Getting to Know: Jana Holstein

I've been lucky to work with Jana Holstein, managing editor of four amazing Stampington magazines: Somerset Memories, Somerset Digital Studio, Art Doll Quarterly and  Somerset Apprentice. 

Photo courtesy of Jana Holstein

From her first email, I felt totally embraced by this wonderfully talented woman. She is not only kind, well-organized and intelligent, but she is also thoughtful, authentic and easy-going. Then, I had the pleasure of meeting her in person and everything I thought about her proved to be true. It was an absolute pleasuring spending time with her. I knew when I heard her story of how she became involved with Stampington, that it needed to be shared with others. I love her positivity and her can-do attitude. May it be an inspiration to you in reaching your lofty goals. 

On with the interview!

BK: Please tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up?

JH: I’m a mid-western girl, born & raised in Illinois. I grew up in Rockford, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago. My mom was a stay-at-home mother; my dad the production superintendant at a local factory. Two and a half years after my parents adopted me, they adopted my sister, Lee Ann, rounding out our perfect little family. Lee Ann & I remain extremely close. I had a wonderful “Leave It to Beaver” childhood. After high school, I attended Western Illinois University and graduated in 1977 with an education degree in Home Economics. Two weeks later, I married my husband, Mike. We’ll celebrate 35 years of marriage on June 11, 2012! 

As “corporate gypsies”, Mike & I have lived all over the United States – Oconomowoc, WI; St. Joseph, MI; San Antonio, TX; Herndon, VA; Dakota Dunes, SD; and now Mission Viejo, CA. We’ve lived here 12 years and plan to stay! We love California. 

We have two children: Jason, 31, who is in marketing & business development, and Christina, 28, who is an industrial designer. Christina has been married for 2½ years. Both our children live near us here in Southern California. No grandkids yet, but I do have a grand-kitty from Jason, and a grand-puppy from Christina and her husband Preston. 

BK: Please tell me the story of how you got involved with Stampington. (I know my readers will LOVE to hear it!) What Stampington publications are you editing? Which one is your favorite? Which one is the most challenging? Why?

JH: The story of how I ended up working at Stampington … well, I guess it was fate. I was working on a scrapbook for Jason and looking online for supplies when I came across Stampington & Company. I’d never heard of them before, so I spent some time looking over their site and realized they were located in Laguna Hills, California … only 10 minutes from where I lived. A banner on their site said they were hiring for an editorial position. I’d been a freelance writer for years, but with my kids both in college, the idea of working in a real brick and mortar company and interacting with people face-to-face every day appealed to me. So I thought, “What the heck,” spiffed up my resume and sent it off. I was hired as an Assistant Editor, and then became an Associate Editor. When the position for Managing Editor of Somerset Memories opened up, it was offered to me. It’s snowballed from there and I now manage 4 titles. 

I don’t really have a favorite because they’re all so different. Digital Studio can be the most challenging because I have to do so much back and forth with the artists regarding images. Not everyone is familiar with the image sizes we need for print publication. They need to be much larger than for a blog or website. But wow, the magazine always turns out so beautiful when it’s all put together. Our art department here is amazing. 

BK: Tell me about a typical work day at the Stampington offices.

1.  

JH: I start my day by going through my emails & trying to get caught up with correspondence. After that, there really is no typical day. Everything depends on where we are in the cycle of our magazines. In addition to Somerset Memories, I’m the managing editor of Somerset Digital Studio, Somerset Apprentice, and Art Doll Quarterly, so I am constantly juggling one publication or another. 

The life of a magazine starts with submissions coming in, then a rigorous art selection process, followed by deciding which works of art could be developed into articles, which fall into certain categories (like in Somerset Memories we have the Family Album, a Special Book Section and the Virtual Gallery where we show digital layouts). Once the art is chosen I contact the artists, and set up an appointment with our photography department. Once the articles come in, I do the first round of formatting and editing them. Next, the copy & images are turned over to our art department where our designers begin the magic of putting everything together. During this time, we continually edit, edit, edit. Each editor here reads every other editor’s magazine, so that for each publication we finish, all editors have proofread it. Once the magazine is complete and shipped off to our printers, I tie up loose ends like sending the compensation list to accounting so the artists who wrote articles get paid and complimentary copies are set to be mailed out. Finally, our art management department processes the art to be returned to the artists. Then it starts all over again. I typically work on one publication at a time, but there are a few months when I have two in production at the same time so it can get pretty hectic! We have a wonderful team here though, and we all work together to help each other as much as we can. 

BK: How do you choose artwork for your publications? What do you look for? Are you looking for any specific trends right now? How do you find artwork? Does everything come in via email and snail mail or do you actively search for new artists?

 

JH: First and foremost, the art has to be stunning, artistic, well executed and have that “wow” factor. We’re always looking for new cutting-edge techniques. Work comes in both ways  ̶ some are emailed submissions with attached images and some are mailed directly to our offices. If we see something we like sent electronically, we ask the artist to send it into us. And yes, we are always actively searching for new work and new artists. We do a lot of online recruiting by blog surfing, and through Etsy, Pinterest and Flickr.

 

1.      BK: Do you have any advice for upcoming editors? Upcoming artists who want to be published?

JH: My best advice is my personal mantra, “Never give up.” Work hard, prepare well, do your research and go for it. If you want to be published, you have to submit. If your work isn’t selected right away, keep at it. Read our magazines, look at what gets published, take workshops, or online classes. And most importantly, keep trying.

 BK: Once published, what can artists do to maintain a good relationship with the editor?

JH: Follow directions. Send your work in clearly labeled with the inspiration for it, techniques, and credits attached, as well as your full name, address and email information. Please understand that editors are very busy and may not get back to you right away. I try to always answer emails within a week’s time. And continue submitting! If selected to write an article, do your best to stay within the word count we give you, don’t use fancy fonts, and ask questions if anything seems unclear. 

BK: With the increase of ezines, where do you see the print magazine industry heading?

JH: We’re getting more involved in our online exposure, but I don’t ever see our magazines going totally electronic. There’s something very special about the textural feel of a printed magazine, turning the pages, earmarking a page... Many of our artists have bookshelves filled with our issues and return to them time and time again. After all, what’s better than curling up with a hot cup of tea and flipping through the latest issue of Somerset Memories?

BK: How do you deal with the pressure and time-crunches at work? Do you have specific tips for busy women to stay sane? How do you maintain balance?

JH: Personally, I start every day with some quiet time at home in prayer and meditation. Then I grab a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. (I can’t do it online. To me, there’s something sacred about walking outside every morning to get the paper.) In order to deal with work pressure and time-crunches, I make a daily to-do list and try to stick to it. Sometimes I succeed; many times I don’t, but I do my best and know that there’s always tomorrow. I stay sane by having a busy life outside of work. I have a wonderful husband who is very supportive. We travel often, gather with friends often, have date nights, and both try to leave work at the office on Friday nights.

BK: What are your creative pursuits outside of editing and writing? Are you an artist? If so, how do you maintain your own style while working so closely with other artists?

JH: Outside of work I love to read, spend time with friends and family, travel, and cook. I dabble in simple jewelry and occasional mixed-media pieces, and get this: I just made my first two art dolls!

Photo taken from Jana Holstein's facebook page. Isn't she lovely?

  BK: Tell us about some of the challenges in your life and how they've shaped your character today.

 

JH: As I mentioned earlier, Mike & I have moved a lot. At first it was scary, but as I matured I’ve come to realize that it helped me learn to be resilient, more outgoing, make friends, and “bloom where I was planted.” We’ve lived in a lot of wonderful cities and I love it when I end up publishing an artist who lives in a place where I once did. 

BK: What do you feel is your greatest personal accomplishment? 

JH: Learning to be comfortable in my own skin. I finally feel — at the ripe old age of 57 — that I’ve become the woman I always meant to be. And the fact that my husband and I have raised two caring wonderful children who are kind, tolerant, loving, compassionate members of society.

BK: If you weren't working for Stampington, what would you be doing now?

JH: I’d be writing that book I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time to pursue! And I’d be doing volunteer work with a literacy program, helping children in need or women facing personal challenges.

BK: Anything else you'd like to add?

JH: I’d just like to reiterate my philosophy to “Never ever give up.” Whether you’re facing a personal challenge, striking out on a new career, trying a new creative pursuit, or just trying to balance work, family, and art … remember that if things aren’t going the way you’d like, you can always “hit reset” and begin again.

I firmly believe that there are absolutely no coincidences in life. Everything is in divine order and happens because it is meant to. 

Thank you so much, Jana for this opportunity to get to know you better! You are an amazing woman and we will all benefit from your advice and experience. 

Now, it is your chance, wonderful readers! If you have any questions for Jana, please leave them in a comment and we'll have a follow-up later this month.