This Month It was great to see my latest published works on the cover of Bonus Sapor and Live Preston Magazines. I thought I would post a few helpful paragraphs of advice for photographers aiming to be published.
It can be a daunting task for photographers trying to get their work seen by large audiences. This article focuses on something that many photographers may be asking themselves. How does somebody go about getting their work published in magazines?
Live Preston
One of the things I would recommend to photographers, wanting to get their work published is to think of some of your favorite magazines out there. For example, those that are into outdoor activities, might find it useful to look at magazines such as Outside Magazine, to get an idea of what type of photos they generally include in their issues. Keep in mind that, you will need photos that are up to their quality standard, and are catered towards the type of content they are currently looking for. Another, thing to keep in mind is that, say your photos are not up to par with the quality that most popular magazines are searching for, this does not necessarily need that you have no chance of being published, you just might need to look at lesser known magazines. Once, you have found a magazine that suits your subject matter, and you have done your research, you can go about contacting the magazine publishers.
Most magazines nowadays, have websites where they list their guidelines for photographers and writers looking to get their work published in their magazine. I would highly recommend that you look over these guidelines, as they are crucial to standing a good chance of getting your work published. Another thing that most magazines, require is that along with your submission, that you send them some type of query letter, which you can most likely find online through a search on Google. Query letters, usually consist of why you are contacting the magazine, your ideas for the magazine, where you have previously been published, if applicable, and why your photos would benefit their magazine.
It is also a good idea to show the magazine publishers that you are familiar with their magazine as well. However, if you do happen to be unfamiliar with a specific magazine, you can usually request that they send you a sample issue for a small fee. Note, when sending in a query letter to a magazine, be sure that you have a copy of the original photos, as usually the magazine is not responsible for what happens to them. Also keep in mind that, since magazines usually plan out their issues way in advance, it can take sometimes a few weeks or months before they reply to submissions, and do not be surprised if they do not. Due to the hundreds of emails they receive from photographers requesting to be published in their magazines, it is difficult for magazine publishers to reply to each email.
Sapor
Although, getting published in a magazine can be a difficult challenge. Becoming published can be highly beneficial to your success as a photographer.
