For the latest chapter of our ‘Meet the Creator’ blog series, we caught up with the ever-delightful Linda Clayton, a distinguished freelance interior design journalist who has written for the likes of Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, and many more.
But don’t stop there, take a read of the full post to find out how she got started in the media industry and all about a very special press trip to Somerset with the Little Red Rooster PR team.
How did you get started in interior design journalism and what titles have you written for over the years?
Originally, I wanted to be a serious news journalist, Kate Adie style, but I failed miserably in my first job as a court reporter. Too much sadness (and corruption and murder).
Moving to interiors was inspired by moving into my first home when I poured over interiors mags for decorating ideas and realised cushions rarely die of a drug overdose. Pinterest didn’t exist in 1999. Imagine! I started on an interiors trade title, then owned by the Daily Mail Group (don’t judge), where I had an absolute ball tripping around Europe on mad press jollies, back when budgets and champagne supplies were limitless. I then moved to consumer, mainly for the longer lead times and prettier pictures, and have been working for the likes of Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Real Homes, and Ideal Home ever since.
Why did you become a journalist? Any advice for those interested in a career in journalism?
Erm…bit embarrassing…I chose it because when I was about six when first asked what I want to be ‘when I grow up’. I thought my step-brother was a journalist, so thought it would be cute to follow suit. Turns out he’s a magazine designer (and currently Decanter’s very excellent art editor) but the idea stuck.
Advice? I went at it via the academic route – and had a blast at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture – but I could probably have saved a lot of time and money by going after an internship aged 18. My liver would certainly have thanked me.
What makes a good PR pro?
Anyone who saves me time! Increasingly, my job mainly involves hours of image collating and organising. So, if I can get said images quickly but also clearly labelled and in the right format/size, it basically means I don’t have to spend all my evenings resizing and renaming images before I can share with the team. I always sigh with relief when I get an email from a PR who understands these basics.
Also, taking the time to read and compute what I am asking for. You wouldn’t believe how many send me 2GB’s worth of images, and only two fit the brief in any way, shape, or form. I don’t mind chancers but if it’s not even close, that’s just time wasting. And with our dodgy broadband connection, it often means my family can’t get online while I’m downloading these dud images for 3635 hours. Not popular!
How do you see the media landscape changing over the next five years? Has this been altered by the pandemic?
It’s all going online, and I think journalists are going to have to up their SEO game and gen up on all the behind-the-scenes jiggery-pokery required to please/feed the Google Gods. Increasingly I am being asked to upload my work directly onto online templates, filling in Metatag type data as I go, which basically cuts out the middleman (graphic designers), sorry bro.
I love that it makes getting news out much quicker and that any changes can be made easily, but I’m less thrilled about how much value is put on words. It’s all about getting those hyperlinks clicked, which can result in seriously clunky copy if you’re not very careful.
What has been your experience working with the Little Red Rooster PR team?
Well, I have three top PR companies that I happily recommend without hesitation whenever I am asked, and LRR is one of them. I love the people, but mainly I love that, despite a huge amount of growth and success, they never fail to deliver on the essentials.
What has been your favourite press trip/press event?
Flying by private jet to Lake Garda and taking a dip in the lake (fully clothed) after far too much Limoncello was pretty unforgettable (and possibly stupid). I’ve been treated to stays at some fab hotels, including the Aman in Venice and Maison Moschino in Milan. It’s made booking private holidays on my own budget extremely hard/disappointing!
LRR always excel themselves trip-wise, and I recommend jumping at the opportunity if invited. I’m still plotting my return to Bruton’s At The Chapel, after they enlightened me to its charms courtesy of Victoria + Albert Baths.
Victoria + Albert Baths, At The Chapel, Bruton
What makes an interiors brand stand out for you?
Images. Always the images. I don’t care how good the PR company is, if they only have nasty CGI images to work with then I can’t help them. Certainly not in print. I need images shot in realistic but aspirational settings (not in mad apartments with the Eiffel Tower supposedly in the background), with normal angles, no electric lighting, and stylish props.
LRR is particularly good at tracking these down, often via interior designers and architects rather than their client’s archives. I just wish more PR companies would have the sense to do this!
If you enjoyed our latest blog post, then be sure to follow Linda on Instagram and Twitter. Her latest bylines for Real Homes can be found here – https://bit.ly/3nnjPTV
