Should You Submit Your Shoot To Magazines?
My week started with a two-day campaign job and is finishing with me shooting two editorials in one day (don't ask!).
I got asked an interesting question the other day, that I thought would make a good blog post for you all. To get published in a magazine for the first time, are you better off submitting a shoot that you've already done, or sending an idea and then getting a commission?
I started shooting for magazines by shooting a series of images, and then submitting them, and in my opinion, that is the quickest way to get your foot in the door. You can gather a team, plan your own shoot, and then send the images to magazines once the shoot is complete.
However, there are a few difficulties in doing this, particularly if you're shooting fashion - because you will need clothing from current collections, and in some cases, you will need them to be high end brands - no ZARA or H&M. In order to get clothing, stylists often need a magazine to provide them with a pull letter, which tells the PR agencies who the stylist is shooting for. Without that pull letter, a stylist has a much harder time getting clothing.
But it isn't impossible. Some stylists have great relationships with PR agencies, and have ways of getting ahold of branded clothing. Many people buy and return clothing, or sometimes when stylists have shoots over the weekend, they'll be able to use the clothing for other shoots as well to make the most of the time with the clothing.
So as you can see, there are ways to do it.
Why not just try to get an idea commissioned by a magazine and skip the submission process?
You can, of course, and I get ideas commissioned by magazines on a regular basis. But when you're starting out, it can feel quite tough and demotivating. Getting a commission can take a long time, whereas submitting images to a magazine can speed up your process somewhat.
If you are going to produce a shoot that you want to submit to magazines, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Ask yourself what season magazines will be accepting for submissions? If its the summer, the magazines are likely already looking to autumn/winter collections, and not going to be as interested in summer collections.
Shoot at least 8 looks. That is usually the amount that a magazine needs to a full story. If you shoot 8 and they only use 8 looks, then at least you've given them what they needed.
When submitting, don't be put off if it takes a while to get a magazine to say yes. I once had a shoot get rejected for weeks, and then eventually it got picked up by Harpers BAZAAR.
Do research into the kind of magazines that you want to shoot for, before you do your shoot. Shoot with them in mind.
Send your submission to the correct editors - usually the editor in chief, fashion editor or beauty editor (for beauty shoots).
Do you have any more questions about shooting for magazines? Ask away!
