A Comprehensive Guide on How To Get Published and Why You May Be Hearing Crickets After Submitting

 

So, you want to get published – How to get published

I get it, you want to see your work in print. You want those featured badges to sprinkle on your website. The back linking from popular blogs sharing your work to boost your SEO. The prestige of being able to call yourself a “Published Photographer” (or other vendor or model even!). Publishing is important to more people than just the photographer, but let’s not get carried away. Point is, it’s uber beneficial to get published, and you want in. Let’s go through together, step by step, how to get published and how to choose magazines or blogs that will actually benefit your business.

 

** Before we get started, I just wanted to let you in on a little secret that really shouldn’t be a secret anymore. SO shout it loud and proud!

Many magazines take payment upon submission to either

1. Give you a “Better chance” at being published, quicker response time and/or feedback on potentially why your photo wasn’t chosen.

2. Guarantee you a page in the magazine (given that your photos are of quality, and in a lot of cases, no refunds are given if it is deemed not good enough or doesn’t fit the theme)

3. Guarantee you the cover spread of the magazine (same restrictions as above).

Those are just a few common “pay to play” options.

MY REASON FOR TELLING YOU

I want you to know that not everything is earned. There is a good chance that the photographer you looked up to, paid for the cover spot on a magazine. And that’s okay if that is how they choose to spend advertising money. But it doesn’t make them better than you or you worse than them.

And for you non photographers out there, when searching for a photographer, don’t let your decision weigh on where or whether or not they have been published for this exact reason.

Now, there are a ton of magazines that do not except or require payments to boost your chance at being published and here’s what I’ve found:

• Many bridal magazines do not except or require payment

• Many Kavyar.com submissions do take payment.

• You can pay for programs such as twobrightlights.com to ‘streamline’ your submission process, but more on that later.

In closing, it seems as though if you find yourself submitting editorial portraiture, you will find that there is the payment option. And therefore your images may not do as well if you choose to submit for free. I am by no means an expert on what niches charge, these are just my findings, and I wanted to open your eyes to this possibility!

So now that we have that out of the way, how can you get published without having to pay someone else to use your image?

(Because that’s just ludicrous)

Create a session that showcases your strengths and speaks to your niche.

Create a styled shoot, working with other artists/vendors to capture a unique idea. While planning, take a look at the desired blog or magazine that you plan to submit to.

• Does the mag match your niche? Are you submitting a documentary wedding to an editorial magazine? Because that wont fly sista.

• What season will they be publishing next? Don’t create a summer shoot if its nearly fall, the magazine will want to publish “up and coming” not “last season”. If you do happen to do this but really want the shoot published, wait until next year!

• What ideas or themes have they just published? You should stay away from those as they wont blog/print the same idea twice.

• What geographical area do they usually use photos from? Are you submitting a snowy winter session to a California mag? Or are you in the states wanting to submit to Confetti Mag which is based out of Calgary?

• Do they seem to give smaller artists a chance often? Manage your expectations, but still apply to larger blogs and magazines! You never know, although you don’t want to let yourself be crushed. Junebug weddings is a good example of a huge mag that would be amazing to be published in but to manage your expectations when submitting.

• Do they only post, or favour “Real Weddings”? Just another thing to keep in mind when managing expectations.

When creating your styled shoot.

I suggest taking a step away from Pinterest. You don’t want your idea to accidentally turn into your inspiration photos.

What I do to create unique styled shoots:

• I have about 4 – 10 images from Pinterest to convey the vibe or feeling of the shoot.

• I pick out key colours for the shoot

• Then I let the vendors create whatever the heck their heart desires.

One thing that I love most about that last step is that it allow EVERYONE to be emotionally invested in the shoot. It’s not just my idea that other vendors are bringing to life; it’s a little piece from everyone, coming together to create some real, bad ass art! Usually, the vendors that I work with, tend to use the opportunity to play with a new technique, do something a little “out there” to show future clients how great it could look etc.

To recap:

Create a unique shoot where everyone contributes something that speaks to their style, don’t draw too much inspiration from outside sources and be sure to do a little bit of research so you know what your odds are when it comes to publication time.

Prepare everyone for the wait

Be sure that all of the involved vendors and models know that generally, you have to wait until the magazine or blog gives you the go ahead before you post the images. This can be frustrating and cause conflict if it was not previously discussed, so be sure to prepare your team and be transparent with updates and timelines.

This wait period can be anywhere from a few weeks to several months to up to a year. It is comprised of the photographers editing time, submitting time (the act of submitting to multiple magazines is TEDIOUS, and then you have to wait a week to 30 business days to hear back from the magazine about if they will pick up your set or not), editing time on the blog or magazines behalf, printing time (if a magazine), and then the contractual exclusivity -meaning how long did you agree that the magazine or blog would be the exclusive provider of the images. This is different for each magazine and can be really lenient or extremely strict. Be sure to know the exclusivity policy and share it with your team members to avoid the possibility of your set being dropped due to a breech.

Submitting

Hooray! You’ve successfully put together a shoot, and edited the images to your satisfaction. Next I like to share the images with the team, reinstating whatever exclusivity we may be held to. Then you submit!

Many magazines suggest that you submit to one and then wait to hear back before submitting to the next. I personally sit down and bang out each submission in one day and then wait to hear back. This way you save time and get the tedious part over with while you’re feeling really optimistic and exited about your images. If you wait to hear back and hear a no, then go onto the next submission, realistically, how many will you get through before you give up? I’d hope you’d still get through your list, however, we know that may not be the case.

Each magazine or blog will have a different method of submitting.

Some want you to email them, others (the majority) have forms on their website to fill out.

This is where it gets tedious. Most of the submissions will be by forms. Each of these forms are laid out differently and require different information. But I can tell you now, that each will most definitely require the name, social media and website to each involved vendor, in the little individual boxes, and that’s where is gets slow.

I recommend having a tab open with each vendors social media and website so you can easily go and copy and paste each one into the appropriate box on the form.

If you are able to delegate out this responsibility, so that the weight of the job is shared, then go for it! Generally the photographer submits as legally, that is the only person who can grant the use of those copy written images. However, some submission forms allow you to check that you have the photographers permission and someone else may submit.

Some of my favourite magazines/blogs to submit to are:

Today’s Bride

Rocky Mountain Bride

West Coast Weddings

Confetti Magazine

Love Inc Mag

Wandering Weddings

Green Wedding Shoes

Junebug Weddings

What to do when you get more than one “YES”

Using the previously described method of going crazy with submitting all in one day, can cause this issue. It’s a great issue to have, but puts you in between a rock and a hard place. I recently had a situation like this when one of my shoots was accepted by Today’s Bride (in print), Rocky Mountain Bride (blog), Love Inc Mag (blog).

So what I did was

• Talk to my team. Was there a specific one that they were all DYING to get into?

• Do you have preference between print or blog?

• Are you wanting to be viewed by your ideal clients or by other vendors?

In the end, we went with Today’s Bride, as we felt that more Canadian brides were likely to pick it up and read it vs more vendors following RMB or more Americans following Love inc. And we wanted to be in print.

What to do if you keep getting “NO”

• Keep submitting or wait until a different season to submit. Maybe you missed the ideal season for your particular shoot.

• Use the heck out of the gorgeous photos. Getting a “no” means you can use your photos that much faster! Post them to social media tagging all involved to get more post reach, use them on your website and business cards. Just go crazy, using the heck out of the images that you worked so hard to create!

• Submit the images to win awards or to be featured on social media pages.

• Think about what may have not fit, where you can improve next time and start dreaming up your next shoot.

FAQ: How to Get Published

Some common FAQ about getting your photography published and noticed!

How do you become a published photographer?

To become a published photographer, submit your work to magazines, blogs, and online publications that align with your style. Follow their submission guidelines carefully and build relationships with editors to increase your chances.

How do I get my photography noticed?

Consistently share high-quality work on social media, network with industry professionals, submit to publications, and optimize your website for SEO. Engaging storytelling and strong branding also help attract attention.

How do I sell myself as a photographer?

Create a strong portfolio, define your niche, and showcase your expertise through social media, a professional website, and networking. Testimonials and published work help build credibility.

What makes a photographer published?

A photographer is considered published when their work is featured in a magazine, blog, or online platform beyond their own channels. This can be through submission, commissions, or editorial features.

What magazines are looking for photo submissions?

Many publications accept photography submissions, including Junebug Weddings, Rangefinder, National Geographic Your Shot, Vogue Italia (PhotoVogue), and The Knot. Always check their submission guidelines before sending in your work.