How to get published

I have had loads of people asking about how to get their work published, this has come from fellow photographers, models, make up artists, stylists and designers. So I thought I would write a post about the best ways to get your work seen and published.

I am going to split them into two areas Direct and In-Direct. Direct is you actively approaching the magazines, indirect is being found by them.

Direct

Email and Trade Fairs

One great way to get in front of magazine is to attend trade fairs, taking along a printed version of your portfolio. You never know who may be there, but just make sure that you attend the right fairs, there is no point in attending the Ideal Home Show if you do fashion photography. Also remember to take some business cards with you to give to anyone you meet.

Also as you now how to use the internet you can research magazine websites online and contact them directly, find email addresses of editors, art departments, etc and send them your work by email. This can pay off but remember large magazines get thousands of submissions everyday so dont be put off if you dont hear back.

In Person - Post (yes good old fashion post)

If you know the actual address of a magazine you could send them your printed portfolio directly either take it in person or post it to them, but remember to try to find the name of someone to direct it too so it doesnt get lost in the junk mail pile.

CT Magazine

You have probably heard of CT Magazine, its basic purpose on this planet is to publish and showcase the hidden talent in the world of fashion, everyone from photographers, models, make up artists, stylists, designers. So if you have some great shots you would like published check out the website and get in touch - http://ctmagazine.co.uk/How-to-get-published-in-CT-magazine.htm

In-Direct

Social Networks

The first thing to remember is that now thanks to the internet and social media, its easier to get your work in front of the people that matter, editors, creative directors, etc. So one think to remember is to post your shots to social media. Whether that is to FaceBook, Google+, Twitter or Flickr. The thing to remember is to post it to these sites.

now posting it onto these sites is not enough, you must then be social in your process, take part in discussions, and especially on Google+ take part in #ing events, these happen all the time and offer a great way to get your shots seen. These range widely from things such as #shoesmonday to #TreeTuesday and so on. Remember that the more people who see your shots the better.

#Hashtags

Now you will now by now what a #hashtag is, its a simple way for engines such as Twitter, Google, FaceBook to find stuff. Although its not a guarantee of being found it does help. So when ever you post a photo make sure to label it with the correct #hashtags, so what I suggest doing is post a photo to your Flickr account, then use the share options in Flickr to share your photo to twitter and then add the #hashtags for your shots, such as #fashion #outdoor or what ever your shot is about.

Twitter

Although I have mentioned social media, the benefit of twitter is that you can almost target you tweets to anyone, so as well as adding the #hashtags to your photos, make a point of finding out the magazine you would like to be published in, or and even better the person who makes the decisions for publication. For example if you would like to be feature in CT Magazine you can follow them by following them at @CT_FashionMag and if you want to get more in touch with CT Magazine you can follow the editor directly at @SeanJC you get the idea. But dont think that by simply tweeting your photo to a magazine it will get published. They need to see worth in your shots as well as creative flare.

Hard Work

But I guess the most important thing to remember is that you must put the work in, you need to keep your portfolio up to date with different shots that show your creativity, and above all else spend time actively being part of the social media world. As you now have direct links to people you never did before, but they need to see you and see that you care about what you do.

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