Archive for April, 2010
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Calling out all budding Gillian Duffy’s, Have you had it with Labour? LONDON PHOTOSHOOT £100 PLUS TRAVEL THIS SATURDAY.
£50 FINDERS FEE
The Sun Newspaper is looking for stories of people who have been failed by Labour. If you know anyone who has suffered from the case studies below please let us know.
Please be quick the weekend is fast approaching
The case studies we’re looking for are…
· A parent who has lost a child in Afghanistan.
· Someone who has lost a child in street violence – probably through a stabbing.
· Someone who was made redundant during the credit crunch.
· Someone whose business went under during the credit crunch.
· Someone who had their home repossessed.
· Someone whose child left school without the 3Rs or someone who did so themselves.
· Someone who can’t afford the fuel duty when they fill up with petrol.
Thursday, 29th April 2010
Monday, April 26th, 2010
We urgently need these stories right now…. (see story requests below).
Simply visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to be in any of these real life stories or features. Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk).
You can also get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider. Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story now.
Updated Daily
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Person or Story Wanted: Britain’s Got Talent Stories.
Where the story/article will appear: National Newspaper.
More info: We are looking for any information about this year’s Britain’s Got Talent contestants. We will pay for any scrap of information, no matter how small. Get in touch now.
Person or Story Wanted: Strong real lives for the women’s pages.
Where the story/article will appear: National Newspaper Real-Life Stories.
More info: We are looking for $exy, edgy, topical real life stories for the Women’s pages to put out to the national editors this week. Uplifting is better but nothing too soft.
Person or Story Wanted: A woman whose addiction to looking like a celebrity ruined her life.
Where the story/article will appear: Magazine True Story Section.
More info: We are looking for young women who have spent a lot of time and money trying to look like their favourite celebrity, eg by having a lot of cosmetic surgery such as having a boob job to look like Katie Price, lip injections to look like Angelina, or anything else quite extreme. We need someone whose obsession has ruined their life in some way; eg got them heavily in to debt because they spent so much on surgery, it ended their relationship because their boyfriend was jealous of the attention she got from men, she stopped getting work as a professional lookalike because the star she copied was hated, etc.
Person/Story criteria: Female, aged 18-38. Willing to be photographed.
Person or Story Wanted: IVF mix up Stories.
Where the story/article will appear: National Newspaper Story.
More info: We are looking for any IVF mix up stories.
Person or Story Wanted: Looking for a woman who found ‘Mr Right’ while she was pregnant.
Where the story/article will appear: Women’s Magazine – True Life Story Section.
More info: Looking for a woman who found ‘Mr Right’ while she was pregnant. She may have been single when she was expecting through to a split, bereavement or having got used AI or similar because she didn’t want to wait for Mr Right to have children. Will want her partner/husband to comment too on how the experience was for him, meeting her under the circumstances.
Person/Story criteria: Ideally they are still together and may even have had children together since.
Person or Story Wanted: A woman (aged 25-55) whose marriage ended after she became more successful then her husband.
Where the story/article will appear: Women’s Magazine – True Life Story Section.
More info: For example, he had an affair to boost his ego after she got a promotion/payrise at work or her career success made him insecure and was the reason their relationship ended. Please note that we can credit the subject’s business at the end of the piece.
Person or Story Wanted: Women who have been severely affected by post natal depression
Where the story/article will appear: Newspaper story.
More info: Case studies to be approx 18-35 years old.
Person or Story Wanted: Victims of crime who are outraged by the sentencing their attacker received.
Where the story/article will appear: Woman’s Weekly – Real Life Story Section.
More info: We are working on a feature about people who’ve suffered a terrible crime and been appalled by their attackers’ jail sentence.
Person/Story criteria: Ideally family members. Would need to be female and aged 18-40, but this can be adapted depending on how strong the story is.
Person or Story Wanted: Woman who waited until her children were in their late teens before she divorced her husband.
Where the story/article will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.
More info: We’re looking for a woman to talk about having waited until her children were in their late teens before divorcing her husband, in the belief that it would be less damaging to them.
Person or Story Wanted: Young women who have been humiliated on Facebook, or the internet, or in other ways, by an ex.
Where the story/article will appear: Magazine Article.
More info: We are looking for case studies who have had their reputations ruined by a malicious ex. We would want to interview her/him about how this affected her/him, and they would need to be identified.
Person/Story criteria: Female, aged 18-38, willing to be ID’d.
Person or Story Wanted: Women who have had their lives ruined by a malicious ex.
Where the story/article will appear: Sunday Newspaper Story / Magazine Story.
More info: We are looking for case studies who have had their lives – and reputations – ruined at the hands of a malicious ex.
We would want to interview her about how this affected her, and she would need to be identified.
Person/Story criteria: Female, UK based, aged between 18-38.
Person or Story Wanted: Heartwarming and uplifting features with good pictures.
Where the story/article will appear: Weekend newspaper magazine article.
More info: We are on the hunt for heartwarming, uplifting stories. If you would like more details and think you may be able to help, get in touch. Thanks.
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Meet our new FamousFeatures staff writer – Lorna Gray
‘First Day Jitters’
Starting a new job can be pretty daunting so I was feeling suitably nervous when I began my first week as staff reporter at Famous Features last Monday. Now I’ve worked a variety of jobs in my time. In my late teens I worked at a garden centre and a chip shop – neither of which agreed my nails but I enjoyed them nonetheless. So no horror stories there. Unless you count getting slapped with a bit of haddock or having to dress up as an elf at Christmas…
During university, I worked at a popular high street clothes shop – heaven for me but don’t think my bank balance would agree. Then I entered the wondrous world of journalism. I can safely say – every day is a new learning experience and an adventure in this line of work. So it’s best to keep your wits about you at all times unless you want to look like a prize tool.
And the editors? Trust me – the ladies I’ve worked under mean business (one work experience boy went out at lunch and didn’t come back because he was so scared of one particularly scary news editor). But I have a feeling this is going to be different. I’ve reached the end of my first week relatively unscathed (apart from the awful impersonations of my Scottish accent!). And I’m not fearful of getting hit by fish or having an embarrassing uniform forced upon me…not yet anyway.
Here at Famous Features, we’d love to hear about things that have happened to you in your workplace. Have you got any horror stories you’d like to tell? Whether it be an affair with your boss or wars at the water-cooler – we want to hear about it! Tell us and get your story into print!
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
ANIMALS AND ASH CLOUDS
Greetings, everyone! Hope you’re enjoying the sunshine, we certainly are!
We have two very special, specific requests for stories at the moment. Can you help us?
Let’s take the most topical one first: the volcanic ash-cloud ruining everyone’s travel plans.
We’re interested in your stories and experiences. Have you missed your daughter’s wedding? Or the birth of your first grandchild?
Even better, have you GIVEN BIRTH in an airport because of the delays?
Anything life-changing that has happened or been interfered with because of the travel disruption – we want to hear about it.
Don’t forget those pictures, of course – they paint a thousand words, and can be the difference between a story selling and not. We look forward to hearing your incredible yarns.
Now, for our second request. ANIMALS!
Here at Famous Features, we LOVE hearing about your crazy pooches, maniac cats and gobby parrots, and selling your hilarious stories to the national magazines and newspapers.
One of our favourites is Louise Gough’s story of the grand romance between her dog Duke, and her budgie, Simba.
Simba perches on Duke’s nose, lovingly picking the sleep out of his eyes, and tap-tapping on his forehead, as if she’s reminding him of how much she adores him. Sweet!
Real People snapped this story up, and it appeared in their Valentine’s Day special. Louise was delighted, and we loved writing her story.
So, if you’ve got a dog that you want as your bridesmaid, or a goldfish who you take out with you to the pub, or a hamster who plays with your poodle in perfect harmony – there’s cash for your story up for grabs!
Get in touch, folks: 0845 838855
www.famousfeatures.co.uk
Wednesday, 21st April 2010
Monday, April 19th, 2010
If you’d told me a few years ago I’d be running the London Marathon for a second time this year, I would’ve checked your temperature to make sure you weren’t ill.
Me?
Run?
I don’t think so!
I’ve always liked to keep fit, but only with light-hearted forms of exercise – swimming, dancing, aerobics, nothing too hardcore, thank you very much.
The agonising cross-country sessions at school, where I trailed behind at the back, struggling to breath, had pretty much scarred me for life.
Or so I thought.
When my dad and his brother – my uncle Pete, were both diagnosed with cancer within a week of each other, I was terrified.
My dad’s was in his kidney. They removed the organ and the nasty disease with it.
But Pete wasn’t so lucky. He had bowel cancer. He fought it with such strength for a long time. But then it finally got the better of him and he died.
It was around this time I figured I needed to do something to acknowledge the good work of Cancer Research UK – who had saved my dad and done their best for Pete.
The Cancer Research UK Race For Life was being held in a park near my home – I knew it would be a massive challenge – but that’s what fundraising is all about, isn’t it?
Well, my first training run was a disaster – I actually didn’t make it to the end of the road before I collapsed in a heap.
The shame!
But I kept at it – I’m a stubborn one about most things, which always helps.
I started run/walking, and soon enough I was cutting out the walking bit.
I completed the run with my stepmum and had a fantastic day – the atmosphere was amazing.
I know it’s a leap, but from there I decided I needed to do the marathon – to really show my appreciation to Cancer Research UK and raise them some cash.
Whenever the training runs got hard, I thought of my dad and Pete and it was enough to keep me going.
I made it round in five hours last year, and this year I’m back for more.
Illness and an ankle problem mean I haven’t done as much training as I should’ve done, and I know it will be really hard on the day – but that’s when I’ll think of my dad and Pete, and let my stubborn side take over – I WILL make it round again, even if I have to crawl!
Here at Famous Features, we’d love to hear about things that have inspired you do so something; have you lost a loved one and done something in their memory? Tell us about it and get your story into print! We’ll always donate to your charity too if you’d like us to, so get in touch!
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
We urgently need these stories right now…. (see story requests below).
Simply visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to feature in any of these true life stories or features. Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at the link above).
You should also get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider. Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story now.
Updated Daily
——————————————————————-
Person or Story Wanted: We are looking for case studies of people who have been VIOLENTLY abused as children like Baby P.
Where the story will appear: Glossy Women’s Magazine Story.
More info: We are working on a feature about violent child abuse and neglect. We are looking for a case study about anyone who’s suffered neglect / violent abuse along the lines of Baby P. The case study would be in their 20-30s now talking about how they escaped the situation.
Criteria: Female aged 18-35
Person or Story Wanted: Woman (40s/50s) who has been diagnosed as suffering from depression as result of financial worries.
Where the story will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.
More info: Piece is about physical and psychological effects of stress on women as a result of money worries.
Criteria: Must be 40-plus, must have been clinically diagnosed.
Person or Story Wanted: 3 Women had a baby in the last three months to take part in a positive shoot about post-baby bodies
Where the story will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.
More info: An uplifting positive piece about real women and their post-baby bodies. The shoot is THIS FRIDAY, and willl take place at our studios in Wapping ater 10am. We will cover travel costs. We need three women of different ages to talk about their body changes and do a classy naked-style shoot (think Gok Wan). £500 all in for each lady. Ideally aged 19 – 30s.
Person or Story Wanted: Couples Confront!
Where the story will appear: Glossy Women’s Magazine Story.
More info: We need couples (in which both are happy to be photographed) that have any of the following issues, which they would be prepared to talk about in the magazine:
Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been married before?
Why didn’t you tell me you’re still living with your ex?
Why do your friends hate me?
When will you stop punishing me for cheating?
Why are you so convinced that I’m going to cheat?’
Why do you watch so much porn?
Why won’t you stay over after sex?
Why won’t you have sex with the lights on?
Criteria: In their 20s.
Person or Story Wanted: A teenager who’s addicted to the internet and/or computer games.
Where the story will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.
More info: We are looking for a teenager, aged 12-15 years, who is addicted to the internet and/or computer games. Maybe they’re desperate to log on before school, during school and afterwards. Perhaps it’s affecting their schoolwork as they’re online till the early hours or they’re missing out on social events as they’d rather be online.
We then want them to meet an internet psychologist (which we will set up), who can explain the dangers of their behaviour and how to break the addiction.
We need to name and picture the case study, and their parents, and will be able to pay them for their time.
Criteria: Case study must be aged between 12 and 15 years, and be willing to be named and identified.
Person or Story Wanted: Wife cheated on after she became more successful then her husband.
Where the story will appear: Glossy Women’s Magazine Story.
More info: We’re looking for a woman (aged 25-55) whose husband cheated on her / had an affair after she became more successful / got a promotion a work, because he felt inferior.
Person or Story Wanted: Can you help us find a woman who has forgiven her cheating hubby?
Where the story will appear: Glossy Women’s Magazine.
More info: We’re looking for a woman who has decided to forgive her husband for having an affair but is having trouble moving on.
Criteria: They will need to be aged between 30 and 55 and they will need to be named and pictured.
Person or Story Wanted: “My one night stand ruined my life!”
Where the story will appear: Glossy Women’s Magazine.
More info: We are interested in any story in which a one night stand ruined a woman’s life.
Criteria: Girl in her 20s.
Person or Story Wanted: We’re URGENTLY looking for a cougar who’s given up dating younger men.
Where the story will appear: Sunday Newspaper Story.
More info: We need a woman who’s dated younger men in the past but who has now settled down with a man her own age or has decided to give up younger men to find a man her own age.
Criteria: Happy to be named and pictured.
Person or Story Wanted: A woman who has used a male escort to get over heartbreak.
Where the story will appear: Sunday Newspaper Story.
More info: We’re looking for a woman, 20-35, who’s happy to be named and pictured, to talk about her experiences with a male escort and how using one helped her get over the heartbreak of a relationship break-up.
Criteria: 20-35, female, identified and exclusive.
Person or Story Wanted: We\’re looking for a woman who\’s had lots of surgery but who now regrets the procedures.
Where the story will appear: Sunday Newspaper Story.
More info: We’re looking for a woman who has undergone a lot of cosmetic surgery but who now regrets it to talk about why she did it and why she now wishes she’d never started altering her looks.
Criteria: Female, 25-40, happy to be named and pictured and exclusive please.
