Just One Day

Gayle Forman, one of my favorite authors, has a new book coming out soon! I'm so excited to read it! :)

Let The Sky Fall

Leigh Fallon: Shadow of the Mark Cover Reveal!

Leigh Fallon: Shadow of the Mark Cover Reveal!: Sorry for the long wait. I know this day has been a long time coming, but finally I can share the new and shiny cover of Shadow of the Mark....



Amazing cover!

Inside Candy Land

Have you ever wondered how a teen magazine is produced? In the Philippines, Candy is a magazine known to give teenage girls the best kind of sugar rush with every turn of its pages. Get a glimpse of what it’s like working in a teen magazine and find out why sweet things need not come in crystallized sugar.

A day at the Candy Headquarters

Marla Miniano, Candy’s Deputy Editor in Chief, described a typical day in Candy as this: the editors check proofs and print-outs, edit articles, research, answer e-mails, and respond to readers' feedback. Life at Candy is different from what readers see on the magazine’s official website, Candymag.com, where behind the scenes videos of photo shoots as well as the editors’ blog entries of events they have attended are posted. For most of the Candy staff, working in a magazine is not all about photo shoots and events. Rather, a typical day is spent behind the desk except for fashion and beauty editors who have a more varied daily routine. “Sometimes they do pull-outs (a term used in publishing for borrowing of clothes, accessories, and shoes from different stores for shoots), source for products, shoots, and go to a lot of events because I think that’s really where the events people concentrate—fashion and beauty,” said Marla.          

Behind the glossy pages                                     

The Candy editors start working on an issue three months prior to the release of the magazine in the market. The editors do important things in the initial process. They research and brainstorm for the contents of the magazine. As soon as they have decided on what products and topics to feature, the actual work follows. This consists of assigning the articles to staff and contributing writers, contacting of models who will pose for the magazine, coordinating with store and boutique owners for pull-outs of clothes and accessories to be worn by models, and finally, doing photo shoots.  

Following the actual work is the editing process. The print outs, which are used for editing text, goes through all the editors for review and preparation for publication. The edited articles/stories  are then sent to the production team which does necessary last minute changes, if any, to the  imagery, touching, and text. For the final step, the editors check the print outs again before sending them to the printers. Every new issue of Candy comes out on the last week of the prior month. This year’s October issue was released on the 22^nd of September, 2012.

When asked how long the Candy team finish working on an issue, Marla replied, “The actual shoots, articles, and laying out the magazine takes more than a month.”

Big and Fresh Ideas

Readers responded very well to Candy’s themed issues. In its previous issues, the magazine carried themes for its different sections or for a special issue only. Today, Candy has one featured theme for the entire monthly issue. The team believed that this strategy would make all the articles more cohesive and more connected with one another. Readers would readily understand and appreciate the main subject because they are focused in one particular issue. This requires a longer time of preparation. “We really want to present one big idea per issue so we plan on the themes a year before. Like now, we already have the line-up for next year which is exciting,” said Marla. Aside from the team’s own research and ideas, it solicits suggestions from readers and the Council of Cool, a group of selected young students who write for the magazine. The editors make it a point to find out what are the concerns, passions, and interests of their readers.    

Recently, Candy’s majority readers wanted to read more about indie bands and upcoming actors and actresses from the United States. “For the longest time, I think our mindset was we just want to give them what they love but now we’ve been discovering that it’s also a good thing to give them something they haven’t discovered yet.” With this thought, the editors treat the readers, not only with today’s popular demands like the British-Irish boy band One Direction and singer Justin Bieber but more importantly, giving readers something new.   

It’s A Tough World

Working in a magazine entails a lot of hard work, dedication, and teamwork. For Marla, the main challenge in the publishing industry is working with different types of people every day. She emphasized, “When putting together a shoot or an article, things don’t always go strictly according to plan. You can’t really plan every little thing down to the littlest detail. You have to be open to a lot of changes along the way and you have to make things work despite all the changes.” 

Marla shared that Candy is fortunate to have members of the team who are young and young at heart because it makes generating ideas for the magazine “magical” for them. Since Candy is aimed at teenage girls, their passion and fondness for pop culture and anything teen-related make them click. “I think we’re at our most creative when we’re all together. We inspire one another so in coming up with ideas, I don’t think we have a difficult time which is very fortunate for us. ”  

A Balancing Act

Apart from its eye-catching covers and fun, colorful, and glossy pages, Candy is also known for its enlightening and inspiring feature stories, delightful entertainment articles, and most especially, its dazzling fashion and beauty spreads.  

As the editors go through daily activities in putting up the magazine, “smart” and “stylish” are the words they live by. They try to balance those two words which they think best describe Candy girls (the readers). “We want to present articles that will make them think and of course the stylish sides with fashion and beauty”, added Marla.

Sweet Inspiration

Candy is a huge part in Marla’s life. She was a reader since her high school and college days. Later, she became a member of the Council of Cool and eventually joined the publishing company as a staff member. “I don’t think I really expected things to go this way. It’s fulfilling to give back to the magazine and to see how much it has evolved through the years. We feel like we’re part of all the changes and we’ve grown with Candy, it’s already a huge achievement for all of us,” she said. Marla’s personal story has encouraged many readers to pursue their dreams and never stop believing that their dreams will come true someday.   

Through the years, Candy has spread its sweetness by being every girl’s bible to teenage life and infinite possibilities. Not only does the magazine keep young girls updated on the latest fashion and beauty trends, celebrities, books, movies, music, and hotspots. True-to-life experiences which are accounted and written by some readers themselves inspire teenage girls to improve their family and social relationships and to discover their passions and true selves.      

Candy has touched the life of many of its readers. Leslie Lipa, a member of the Council of Cool 10 (meaning tenth batch) started reading Candy when she was in grade school. She was influenced by one of her best friends but it was Leslie who grew to appreciate the magazine more. Because Candy believes in talent and potential, it provides a lot of opportunities for young people to mature and develop as better individuals. Teenage years is indeed a vulnerable stage in one’s life but for Leslie her journey was made easier because the magazine offered tips on how to handle the challenges that she met along the way. Candy influences its readers to be an inspiration to teens by being the best version of themselves. “It gave me an avenue to believe in myself and encouraged me to become a better person,” said Leslie.

Mika Chiong, another true-blue Candy girl, has been a reader since July 2002. Because of Candy, Mika realized her passion for writing. She said, “Looking back, I thought I’ve been “writing” already but when I became a Council of Cool member, that’s when I realized that I really enjoy writing. And whether or not I make a living out of it, I know that I’ll always enjoy writing.” 

Once a Candy girl, always a Candy girl

Being a Candy girl doesn’t end when one has graduated from her teen years. This is another surprising truth. In fact, a lot of girls like Leslie and Mika who are already in their twenties read the magazine up to this day. Candy transforms every reader into a well-rounded individual—smart, stylish, realistic, confident, and optimistic. And because readers grew up with this amazing magazine, it’s difficult for them to let go of something that has enriched, inspired, and made their lives any sweeter.

Photo Shoot Magic 

Summit Studio

Make-up artist Tatin Yang and Hairstylist Ronie Misa working their magic on model Pam Bama

These clothes are "pulled out" or borrowed from different stores  

Shoes of every style and color

Bangles 

More accessories such as necklaces and bracelets

Candy Council of Cool member Jaz Reyes steaming clothes 

Alekx Toyhacao (also a Council of Cool member) helps Jaz in choosing clothes

for the models  

Radio DJ and model Jessica Mendoza being styled by Ronie Misa

Candy's Deputy Editor in Chief Marla Miniano helps Jaz and Alekx in styling

Jessica's outfit 

Jessica poses for the camera

Model Pam Bama being styled by Candy's Managing Editor, Mimi Tiu 

Pam smiles for the camera

Model Tricia Gosingtian in a jumping pose

Candy Cuties Nico Ibaviosa and Albie Casino

Nico and Albie are both actors in local television shows

Q & A with Nico and Albie for a feature article about them

The Candy website

The homepage

Featured accounts on Candy Faces

The Teen Talk forums 

Games and Quizzes

 

The Candy and Council of Cool (COC) blogs 

listen to ‘About Candymag.com’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Interview with Marla Miniano Part 1’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Interview with Marla Miniano Part 2’ on Audioboo

The 33rd Manila International Book Fair

They say that actions speak louder than words. But for some, words are more powerful. Words have the ability to touch a person or even take him to places he has never dreamed of. Even if words are unspoken, they resonate in people’s minds. Just like what words in books do.

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) is one of the longest-running book fairs in Asia which aims to uphold the love for reading. Now on its 33^rd year, the MIBF once again proved that books are influential tools in enriching the minds and lives of people. The fair runs from September 12-16 and starts from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. With an entrance fee of P20 and P15 (for students and senior citizens), one is in for an exciting and unforgettable literature adventure.

Upon entering the fair, you will be greeted by the scent of paper and ink that will eventually draw you in even more. A maze of shelves holding thousands of books will make you gasp in admiration. But for certified book lovers, it surely is a different feeling. Just being in that treasure trove of literature is pure bliss. People from all walks of life tread down the aisles browsing through a selection of books from one shelf to another. One amazing treat for the fair-goers? Newly released books are marked with a 20% off discount! One group of teenage girls even squealed with delight when they saw the 20% off sign. Other exhibitors also offered 50% discounts on children’s books and cook books. Aside from selling books, the book fair also has events such as book launches, book signing, writers’ fellowship, literacy workshop, storytelling competition, and teachers’ seminar to name a few.

Although we are in the digital age, the Manila International Book Fair proved that reading is timeless. Nothing beats the experience of holding a book and allowing one’s self to free fall into the world beneath its pages.  

The National Book Store exhibit

Reference books such as dictionaries and travel books  

The Fully Booked exhibit

The General Fiction section with books by popular authors like Nicholas Sparks

and Paulo Coelho 

Tables of new book releases from authors such as 

Mitch Albom and Gretchen Rubin

A shelf of popular Young Adult fiction books from authors like Lauren Oliver,

Kiera Cass, Veronica Rossi, Tahereh Mafi, and Josephine Angelini   

More YA books from the Hachette Book Group

Educational children's books 

View Manila International Book Fair in a larger

listen to ‘MIBF 2012’ on Audioboo

That Thing Called Creativity

After reading the article about Pixar, I immediately asked myself, “When and how did I become creative?” Well, I think it started when I was a little girl who had a wide imagination that created vivid pictures of things I visualized. In school, my classmates and I were asked to draw whatever we like and write stories about it. Somehow, those “kiddie” activities that our teachers made us do have developed our creative abilities. As years went by, my creativity blossomed from a bud to a full-grown flower. I think my love for reading also helped foster my creativity because it exercised my imagination and enhanced my vocabulary. It was during my grade school days that I discovered my passion for creative writing. And everyday, I wrote in my journal to practice my craft and prefer reading books in the weekends than going out with my friends. I know some of you might say what a boring girl I am but really, I live and breathe literature. In my opinion, school is really a starting point in encouraging creativity. Teachers have the ability to squeeze the creative juices out of students’ minds that are reflected through reflection papers, Science projects, artworks, and class productions which really require a lot of effort and imagination.

As for work, well, I’m still unemployed at this point but I am a contributing writer for a teen magazine. In my entire stint at the Candy Council of Cool, I learned that in order to produce a magazine that readers will love and enjoy, teamwork is the key essential in unleashing the creativity in a person because it challenges him/her to contribute ideas (lots of them!) that are way beyond ordinary. It really helps if the members of a team are different from each other. My council mates and I are very different in our age and interests. Most of my council mates are teenagers which is really cool because their ideas are really fit for the young generation. We worked on our mini magazine last summer (coming out this October!) and we had a blast brainstorming and pitching great ideas for the theme, features, fashion pages, celebrities to feature, hotspots, and our cover girl. I’m so happy that I worked with such an amazing team! It’s challenging but it was a fun learning experience.

Call me SNOOPy!

The personal space that I snooped at is the room of our house helpers. My family is a food concessionaire of my high school and our house helpers go to the school to serve food to the students, faculty, and staff. So I grabbed the chance to snoop around their room since they were out for a couple of hours. I chose just one side of the room; the side of the house helper that I’m not really close to. Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was how clean the floor is—no dirt at all but slippers and shoes were scattered. I also noticed the soiled clothes on the bed and the closet were not neatly arranged. The basahans, along with the underwear, towels, and clothes were also in the closet. Though the stuff are in separate layers, they are not arranged properly. I looked inside the drawers and found that things are in order; the opposite of the bed, closet, and floor. Jeans are in one drawer, pambahay clothes in another, as well as beauty products.

Since the room has no desk, it has a dresser and a shelf. I saw wallet-sized pictures of our helper and with her sister on display (other-directed). The things on the dresser such as lotion, cologne, powder, ponytail holders, and brush are neatly arranged as well as the bags in the shelf. As for behavioral residue, I observed that every after meal in our house, she washes the dishes right away and arranges the plates, forks, spoons, glasses, and other utensils in their respective places. Feeling regulators are old magazines which I think she and our other helper reads during their free time, and the old radio/cassette player that they listen to all the time. They frequently listen to the radio station, 97.1 or 102.7. Those stations play different kinds of genres—OPM (which they really like), classics, and popular music today. I observed that she really loves music and I hear her sing whenever she cooks or whenever she relaxes.

Based on the results of my observation, I can say that she’s a very busy person. With the kind of work that she does like cooking food for our business, serving food in the school, washing all the dirty plates and utensils as soon as the team comes home, and doing household chores, she doesn’t have the time to fix most of her things especially those that she uses everyday—clothes, underwear, and footwear which are found in the closet, bed, and the floor. I can also say that she’s hardworking, task-focused, dependable, helpful, kind, and cooperative; those qualities in conscientiousness and agreeableness. She’s been with our family for almost 7 years now and she’s someone that we can trust. We truly appreciate everything she has done for our family.

If I were to give her a gift, it would be a big bag that she can use when she goes to work at the school canteen because the one that she uses is already worn-out or movie tickets for her and our other helper so that they can relax after a stressful and busy week.