Interview: Sarah-Jane Adams – Editor, Journalist and Web-designer

For such a young woman, Sarah-Jane Adams has sure got her skates on. Take a peek at her resume and you will see that she is a regular contributor to a whole host of print and online publications, something which ought to be commended considering the difficulties associated with breaking into the writing industry. But Sarah-Jane takes it all in her stride, maintaining a pro-active approach to a career that has seen her recognised for her creative talent and ability to tap into a variety of audiences, no matter how full her plate is. And plate might be an understatement (perhaps tray is a better word?), because Sarah-Jane has actually taken her writing and media know-how and established herself as the go-to source for young creatives – penning a weekly Trespass column on succeeding in business as a Gen Y’er, and currently working on a series of e-books to help said creatives really break into their dream creative jobs. In fact, Sarah-Jane works on making such dream jobs happen in more ways than one, espeically with regards to her work with Creative Vanity, a web-design, media and marketing agency which she herself established. Truth be told, I seriously debated running Sarah-Jane as my interview subject for the fashion-themed week because she obviously does a whole lot more than write about fashion. But considering this woman is really going for her dreams and her career, with no hint of a stop sign in sight, I really wanted you guys to be inspired by her work ethic just as much as I am. I guess Sarah-jane proves that you can never spread yourselves too thin, or maybe, all that writing for fashion has given her the ability to handle said spreading with the flair that she writes about. Hope you enjoy the interview, and don’t forget to check out her website www.sarahjaneadams.com for more information. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to cower in a corner in shame after chatting to this journalist, business-mind, and brand-extraordinaire  ;p  

Tell us a little about your wordsmith career path so far:

Well I began with a degree in Fashion Promotion, specialising in fashion journalism, and whilst at university I dabbled in my own online publication.  The brand rapidly took off, and I used the kudos associated with it to move into freelancing.  I wanted to also continue owning a business, so I developed Creative Vanity, a web design agency which specialises in accessible and affordable marketing solutions for talents in the fashion and music industries.

You have a very impressive portfolio of work, and a host of regular columns as a fashion editor and journalist for a number of online and print publications around the world. How do you manage to stay on top of things?

Thanks, that’s so kind!  I wish I knew!  I try and work as much in advance as I can, and in bulk, and that tends to keep me sane.  Just. 

Tell us about why you established Cause a Scene magazine, and what opportunities that provided for you?

Well Cause a Scene started life as an indie fashion community called Fashion Central, and an accompanying magazine was born from demand.  It morphed into Cause a Scene as our teenage audience boomed, and we moved into covering the scene culture and online celebrity that was taking off at the time.  Soon the pinnacles of these circles, such as Audrey Kitching, Christine Dolce, Raquel Reed, etc, were all being featured by the mag, with exclusive spreads created for us by these amazing Hollywood photographers.  It really gave me the chance to meet hundreds of top industry insiders, fast track my contacts and abilities, and to learn all of the tools and business knowledge which I use now.

Do you find it challenging to vary your output when you have such a large and diverse demand [in terms of publications]?

Not really.  Once you’ve fully researched a publication, you should start to understand its voice, and you build a mental image of a typical reader, who you try and speak to at their level.  I love moving from tabloid, to high fashion, to debate, to urban, ensuring that my portfolio has something for everyone.  I think that in order to be a successful journalist, it’s essential to be able to vary your tone for different readerships; the more adaptable you are, the more work you can take on, and the more areas you can venture into.

How do you find the freelance lifestyle? Most freelancers tend to comment about being able to work their own hours, or work in their PJ’s all day. Is that something that appeals to you, or do you tend to structure your day around a routine to keep you more productive?

(Laughs) I’ve heard about this mythical life of the freelance writer, ruled by languid pyjama days spent in the name of ‘writer’s block’, but unfortunately I’ve yet to witness it for myself.   To me, being self employed means working more, not less, so I’m not sure where the myth of being able to structure freelancing around your own hours comes from.  Perhaps I just work too much!

Do you feel that writing fashion columns is a good way to separate yourself from your more demanding journalistic roles?

(Laughs) That’s a dangerous question!  No, I think that if you viewed writing a fashion column as taking it easy compared to other forms of journalism, then you’d be mistaken and the work would suffer.  Obviously fashion journalism isn’t reporting from a war zone or the like, but I give the same importance to each piece I write, whatever the topic, and you still need to have a great deal of knowledge and research to pull it off.  If someone’s paying my bills, whether they’re a fashion publication or a broadsheet, their articles all deserve the same level of attention, so no, there’s no separating work into easier or less demanding categories for me. [I think I actually phrased this question wrong. For me, writing fashion/girly reads is a lot more fun because it let's me go in a little bit of a different direction and put some of my personality/personal taste in the story, but Sarah-Jane answered my tricky question excellently anwyay!]

What is a typical day (or week, since you do so much) in the life of Sarah-Jane Adams?

Every day is completely different.  My week is somewhat structured according to the fact that I have a different column going live each week day, so they have some regular demands and activities attached, but aside from that it entirely depends on the types of bookings Creative Vanity has, and the communications and requests I’ve received.  I’d say my time is split between a) the physical work of writing, designing columns, web design and marketing projects, b) the admin involved in emails, evaluating submissions, returning requests for interview or advice etc, and c) the branding needed to keep getting my name out there, pitching, updating my website and fan pages and promoting hard!

The media industry, and the fashion industry especially, is very competitive. Did you find it difficult to establish contacts that enabled you to get some freelance work?

It is very competitive, but everybody knows somebody, and you have to capitalise on that when you’re starting out.  When I was in the earliest throws of journalism, I quite easily managed to attract the attention of lots of high profile individuals and companies who realistically shouldn’t have had the slightest interest in what I was doing at that stage, but I guess that’s the power of a good pitch for you!  If I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t even have tried to make contact with those people, and I’d have missed out.  Who dares wins!

Did you consult any mentors or guides to make the process a little easier?

No, I’m a huge advocate of the virtues of being self taught, and whilst I can see the potential merits of having a mentor, I’d rather make my own path.

You’ve established yourself as quite a brand. How does it feel to be breaking so much career ground at such a young age?

Thank you!  That always sounds like such a strange question, because I feel like I haven’t really even started yet!  As far as I’m concerned there are so many young entrepreneurs out there doing amazing things, and as long as I can build a self sufficient, sustainable brand over the next couple of years I’ll be happy.

With regards to your fashion roles, do you work from home, or do you go into the offices of the publications you work on? Either way, do you feel like you have to keep your image constantly in check as a reflection of the fact that you are essentially bringing the latest in style to your audiences?

It varies, sometimes you’ll be required to attend meetings or shoots, and sometimes you can submit externally.  I do put an emphasis on making sure I have some decent images floating around; if people are going to be interested in Sarah-Jane Adams the brand, rather than just an article written by somebody called Sarah-Jane Adams, then they need to be up to speed with my look.  But when you’re working on a set, those creating the glamour are rarely dolled up to the nines, and you can relax.

In addition to your varied portfolio, you also keep a blog. How do you think that enhances the overall writing experience? What purpose does the blog serve for you personally, and to your audience?

Well my blog is more low key, as it’s essentially just the news component of my website, so it’s more ‘I’ve just done this’, and ‘check this out here’ rather than articles and so forth.  The magazine creator inside me always has plans for a full blog with interviews and interesting ways to take my writing out on the open road, but essentially it’s an issue of time, and right now my blog is a very practical method of promoting my projects, and allowing my audience to keep up to date with my latest published pieces.  I’ve hooked my blog up to Facebook, so that my posts are also automatically published there, and that’s been a great tool for keeping my followers in the loop.

Tell us about your work on Flair Now Magazine [where Sarah-Jane is the editor-in-chief].

Well Flair Now was founded by renowned agency The Model’s Portal, and they took their expertise in photography and casting to create a high end publication.  When Marcus approached me to be involved, I was thrilled, as the standard is of such high quality.  The exciting part for me is that I create the direction of the articles, linking the text with the visuals, and giving the planned shoots life and a story.  We’re currently working on the third instalment, and the initial graphics are already looking spectacular.  www.flairnow.com

The fashion world is fickle and ever-changing. How do you stay in the loop with the goings on in the fashion world to keep your readers up-to-date in your work?

Well working in fashion can often be disorientating because you’re a season or more ahead.  Some publications will need your stories so far in advance that it’s essential to be completely up to speed with the tools of trend prediction, whereas some are more instant and will request a report on what a celebrity was seen wearing yesterday.  Really it’s just important to absorb as much as you can; read everything, sign up to mailing lists, browse websites and watch your blog roll, and podcasts are a great way to take in information on the move or in some spare moments.  Even following celebrities or industry heads on Twitter and Facebook can keep you in the loop and show emerging patterns.

You also offer up marketing, copywriting, and web-designing services. How important to you is diversifying yourself as a brand, and how do you do it?

For me, being a brand is key, as the total of your sum parts becomes greater, and you add value to your work.  My skills feed into each other, and I always try to make sure that any new areas I venture into make sense with my branding.  If I suddenly went off an started my own range of bottled waters, that would be a little out there, but journalism, pr and web design all work well together.

You have a regular gig as a business columnist on Trespass Magazine. What are some of the things you write about, and why? How important is business for a self-employed creative?

Nowadays I think it’s as important as the actual creative talent you’re trying to sell.  If you’re not savvy with pitching and the basics of marketing, you’re going to lose a lot of ground to those who are.  The time of waiting to be discovered is dead; if you’re a musician, designer, model, or whatever, it’s expected for you to get online and sell yourself, and to make it happen.  Not everyone will understand the processes of PR and branding, and that’s why columns like the one offered by Trespass are so important; it’s free, understandable advice that you can see instant results from.

What are some of your fashion must-reads?

I love Jill Sherman’s blog Trend de la Crème, it’s absolutely hilarious, and she has such a witty turn of phrase and eye for an usual story.  I also regularly check in with PR super power PR Couture, where I can also be seen contributing upon their panel of fashion industry insiders, and N.E.E.T Magazine is one of the original and best examples of an indie ezine you can find.

Do you think that aspiring wordsmiths who would like to specialise in fashion journalism should do anything additional to understand the industry better. Or is writing and an interest in fashion sufficient?

I think it’s important to do a vocational course in the area of fashion, so that you come to the market with specialist knowledge.  There are plenty of art schools or creative universities that offer either full fashion degrees, foundation courses, or even evening classes, so try one of these in replacement of or in addition to general journalism studies.  You could also try some unpaid work experience; magazines can be trickier to get in with if you’re not in specialist education, but don’t overlook PR or modelling agencies, who will offer you ground level experience of the industry, and often have a lot of velvet rope access you won’t find elsewhere.  Having said that, it’s not impossible for people to find themselves with a journalistic hit on their hands with no formal training, so start blogging, modelling, presenting, whatever you can do to get a foot in the door.

Why should Wordsmith Lane readers consider your web services for their self-publishing endeavours?

Well Creative Vanity is designed with those such as Wordsmith Lane readers in mind; creative talents who want to access an affordable and friendly service, without compromising on a high end result.  Our process is so quick and straight forward, and we have a fixed price of £249 for bespoke flash web design, which would set you back thousands elsewhere.  Aside from these obvious incentives, you can also be safe in the knowledge that you’re in the hands of someone who understands marketing, has extensive experience in the creative industries, and knows what works for online promotion inside out.  Alongside web design we also offer social networking services and designs, marketing tools such as mailing list graphics and press release copy, and image retouch, all at prices which are immediately achievable for independent businesses.

Tell us about your upcoming range of e-books for self-employed creatives. Why must we be on high-alert for them, and what can we expect to find in them?

This is a project I’m really excited about getting stuck into, which involves the creation of a set of ebooks designed to offer instruction and advice to those looking to break into or advance in various creative sectors.  I’ve found that my tutorial articles on entrepreneurialism have become very popular, and I felt it was time to capitalise on this knowledge.  The guides will cover a variety of essential topics for building a successful career, and will be overflowing with tips, shortcuts and advice from celebrities  and high profile models, editors, DJs and entrepreneurs who’ve all been there and done it, and whose words are like gold dust!  The wheels are in motion right now, so if you’d like to receive details of when these books launch, send your details to sarahjane@sarahjaneadams.com, or keep an eye on creativevanity.com

Can the Wordsmith Lane audience have a sneak peek at your goals list?

My next stage is going to be a big push on Creative Vanity; we’ve been employing a stealth approach for the last couple of months to make sure everything fits and that everything is viable, so now we’re ready to take it to the next level and really let everyone know about the services we’re offering, because it’s already received a lot of interest with minimal exposure.  Alongside that I’ll be pitching for some bigger and better freelance positions, and continuing work on the ebooks.

What advice would you offer to aspiring bloggers, freelancers and wordsmiths who want to follow a similar career path?

Know what you’re talking about, never underestimate anyone, and be prepared to work double the hours for half the pay for a very long time. 

Ten in the Hot Seat:

1.       Describe yourself in one word: Ambitious

2.       Biggest accomplishment to date:  Appearing on Wordsmith Lane

3.      You wish you wrote: The Bible.  That’s a bestseller right?

4.       Can’t leave home without: IPod

5.       One thing you are currently writing: The answers to this and an interview for my university alumni magazine. How famous am I.

6.       First thing you wrote: A series of novelettes about a family of coloured blobs called The Grumps when I was very tiny.  Available in all good bookstores soon.

7.       Addicted to reading:  about WW1

8.       Top spot on your goals list:  To be on the panel of Dragon’s Den

9.        If you were a character in a novel, you’d be: Charlie in his chocolate factory please.

10.      The best thing about being a wordsmith: is that you get to use phrases such as ‘wordsmith.’