Photographers ... About Submitting Editorials/Photos To/Working For Magazines

[Kencredible]

How does one start submiting work or soliciting work for editorals/magazine work? I would really like to do that, are there small mags anyone recommends to start check out? Is there any advice in how to set up a lookbook for such work or should/can it be online?

sorry if this is the wrong forum for such a question but the magazine forum didnt look like the right place.

Moderators' Note:

See this related thread about actually producing the editorials that you would submit to a magazine:
http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f90/process-doing-editorials-photo-shoots-magazines-77142.html

 

[.francesca]

hey ken!

these are really great questions.

first of all, it might be a good idea to have a look at www.mastheads.org - you can access the mastheads of MANY major magazines on that site (there may be a small fee) and find contact info for art/creative directors. that's a good place to start.

as well, you can just take a look through your favorite magazines either online or in print to see what their submission guidelines are. many have open calls for submissions and some might say they're accepting submissions certain times of the year.

i have both emailed and called the art/creative/photo editors of magazines to let them know i'll be in town, or i'm updating my website, or whatever. it takes a lot of persistence in many cases, because they're pretty busy, but you'll likely hear a response and be able to talk to someone either in person or over the phone about your work.

i have both online portfolios and a book. i think it's a good idea to include your online portfolio in all correspondence with prospective editors, and if you plan on meeting in person, having a really professional looking book is a great idea. a good piece of advice i got was to include my favorite images - they don't have to have been published. there are a few images in my book that were never published or haven't been yet that i consider really strong work.

if you don't have a website yet, you can set up a really nice, professional portfolio at www.carbonmade.com. i wouldn't recommend using something like flickr or deviantart as your website, because i think they're sort of unprofessional, but that's just a personal preference.

good luck!

 

[fullfrontal]

Pitching Photo Stories (Editorials) to Magazines

Hello all,
I have a question for the board. I started working as a producer on photo shoots with a few photographers and stylists that I know. The intentions of the shoots are for portfolios but also we would like to pitch to magazines for publication.

Can anyone offer a bit of advice in terms of contacting magazines and editors? I realize that the game is really editorial coverage for ad pages but we're independent on this.

Thanks.

 

[smashinfashion]

you'd usually want to have a body of work (from the photographer and/or stylist) to show the editor so they can get a feel for your style. pitch some ideas, and if its a smaller magazine, some may be receptive to trying out somebody new if they like your work or are into your ideas.

 

[tristan]

There are quite a few magazines that will run unsolicited work. You'll have to do a little research as to which ones do and which ones don't. But if the story is excellent than the magazine may see it and want to run it!

 

[AlmostFamous]

There are magazines that are entirely submission based. I know that Zink is/was one of them. As well as S magazine. And perhaps 125.

 

[pamelaz]

If you are submitting a fashion story, make sure credits are appropriate. Make sure you have their advertisers in there, make sure it's correct season (if you're shooting now, make sure it's Fall credits, etc). Nothing worse than being told a story is beautiful but can't run it because the credits aren't good enough. There are tons of magazines out there that take submissions (125 was listed above and they are entirely submission based I'm pretty sure). If nothing else, sending them submissions will make the photo editors more familiar with your work which will hopefully lead to them hiring you to do stories for them in the future. Good luck!

 

[fullfrontal]

Thanks everybody for your input.
I didn't realize there were submission based books. Excellent.

 

[Lena]

it's very common to buy 'ready stories' from freelance teams

i'd advice you to built your editorials around traditional client base of the magazines you'd like to see your work published in

this will sure boost your chances for getting your story printed

 

[nickzantop]

Many magazines will publish unsolicited editorials - if they meet the standards of the magazine and their needs at the time. The ideal situation is where the magazine commissions you and your team to produce the editorial for them though.

 

[meme527]

you can set up a really nice, professional portfolio at www.carbonmade.com.

.fransca, thanks for the tip - i put up a portfolio at carbonmade myself!
pomegranate.carbonmade.com

take a look!

meme527

 

[kahlilg]

Great advice .francesca!

 

[BetteT]

Some things to condsider about submissions:

1. It's a long shot ... your are competing against lots of other great teams, so don't expect to get published. Consider it a great creative test and if you get lucky and get published, that's a huge bonus.
2. Magazines don't pay much, if anything for editorials ... probably because they don't have to ... so many who want to get published.
3. It's a misconception that getting published is the final goal and how we (photgraphers, stylists, makeup artists, models, etc.) make our money. It's what we do to get exposure, to get credits, to put on our resumes and to attract the real paying clients. It's a marketing tool ... not the final goal for our careers.
4. The fashion needs to be for the next or upcoming season ... because there is a 2 to 6 month delay in publishing editorials. It has to be current when it actually runs.
5. As someone said above, commissioned work is way , way better than submissions for 2 big reasons:
First, if you are commissioned, they are actually planning on running it, so you've got about a 99% chance that they actually will. run it And, they can provide a "pull letter" for the stylsit so tha you can get samples from next season from designers ... so that you are current.
6. To get commissioned work, the photographer needs to develop a relationship ... probably will need to meet with the editor and show him his portfolio and run some ideas by the editor. If they use that photographer once and loves his stuff ... chances are he'll be able to do it again from time to time. The very best way to get published, IMHO.

 

[LANZO_358]

(subscribed)
Gread thread

 

[Valentina83]

question to editors and AD magazines

hi everybody!
a little question...

when a magazine ask a photographer for an editorial, who is in chanrge of the selection of the pics?

Is the photographer who pick the 8 photos for the editorial or is the artistic direct that after he has saw most of the pictures choose the 8 that would be published...?

and what about if the photographer doesn't like them?


thank you so much!

 

[sprainha]

in my experience its the photographer that decides which images s/he wants in the magazine and then it is up to the art director to decided form this selection... if the art director isnt happy with the selection then the photographer can then decided to show more images

hi everybody!
a little question...

when a magazine ask a photographer for an editorial, who is in chanrge of the selection of the pics?

Is the photographer who pick the 8 photos for the editorial or is the artistic direct that after he has saw most of the pictures choose the 8 that would be published...?

and what about if the photographer doesn't like them?


thank you so much!

 

[KHadeka]

In my experience. The photographer edits them down before he gives them to the editor. She then choses her top 8 and sends to the creative director. Its a joint effort for the Photographer and Stylist. But if it is the fashion editor who is hosting the shoot... they always have final say on the top 8. trustttt

 

[Lucapatrone]

Magazines editorials: how to begin

Hy to all the forum.

I'm new here and I'm surprised from the quality and wideness of the posts.

This is the only fashion-exaustive-extremely-usefull forum about fashion that I could find.

I would like to post a question about magazines.

Do you know same fashion magazines that accept editorial proposals from young and emerging photograhers?

Thank you very much,

Luca

 

[sedirea]

http://www.dirrtyglam.com/ does I think.

 

[aaronmangsat]

i <3 this