helps buyers get our perspective, and take advantage of our experience in the industry.”

The New Buyer Orientations will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, January 30-February 3, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in room 1E04. The seminars are free of charge. To register for NYIGF, visit www.nyigf.com.

Anatomy Of A Cover

posted by Mary Gerlach, associate editor

[Ed. Note: Blogspot is a lil' fickle this morning, so the above cover looks blurry. Click here for a better view of the Dec/Jan cover a well as past covers.]


Creating the cover is one of my favorite tasks for each issue of Baby & Kids. I imagine each and every magazine has a different way of doing this, but I thought it would be fun to explain how we do it.

I continually gather images that might work for the cover. I look for amazing products as well as fun, engaging photography. It’s the Baby & Kids style to include two images of kids and one room scene on the cover so this provides a little guidance. I try to keep the images timed for buying, which is why the Dec/Jan issue has products for warmer months on the cover.

Once I have a few companies and images, our graphic designer Joanna and I talk about colors and what pictures work together and which don’t. This typically happens weeks before we finish the issue simply because Joanna has wonderful ideas, and I need to time to mull things over.

In fact, the bottom-right image on our Dec/Jan issue was a late substitution. Another company was slated for that spot on the cover. Although this company had great products, the photos just didn’t work out. Knowing what colors I had to work with, I remembered an e-mail from Cynthia at Blue Ridge International and Joanna slipped a stroller accessory in the third and final place.

As for the other images, I found Oilo at the ABC Kids Expo in September and absolutely loved the bedding. I’ve wanted to put furniture other than beds on the cover, so the chair in this image sealed the deal. I met the ladies from Polka Dot Tot Couture at the Atlanta Apparel Market. Once I heard their story and the concept behind the line, I knew I wanted to put them on the cover.

I get a ton of submissions for every issue, and I use about 25 percent of those. However, everything that comes through my In-Box is reviewed and filed away by category. Sometimes it’s weeks before I return to the cover folder to find new products, but I always love looking through the submissions; they’re my favorite.