Hi Guys!
welcome back.
I'm Joy, I own Joy Michelle Photography, and today we're going to be talking about getting
published and featured as a photographer.
So tip #1 for getting your work published is to do your research on blog publications
and magazine subscriptions.
So you need to know what these editors are looking for, and what kind of work they tend
to feature.
So you may start to notice patterns that your work would fit really well on a certain blog,
or this magazine looks a lot like work that you do, so you want to find one that fits
stylistically into your genre of work.
That way you're not wasting your time submitting to everybody where they might not be interested
in darker moody images, or lighter airy images.
Tip number two is to know and read all of the submission publication rules before you
submit and abide by all of them.
Every single blog or magazine will have publication guidelines.
They will have requirements on their website - and they will tell you how big they want
the images, whether or not they like to see collages, watermarks, certain things, and
they will be very very clear, and this is one area where you do not want to skip or
be lazy about in any way.
Editors and publishers do not want to have 5 more steps in order to make your images
fit into their blog.
They have so many submission to begin with that you want to make sure that you don't
get passed over for such a simple and avoidable reason like a submission guideline requirement.
So read those guidelines and take them seriously.
The third tip I have for you today is to shoot with getting featured in mind.
Now, the big part to remember with features is 70-80% of a feature is detail shots.
So your detail shots need to be top notch and maybe that means you give yourself an
extra few minutes at your next wedding.
You arrive a little bit early.
Or you practice styling at home.
or you bring some styling aids to the wedding.
So like ribbons, vintage stamps, a special hanger, that kind of thing.
I bring a styling kit and I also arrive early to every wedding so that I know that I can
get these detail shots no matter how crazy the wedding day is.
Because I know that these detail shots are super important and necessary if I'm going
to get featured.
So make sure that you keep those detail shots in mind.
Alright- so the next tip that I have for you guys is to build genuine vendor relationships.
Now if you curate your submission, and send an email to an editor using their first name
and putting some genuine comments inside of that email so that it doesn't look like a
template email that you sent 50 other blogs, I really believe that this helps make your
submission stand out from the rest.
Honestly, many times, even when I haven't been accepted by a blog, the editor will write
me back, because they know I'm a real person.
They will explain to my why the publication passed on a submission and they can tell me
what they did like and what they didnt like.
That gives me so much insight as to what to do next time.
so, be a real person, treat these editors and bloggers like real people, and be personal
with them and build those relationships.
I would not have gotten this magazine cover or any photos inside of this magazine, if
I didn't reach out to the editor and talk to this person, and say "what can I do for
your publication I know you're working on this magazine"so really be tenacious and get
after it but also be personable and realize that these are people behind desks - just
like you.
When you send an email, don't put "to whom it may concern" - write To editor so and so.
You know?Really do the research.
Go on linkedin.
go on the website.
You can find these people's first names and figure out who is going to be receiving your
submission.
IT really makes you sand out from the rest of the crowd.
So two little bonus tips or thoughts that I want to leave you with is # 1 - features
and blogs are a little bit like fashion in that they're always thinking a season ahead.
So, if you have maybe a winter wedding that you're hoping to get featured, you want to
make sure that you submit that in the fall so that they have time to get it on their
submission calendar and their feature calendar by the time it really is the winter.
So submissions do take a fair bit of time and I do take a lot of time curating submissions.
I really think of this as an investment into the marketing of my business to have all of
these links and you know magazines, linking back to my work and attributing the work to
me, it really has grown my business and helped me take my business to the next level.
So now it's time for YOU to go submit your work!
To help you out, I actually created a submission checklist for you!
you can grab it for free down in the information section.
And it's just a tool to help you keep track of all the different submissions, when you
can expect to hear back from publications, and make sure that you don't forget any of
the little details in between.
Be sure to grab that!
Give this video a like!
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And I'll see you guys next time!
bye!:)