Tips for Submitting Your Photography to Publications
Have you ever flipped through your favorite magazine and wondered, “how do photographers get featured?” Perhaps you’re a photography novice who dreams of one day having their images showcased in their favorite publications, or an expert looking for an additional income stream.
Getting your photos published doesn't have to be a difficult or daunting task. So, how do you submit pictures to publications?
Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of success. Keep reading, because we reveal the top 5 tips for submitting your photography to publications!
1. Familiarize Yourself With the Publication
First and foremost, you should only submit your photos to publications which you’re familiar with. This simply means that before you make your submission, take some time to browse the publication’s website and its issues—whether digitally or in print. Try to learn when the publication started and by whom, along with what the publication’s mission or values are.
This information can be referred to in your submission and shows the editor that you’re already familiar with who they are and what they do. It can also help you to identify whether your work is a good fit for this publication or not.
2. Identify the Aesthetic or Style of Photography Being Published
Once you’ve gained a better understanding of what the publication is all about, it’s time to take a closer look at the photography they publish. Determine whether there’s a dominant theme or style, such as high fashion, analog photography, or black and white imagery, for example. Would you describe the images as vibrant or moody? vintage-inspired or starkly modern? Sweet or grungy? Additionally, are there themes for specific issues, days, weeks, or months of the year?
Again, this is vital to help you determine if your photography style suits the publication. Submitting images that meet these themes or style preferences can dramatically increase your chances of success.
3. Edit Your Images to Perfection
It’s not often that a photographer will submit images to a publication which haven’t already been edited. This is because the post-processing stage is necessary for perfecting your photos.
Thankfully, BeFunky’s Photo Editor contains all of the essential features you’ll need to make your work shine. The Edit menu, for example, contains helpful tools for adjusting exposure, cropping to a particular aspect ratio, or resizing your image to meet the publication’s requirements. The A.I. Image Enhancer also provides a one-click solution to fixing brightness, highlights, shadows, color, and more.
The Touch Up menu also acts as a photographer’s best friend, as it’s filled with digital makeup tools to enhance a subject’s natural beauty, as well as everything you need to reduce blemishes, eradicate fine lines, even out skin tone, whiten teeth, and more. The Touch Up menu is also home to an Artificial Intelligence-powered Portrait Enhancer that'll retouch your photos in a single click.
4. Know the Submission Guidelines
Publications that accept photo submissions will often have guidelines that outline their requirements. These are a must-read for photographers, as they set out things such as the format, size, and minimum or maximum number of photos you can submit. They also discuss how you should submit your pictures, whether via email or through a dedicated link on the publication’s website. Meeting these requirements will dramatically boost your chances of having your submission considered.
If you’ve been wondering “how do I sell my photos to publications?”, then a publication’s guidelines should also set out all of the information you need to know. Just keep in mind that some don’t offer payment in exchange for your photos. Therefore, decide whether you want to be featured purely for exposure or to begin earning more money from your photography.
5. Make a Great First Impression
Although this goes without saying, we all know that a little politeness goes a long way! Those who come across in a friendly and professional manner will often be remembered well beyond their submission, increasing their chances of repeat collaborations and even recommendations via word of mouth.
Additionally, you should always try to address your submission to the correct person. Their contact details can usually be found within the publication or via the website. Alternatively, you can email the publication to ask for the best point of contact.
Ready to Submit Your Pictures to Publications?
Now that you know how a photographer gets published, it’s time to put this knowledge to good use! Start submitting your own photography to any print or online publications that are the best fit.
Remember, before you send off your favorite photos, you’ll want to ensure they’ve been polished to perfection. Thankfully, BeFunky’s Photo Editor contains everything you need to create your most eye-catching images yet. Try out the Photo Editor today to see just how amazing it is!
