Posts Tagged ‘sell your story’
Monday, January 2nd, 2012
You can actually hear the brains cranking into gear in this office today; after a luxuriously long Christmas break, the team are back – fired up for 2012.
Of course we’re struggling to get ourselves out of Christmas mode, but even the Quality Street tin is being neglected this morning after too much Christmas excess. It must be time to come back to work.
Poor reporter Patrick only got out of bed for a few hours on Christmas Day after a nasty bout of Glandular Fever which he’s thankfully shaken off to get back to the office today. I bought Wendy, Cher and Jenny all some Christmas knickers so I hope they all got a festive airing over the break. Don’t all bosses buy their female employees knickers for Christmas?
My own Christmas was fairly laid back; however the dog and I both need to go on a diet. Yes, that old New Year chestnut.
We’ve all noticed the increasing weight-loss adverts on television and in newspapers that have no intention of letting us forget out Christmas gluttony, and already we are hearing some amazing stories about women who have lost as much as 20 stone in 12 months by setting their heart on a goal.
So as a fresh start to our New Year, we’re asking you to send us yours and you friends’ weight-loss successes.
Have you lost a lot of weight for a specific reason or after a dramatic event? Maybe a picture of yourself spurred you into action?
Either way, we are desperate to hear your success stories, and all your other real-life stories too – so time to top-up your bank balance and make cash by selling your stories.
Call us today on 0845 83 88 555 or visit FamousFeatures.co.uk and leave us your details. Someone will get back to you TODAY to start working on your story.
Off to enjoy my lunch of a lettuce leaf and a tic-tac now… but it’s nearly Easter, right?
By Sally Windsor, Famous Features Director/Editor
Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Have you checked your bank balance this morning, and felt your stomach lurch in fear?
The familiar Christmas tunes have started up in the shops, the Advent calendars and Christmas decorations are filling up the supermarket – but all share the same problem… Who in the UK really has any spare cash this Christmas just to cover the basics.
We know that times are tough and everyone is feeling the pinch this Christmas.
However, don’t despair – there’s an easy way to make cash from home to cover your Christmas costs… and it’s all on offer through your no. 1 online press agency. That’s US of course!
FamousFeatures.co.uk are offering three ways of making some quick, extra dosh in the next few weeks:
1) We’ll pay you to appear in a magazine or newspaper.
2) Refer a friend who has a true story that would be suitable for publication in a magazine and earn £50.
3) Add us as a friend on Facebook and win £100 (look for FamousFeatures PressAgency).
Here’s all you need to know:
1) Get Paid to Appear in a Magazine or Paper
We will consider all story ideas, and interesting photos.
They must be true, and they must be suitable for a magazine article or a newspaper feature. Send us your story idea via the FamousFeatures website (www.famousfeatures.co.uk).
We will get straight back to you if we can use your idea and will let you know how much your story is likely to be worth. If you’re happy to proceed we can then auction your story to the highest bidding publication, so you’re guaranteed the most money for your story.
Please note that we receive a high volume of stories, so we can only respond to stories that would be suitable for our publications.
We do read and seriously consider all story ideas, but here’s a sample of specific stories that we’re after right now:
A married couple with a reasonably big age gap (10+ years), ideally under 40 but it’s not the end of the world if he’s a bit older.
A woman whose bloke makes hardly effort with his appearance, and he’d like him to get togged up like Joey Essex! So a bit of a metros£xual make-over.
A woman whose bloke was convicted of paedophilia.
Love Rat victims.
Cougars who dated younger men and it did or didn’t work out.
Surgery gone wrong.
Young women whose male partner/brother/dad suffers from an eating disorder.
A woman whose bloke cheated on her…with a member of his family.
A woman who is addicted to plastic surgery.
Shocking or sensational stories.
Reunited stories – love or family reunions against the odds.
Freaky or bizarre stories – unusual thinks that will shock or intrigue.
Animal stories – cute, funny or strange.
Valentines day stories – romantic ones, or heartbreak stories.
Weight loss stories – have you battled against the odds to change your life?
Holiday stories. Holiday disaster, holiday romance, or funny holiday stories.
Unusual feti$h or disorders – anything that will shock our readers!
Incredible, shocking or unique relationship stories wanted.
A true story to make your hair stand on end! Anything out of the ordinary. The person telling the story really has to believe they really did encounter the thing they’re talking about.
Former female criminals who are now successful businesswomen.
2) Refer a Friend
We give everyone £50 who refers a friend with a story that could be used for one of our magazine articles.
In some cases, if the story is a major exclusive, we are able to organise an even larger tip-off fee with the publication.
Some people even make a living from finding true-life stories for us. There is one hairdresser who works with us, and makes more from recommending us to clients than she does cutting hair! Get in touch via the Famous Features website to find out how you could become one of our top tipsters, and work with us daily.
3) Facebook Friend Competition
We’re giving away £100 this week. All you need to do is find us on Facebook (search for ‘FamousFeatures PressAgency’) and we’ll give one of our new friends £100. The draw will be made at random on 7th December 2011.
I hope you find this blog entry useful. If you want to sell your story, but don’t know where to start – please drop a Famous Features reporter a line on 0845 83 88 555 and one of us will happily help you get your story into print.
Thursday, 24th November 2011
Sunday, November 6th, 2011
By Sally Windsor, company director.
I’m not going to lie; my Saturday nights are largely made up of the same steady format: Eat dinner, bath child, (child sleeps), drink tea on sofa with my boyfriend Matt, and watch as much reality TV pap as I can physically force through my eyeballs.
And I know I’m not alone, especially since the beginning of September when the trusty King and Queen of reality TV Christmas came in to nest; since X Factor and Strictly started, I’ve been glued to both, and unlike my critical fellow journalists, I find it impossible to slag either programme off… but that doesn’t stand for the contestants.
The question on everyone’s lips tonight is; has Frankie used his last can of Elnett? Week one and that first audition – I admit it, as what would be considered an older female, I had a twinkle in my eye for this cheeky so-and-so with his multi-tattooed buttocks stated his famous conquests. Oh, to be five little letters on that left peachy cheek – or just a mere two in Jo Burrows case. I thought for, well, 30 seconds – and pegged him as one to watch.
But just as his ego, and in turn hair got bigger – his seemingly inept level of talent depleted. Pete Doherty he was not, especially not with that perfectly GHD-created ‘mess’ on his head. We all realised that he was about as rock n’ roll as a Lollipop lady. Whatever Gary says.
Once the eyeliner was slapped on like the buttercream on top of a red velvet cupcake, what transpired was something in this: He came on stage, he shouted, he touched his hair a lot, he left. It was quite an anti-climax, but well – it’s hardly stopped any of us tuning in every week. Even if every person in the country physically cringes when Tulisa does her weird arm salute.
As for Strictly, it was my first love – and it will be my last. When transfixed by a TV show I really love, it cuts so deep that I seem to be able to make the stars my imaginary best friends.
In the past, I’ve been best friends, and then mourned Adriana from the Sopranos, Stringer Bell’s mistress and I’m not going to hide the fact that in my make-believe telly world, I go round to James and Ola Jordan’s house for dinner about once a fortnight where they teach me to rumba.
What I really wanted to say is that we all get caught up in our television programmes and have our favourites – and where would our weekends be without them?
At Famous Features, reality TV show for wannabes or celebrities are just what we want to hear about. If you’re one of the famous names on Frankie’s backside, dated any of the boys from The Risk, or got on the wrong side of Nancy Dell’Olio and her outrageous demands – even a tiny bit of gossip, or photo could make you money. Get in touch with us at famousfeatures.co.uk today.
Sunday, 6th November 2011
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Picture the scene; it’s 3am at St George’s hospital in Tooting, South London. Jane, a 28-year-old nurse on the children’s ward has just finished her shift.
But this time, rather than heading home for the night for a lonely supper before she goes to bed – tonight she’s doing what any other normal 28-year-old might do after work – she’s heading out on a date with Patrick, 32 – a fireman in Islington, North London.
Both of these attractive singles have been taking the lonely route home for too long, as their work life and regular night shifts have affected not just their social life, but also their love life.
Until they found Uniform Dating… Where a first date in an all night diner in Smithfield, London doesn’t seem a ridiculous idea to the couple. Or for that matter, any other Police Officers, Firefighters, Soldiers, Military Singles, Nurses, Doctors, Pilots and Air Crew that suffer the silly hours that often puts a prospective suitor off.
Jane says: ‘I’ve been single for three years, the whole time in fact that I’ve been working as a qualified nurse. After meeting someone through a regular dating agency who I actually really liked – but he’s finish work at 6pm, want to meet for drinks at 7.30pm with his friends from work – and then hook up with me at 8pm.
But that’s the time I started work. And even times when I tried to meet him, and start my shift an hour later – things were too rushed. He’d moan at me that I didn’t make any effort to be with him. He just didn’t understand what it was like working shifts at all, and we finished.
I realized then the only way I was going to meet someone else was if I met another doctor or nurse. But seeing as the hospital is hardly a place to flirt and socialize, that proved impossible too and I’ve been stumped for dates even since.
That was until a friend told me about Uniform Dating. I realized that I can’t have been the only single girl who works shifts that can’t get a fella, because the website seemed tailor-made for a nurse like me. Now I can finish my shift and rather than go home to a meal for one, stifled that I cant even ring a friend for a chat – I can go out for a meal or a coffee with someone who works the same shifts as me. It’s what I have always been waiting for!’
Whether you are looking for a man who works in a uniform and for people who fancy dating a policeman, dating a nurse, dating a fireman or trying military dating. Uniform Dating is the UK’s FREE to join dating service where lots of women and men in uniform desperately want to meet someone like them.
Then there are women like Lisa, 34. Lisa is a mum-of-two from Theale in Berkshire. She’s looking for love, but after realizing she doesn’t fancy most blokes in bars when she goes out for the night with friends, she wants to cut to the chase and find someone she knows will set her sizzling – a fireman!
Lisa says, ‘I’ve been single for about a year and whilst I’ve been set up by my mates on a few days and met a few guys in bars, I find it hard to meet anyone with that extra something. Most guys leave me bored to tears with that naff chat about their boring jobs. ‘
‘When my friends quizzed me about why I’m so picky, I realized what the problem was. What I’m really attracted to is a man in uniform, especially firefighters. So when I came across Uniform Dating via another website and I saw that I didn’t have to be a uniformed-worker to join, I jumped at the chance to meet a brave, muscly fireman.
Now I’m dating John from Reading, a fireman who has nothing but exciting stories to tell me on every date. I hang onto his every word and the uniform sets my pulse racing every time I see him!
I’m thrilled to have found the site and that it was so easy to find just who I was looking for. Every time I hear I time a siren, I get butterflies in my tummy. I’m one very happy girl.’
So visit www.uniformdating .com now to sign up today. And when you’ve got a success story of your own, make sure you tell Famous Features all about it!
Wednesday, 7th September 2011
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Tighten your money belt as well as the belt round your waist!
I’ve just returned to the Famous Features office after a week at Boot Camp Training Live – and boy am I on cloud 9!
Ex-soldiers Billy and Boris put me and a group of ladies through our paces on the week-long residential course in Weymouth.
We endured beach work-outs, boxing sessions, rock-climbing, pier circuits and stretcher-runs – to name but a few activities!
I expected to return a shattered wreck – but I’m actually full of energy and keen to keep the regime going – my husband and friends are not sure where the old Jo has gone!
The residential camp is just as tough as other boot camps on the market – but if you can sacrifice luxury manor house accommodation for sharing a holiday caravan with fellow boot campers, it will cost you just a fraction of the price.
The women-only camp offers the same level of programme and delivers fantastic results (I lost 5lbs and 6” off my hips), as well as the constant hilarious banter from cheeky Billy and Boris – who somehow managed to make working out extremely fun.
The guys also taught us all how to improvise with every-day objects like bricks, scaffold poles and playing cards to build effective work-outs into our routines once home without an expensive gym membership.
I’d recommend this boot camp to anyone looking for a kick-start back into fitness, or even someone who is already pretty fit but after some inspiration for their workouts.
And there’s no need to worry that you’ll be left behind because you’re not quite as fit as you might like – Billy and Boris tailor the work-outs to suit the varied levels of fitness in the groups.
We had all levels on our course, and no one was left trailing behind or feeling like they weren’t being worked hard enough.
The biggest thing I was worried about was the food – I love my food and the thought of going hungry terrified me!
But the meals were always delicious and filling – you’ll be left wondering how it was possible to eat so well and still lose weight!
And to be honest, you’ll be so shattered at the end of every 7am – 5pm day you won’t care where you lay your head – you’d be able to sleep on a park bench if you had to!
Check out the website at www.militaryfitnessbootcamp.co.uk – there are lots of boot camps available, with different accommodation meaning the prices range from £400 for the budget option to £1,200 for luxury.
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Here is the latest blog from Famous Features journalist, Alex McGowan. If you would like to contact Alex, sell a story to the national press, or find out more about Famous Features, visit: www.FamousFeatures.co.uk
Or, if you would like to see which stories magazines and newspapers are looking for right now, see the ‘Latest Media Request’ blogs below.
WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED?
The office of Famous Features is always full of joy and laughter, as we write and sell your amazing stories to the national press – That’s Life, Take a Break, Bella, Best, Chat and many more.
But sometimes there’s sadness, too. At the moment, there’s a few broken hearts knocking around. There must be something in the air, because it seems everyone is going through a tough time at the moment, relationship-wise.
In my case, I recently became involved in a classic ‘Autumn Taboo’ relationship.
You know the kind. Nights are drawing in, the smell of frost is in the air, and you’re home alone, freezing, with nothing but a Pot Noodle and grated cheese to keep you warm.
So, because you’re a bit lonely, you start hankering after things you shouldn’t. Like chocolate, red wine, oh – and your next-door neighbour.
A lovely guy, good-looking and funny. But with a major flaw: I soon found out that he was taking drugs and didn’t have enough money to pay his rent, let alone take me out for dinner.
In my head, I could see my friends standing there by the side of the road waving a big red sign that read ‘NO! THIS GUY IS A DISASTER!’
But there was something I really liked, even loved about him all the same. And despite begging him to mend his ways, he wasn’t able to see his own problem for what it was; a serious addiction. He’s the only person that can help himself, but it doesn’t make it any easier having to see him every day.
By Christmas, you’re drunkenly toasting under the mistletoe that you can and will do better for yourself.
By summer, you’ve lost a stone, fake tanned, toned and glammed up. He wants you back, you wouldn’t look twice at him.
But as the nights grow colder, we don’t blame you for searching for a bit of comfort.
Whether it’s that guy you meet in the chatroom who promises to take care of you, or the man you thought you were going to marry who you then see kissing that skinny-girl-from-accounts-you-HATE at the Christmas party – somehow, things that are bad for you seem so good at this time of year!
Same with food. Do you really need to start your day with a box of buttered brazil nuts? No. But it’s cold, and this time of year can give you the blues. So you do what you have to do.
In this office, we are always professional, and try our very best to leave whatever heartbreak we’re going through at the door.
But still, when we hear about and sell your stories of personal heartbreak at the hands of cheating-love rats, liars and Facebook fraudsters, we can’t help but sympathise when you tell us ‘He seemed like the perfect guy,’ or ‘I really did think this guy was the man for me.’ We know exactly how you feel!
Ladies, we offer you this advice. It’s worked wonders for us.
Allow yourself to be sad. Stay in bed, cry, eat icecream straight out of the box. Skimping on personal hygiene optional.
Get angry. How dare he treat you that way? This anger will motivate you to the next step…
Get even. Your sole aim in life is now to make him eternally regret dumping you. So you join the gym, tone up and buy a fabulous new wardrobe, (or a hot-pink Mulberry Macbook sleeve to ‘cheer you up’ if you’re our editor, Sally Windsor).
You go out with friends who wipe your tears and spoon Cosmopolitans into your mouth. And eventually, you will meet your Prince.
We hear so many brilliant internet dating stories of people that fall in love online, and the dream continues into real-life. We always love it when they live happily every after. Look at Suzzee Langton and her husband Robert whose story we wrote for Real People magazine. Robert proposed to Suzzee from across the pond – yet they’d never even met!
Then there’s the lovely Hannah Isaacson who after meeting her hubby Chris online, (having sworn she would NEVER try internet dating!) put together her whole wedding via things off email – and got them all for a bargain!
This story appeared in the People newspaper and has since been picked up by TV channels across the world. You can read that story here: http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=i-bought-all-my-wedding-on-internet-even-my-hubby-chris&method=full&objectid=21384602&siteid=93463-name_page.html
What better way to kickstart the rejuvenating process of getting over someone than by emailing our website so we can sell your stories of betrayal, heartbreak, and revenge (our favourite ones!), to share them with other readers?
Dig out those stories, ladies. A problem shared is a problem halved. And when we sell your story, you’re guaranteed to warn other ladies away from the bad’uns!
We look forward to hearing from you…
Alex – Famous Features
Monday, 30th November 2009
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Latest Story / Article Requests from the National Press. If you would like to Sell Your Story to a Magazine or Newspaper, send your details to www.FamousFeatures.co.uk. We will consider any story, but we are currently looking for the following ones in particular….
UPDATED DAILY
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Story / Case Study Wanted: Wild office Xmas party stories!
Media outlet: Sunday Newspaper.
Article Info: We’re looking for stories for a light-hearted piece about things that happen at Xmas office parties. Someone who slept with the boss and it went horribly wrong / got so drunk, did something wild and were the talk of the office the next day etc.
Story / Case Study Wanted: Stories about children binge drinking at Christmas.
Media outlet: National Daily Newspaper.
Article Info: I\’m looking for two case studies for this feature. I need to find a mum whose child was hospitalised after binge drinking at Christmas (had alcohol poisoning / stomach pumped etc). Am also looking for a mum who lets her kids drink at Christmas as she thinks it will stop them from binge drinking outside the home. For both case studies, the children need to be young, ideally 11 and under.
Case Study Criteria: The mum needs to be aged around 20-40.
Story / Case Study Wanted: Strong Christmas/New Year real life stories and news features.
Media outlet: Glossy Women’s Magazine.
Article Info: We are currently planning for Christmas and New Year issues and looking for strong real life stories and news features.
Case Study Criteria: NO criteria but mainly looking for first rights (i.e. story must not have appeared in the press before).
Thursday, 19th November 2009
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Latest Story Requests from National Magazines and Newspapers. Visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to register your interest and sell your story.
UPDATED DAILY
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Story / Case Study Wanted: Women who have had their eggs frozen so they can delay motherhood.
More info: We are not looking for women who have had their eggs frozen because they have cancer or another medical condition, but specifically because they are in their twenties or thirties and because of their career or because they haven’t found a partner, need to delay motherhood and are freezing their eggs as a ’safety net’.
Story / Case Study Wanted: We are looking for a woman who has been recently widowed who deserves a special day before Christmas.
More info: We are working on a feature where we’re hoping to find a case study who has been through a really hard time this year and need some cheering up before Christmas. So we’re looking for a widow who is really dreading Christmas who we could do something nice for (it’s sort of like a ‘grant a wish’ type of feature, so she can pick whatever she wants to do). If you know if anyone who has a really moving story, we\’d really like to hear from you.
Special criteria: It must be a woman aged 18-35.
Story / Case Study Wanted: Young women who’ve bought DIY botox kits online to use at home, perhaps with catastrophic results.
More info: We’re looking for people who have bought DIY botox kits online to inject themselves at home. We need really strong case studies. For example:
- teens using Botox to ward off wrinkles and buying kits online because it’s cheaper and they cannot afford the real thing.
- people who’ve done the injections themselves and got it wrong.
- DIY botoxers risk paralysis and blindness and the drug has also been linked to 16 deaths in the US, so any extreme examples with shocking photos to illustrate.
- any DIY botox addicts, using it more frequently than every 3 months.
- Any other shocking stories linked to DIY botox.
Special criteria: Preferably female.
Tuesday, 17th November 2009
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Today’s ‘Sell Your Story’ Request…..
(visit our home page at www.famousfeatures.co.uk to submit your story idea)
Story or Case Study Wanted: Do you have any funny, sexy or quirky Christmas stories that would hold a page?
Story Info: We need to find a quirky story to fill a page in a National Magazine Christmas issue by the end of the day….
Media Outlet: National Magazine
Any suggestions very welcome!
Story or Case Study Wanted: Looking for a woman in 20s/30s who has had to have facial reconstruction surgery.
Media Outlet: National Sunday Newspaper – Magazine Supplement.
More info: First person emotional piece about enduring facial reconstruction surgery
Special criteria? : A woman aged 20s/30s, who had surgery because of an accident – not born with a facial disfigurement. Must be able to provide pics of her face before surgery. Sorry, but can’t have appeared in a magazine or newspaper already.
Story or Case Study Request: A full time single dad in his twenties.
Media Outlet: Glossy Magazine.
Case Study info: We are looking for a full time single dad who is in his twenties and has a daughter (he could have more than one child, but one of them needs to be a girl). We also need him to be a single dad because of a marriage or relationship breakdown as opposed to him being widowed. It’s for a really positive piece about being a single father and we’d want to do a photo shoot with him and his child/children.
Special criteria: In his twenties. Full time single dad due to a relationship breakdown.
Thursday, 22nd October 2009
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
We are looking for the following story right now. If you or someone you know fits this profile, get in touch and Sell Your Story today. www.FamousFeatures.co.uk
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Case Study Wanted: Women who became ill and were left by their husbands/partners.
Media Outlet: National Newspaper – Magazine Supplement.
More info: Following a recent report on the numbers of relationships that break down because of serious illness, we are interested in speaking with women whose husbands/partners left them after they (the women) became ill. Perhaps the illness put too much strain on the relationship, perhaps he did not wish to assume the role of carer, whatever the reason we are interested in hearing from them .We appreciate this is a very sensitive subject and it would be treated as such. We are also able to offer a generous fee to suitable case studies. Please contact FamousFeatures for more details.
Special criteria? : Female. Aged 20-45 approx
Case Study Wanted: Single women who have given up on finding Mr Right and used sperm donation to become mothers.
Media Outlet: National Newspaper – Magazine Supplement.
More info: Women must be prepared to be identified and photographed.
Wednesday, 21st October 2009
