Submitting a Layout

Send us your best layouts & article ideas

We love show-offs. And we'd love to see YOU show off a little by sending us pictures of your best layouts and other projects. Read the categories below to learn where and how to strut your stuff.


A layout by January's Scrapbook Ellaments cover designer, Lisa Kisch.

Submit to: April Inspirations

Deadline: March 17, midnight EST
Would you like to see YOUR work featured in April's issue of Scrapbook Ellaments? To enter, email a scan or a photograph of your layout to submissions@ellapublishing.com with "April Inspirations" in the subject line. The winning layouts will be featured on our website and each chosen designer will win a free Ella eBook. Here's what we're looking for:
  • This month's theme is: layouts inspired by any Ella eBook! Whether you used a quiz, a digital trick, a photography tip, or a sketch, we want to see how Ella's eBooks have inspired you!
  • Digital or paper layouts are welcome.
  • You may submit more than one layout if you like.
  • We cannot personally acknowledge every layout we receive.
  • Preference will be given to layouts that were scanned or photographed well, as we'll be publishing the exact entry you send. (Scroll down to "Increase Your Chances" for tips.)
  • In the body of the email, briefly explain which Ella eBook inspired your entry and how you were inspired.
  • Also in the body of the email, please include your full name, city, state/province, and country. Also include a complete materials list for your layout, formatted like this: patterned paper (American Crafts) + letter stickers (BoBunny) + buttons (BasicGrey) + Tahoma font + 12 x 12 page by Miss Piggy

    Ongoing Calls

    Submit to: Ella Inspiration

    Open Call
    Did we inspire you? We love to be scraplifted, so if you've created a page or a project inspired by something you saw in one of our eBooks or the Scrapbook Ellaments online magazine, do tell! Email a scan or a photograph of your project to submissions@ellapublishing.com with "Ella Inspiration" in the subject line. Make sure you tell us which eBook or eZine article inspired your work. You just might see your work on our blog or somewhere else on our website.

    Submit to: General Submissions

    Open Call
    Got a layout that doesn't fit into any specific category? Send it on in! Who knows, it just might spark an idea for an entire article or an eBook. Email a photo or a scan of any layout to submissions@ellapublishing.com with "General Submissions" in the subject line.

    Submit an Article Idea

    Open Call
    We accept article ideas for Scrapbook Ellaments as well. We believe in saving time and energy whenever possible, so don't complete an entire article before submitting your idea. We just want a brief description of your idea, a layout or two to illustrate your style, and a sample of your writing (a previously published article, a blog post, etc.) We carefully consider every idea that comes in, and we will contact you if your idea is a fit for our upcoming editorial goals. Email your idea to submissions@ellapublishing.com with "Article Ideas" in the subject line.

    Submit an eBook Idea

    Open Call
    If you'd like to send us an idea for an entire eBook, please read our eBook Submissions Guidelines.

    Keep Trying!

    We get a lot of mail, and as much as we'd like to respond personally to every submission, our families do occasionally want to see our pretty faces. As a result, you'll hear from us directly only if we've got a place for your work. But don't be discouraged! Keep trying, and feel free to resubmit the same layout for different calls. Our needs change constantly, and you never know when what you've got will fit what we need.


    Increase Your Chances

    Or, here's how to really impress us

    Looks count! Scrapbooking is a visual medium, so the better your original scan or photograph, the more likely we're going to faint dead away at the beauty of your work.

    Tips for Photographing Your Layout

    No scanner? No problem! As a scrapbooker, you're no stranger to your camera. Just take a photograph and send it in. Here's how:

    Lay your layout on a smooth, neutral surface (like a table, counter top, or wooden floor) that's next to a window with indirect sunlight shining through (early morning is great). Stand on a chair or a stool if you need to so you can look straight down on your layout. Turn your camera's flash off. Center your layout in your camera's viewfinder, keep as still as you can, and snap your picture. Take a couple of shots to make sure you get a good one—but send us only the best one!

    Note: Make sure the light shining through the window is soft and even and that there are no "sun patches" shining directly on your layout.

    Required Image Size

    The photograph or scan you submit should be 1000 pixels wide at 72 dpi. (This translates to roughly 3.3 inches at 300 pixels/inch.) Bigger is fine; smaller is not.