4 Steps to Get Published on the Blog of Your Dreams
I want you to get published. I’m just going to go ahead and get that out there right now! I’m for you and I’m on your team. Do you want to know what I’m doing right now? Cheering you on!
If you have ever had a shoot turned down from a blog or magazine you love, know you’re not alone. Are you afraid your favorite wedding of all time will never get published? I have been there. If you find yourself disheartened about getting published, here’s a hug for you. I also want you to go read these 10 myths about getting published because your work matters, and I don’t want you to lose heart while trying to get published! Afterall, it might just lead to booking more shoots this year.
Now that you know you’re not in this alone, let’s get started so you can get your work out there. You know those blogs and magazines that feel unreachable? I want to show you how to reach out and shake hands with them. You just need some practical tips for how to get their attention, and I’m here to spill it all.
1) Create a List
Where do you want to get published? When you’re first starting, getting published can be overwhelming! Either you realize there are many blogs and the options are endless, or you don’t know more than two or three blogs. To help you get started, I have a gift for you! I have created a cheat sheet of 30 blogs and magazines every photographer should know about. Click here to grab the cheat sheet, and make a note of your favorites!
I like to keep a list of where I want to get published in Google Keep. Before I create a submission, I look through my list and decide if a particular shoot would be a good fit for any of those blogs or magazines. If the shoot could work for several different blogs, I research to see which blog would be the best fit for me and my brand at that point in time.
Related: How to Market Your Business and Gain Clients When You’re Just Starting
2) Do your homework
Once you know where you want to get published, dive into the heart of that blog or magazine. Read the about page and learn the history. Read the articles. Create a list of the types of images you see. Is this editor looking for simple styling, a lot of color, or incredible views? Once you have a good understanding of what they want to feature, you will know if you have something that will be the perfect fit.
If I want my work published in a particular blog or magazine, I collect all the information I can. I learn how they started their blog. I read through the editor’s comments on the feature, and I look to see what they share on social media. This system has helped me gain a better understanding of the blogs and magazines I love while submitting my work!
3) Follow, follow, follow
If you want to get published somewhere specific, follow them on social media. Stay up-to-date with what their audience loves, and start creating content for their audience on your own platform. Curate your own social channel so their audience feels right at home on your Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest once you are published on your favorite blog or magazine!
Before I submit a shoot to an editor, I take a look at their feed to make sure that my entire submission would fit in their Instagram feed. If there’s a photo that wouldn’t belong in their feed, I remove it from the submission.
Related: 3 Ways to Get an Editor’s Attention
4) Tell the story
This is possibly the most challenging and most important part of creating a submission. In order to be considered, your submission needs to stand out. Find the story, the story that will help their audience connect with the shoot, and share that in your submission. Editors want to feel like your submission is curated to their audience! What better way to do that than through a story?
You can do this. You can absolutely get published! If you’re like me, you will have some of your favorite weddings turned down for publication. When that happens, keep submitting and don’t give up. I’ll be cheering you on, friend.
*And don’t forget your cheat sheet!
Jordan Brittley is a wedding photographer and educator. She helps other creatives dig deep, maximize strengths, and build businesses they love around a life they love. She loves iced mochas, compelling stories, and relaxing road trips with her husband and babe. Jordan believes in running toward dreams instead of chasing them.
