–I recently made a new portfolio magazine via Blurb (you can preview the entire magazine below). I find the method vastly superior to sending photos or tear-sheets to galleries, which can seem outdated in today’s more sophisticated environment. The price per 11″ x 8.5″ magazine is remarkably reasonable. I got twenty 24 page copies for $143 ($7.15 per copy which included shipping). I had a 20% off coupon but even without the coupon, it is a good price. The printing quality is exceptional.
I have tried Blurb’s online magazine creator but found it buggy. I much prefer making a document in InDesign and uploading a PDF. Just be sure you upload each page separately (I always try to upload as spreads and it never works. When you upload you get a warning what you did wrong so you can go back and correct your PDF).
I plan to make a series of stickers via Moo and attach them to the envelope to make a presentation that will hopefully get opened and not thrown into the trash. With so many vying for gallery attention, it’s important to get managers to actually open your mailers. I initially wanted to send the magazines in transparent envelopes with an address sticker on the front with a return address, to more fully showcase the cover image. But I have yet to find anything that might work. If you know of a clever way to show what is inside the 9″ x 12″ envelope please leave a comment below.
Brad Teare –February 2018
Magazine Cover: Summer Hills, 48″ x 48″, oil on canvas, available at Anthony’s Fine Art
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Updated: 4th March 2025
