Now that we’ve talked about the importance of being published in the last blog post, we’re now going to talk about how to actually get published and where to look.

Many people ask about where they should be published, how to get published, the process, etc. So we’re going to cover all of that in this blog post! While this is written for the senior photographer audience, if you’re a wedding photographer, some of these concepts will also apply to you!

Where to Be Published

The first step in this process is figuring out where to even be published! Do you really want to be published in a print publication like a magazine or are you wanting to be published on a blog other than your own so that you can easily share this on social media? Next, you will want to see if this publication fits your style of photography and if this is somewhere that you want to be featured on. If a publication tends to publish images that are light and airy and your style is dark and moody, chances are slim that you’re going to be chosen for publication since it doesn’t fit that publication’s style. You will also want to look for places that are credible. If it’s a place that publishes everyone, it’s not going to be as prestigious and you’re not going to be able to leverage that as much as you would be able to a publication that is harder to get into.

For the senior industry, Senior Style Guide Magazine is a fantastic print publication if you are wanting to be published in a physical magazine; they also have a blog so using both of these is a great way to help market yourself in different mediums! Other sites aside from Senior Style Guide Magazine would be Seniorologie and The Twelfth Year. These are great places to start.

The Process

This is a big one! Each publication will have a different set of rules and standards for submitting to their publication. Some of these things may be a certain word count for articles, specific sizing for images – this is especially relevant for blogs – and deadlines. Deadlines are big since magazines have certain deadlines to hit for certain issues and if you’re inquiring about being part of the June issue and it’s already May, chances are you may have missed the deadline for the publication. For blogs, the schedule is a little bit more lenient since these are often rolling deadlines throughout the course of the year. Make sure that you’re also checking if they need anything specific from you like headshots, biography or any additional information! These will often be clearly stated, but it’s always good to double check.

Type of Content Submitted

Just because you’re not accepted for one session doesn’t mean that you won’t be accepted for another. When submitting, you’ll want to make sure that your work stands out. Maybe it’s a really well styled senior shoot or a concept that is out of the box. You’ll also want to make sure that the work you’re submitting is quality meaning you have exposure dialed in, consistent editing style and then making sure your images are in focus. These are the basics for being published as work that isn’t refined doesn’t usually get published.

I hope this helps! I truly believe that this is a tremendous way to make sure that you’re marketing yourself as an expert in the field and that you have a quality of work that is recognized. Got questions? Shoot me a DM on Instagram and let’s connect over there!

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Sean Brown is a senior portrait photographer based out of Vancouver Washington and Portland Oregon. His goal is to bring out every senior’s personality in their images and is dedicated to making sure that every senior session is different so that no two senior images are alike. Sean is now booking the Class of 2020. To learn more about being an SBP Senior, click here.