Submitting to Photography and Art Magazines

Giving your work exposure as an art photographer is more challenging than as a photojournalist.  Your work is not easily digested by the mass media and (heresy!) there are fewer ways of applying your images to commercial purposes. Of course you can solely rely on virtual media, but the power of seeing your work in print is still strong and immensely satisfying.

I found magazines to be a great way to bridge the divide and fill in the spaces between my web-site and gallery shows.  Short of a book and a show, they establish both credibility and awareness.  But not just any magazine will do.  You want to find one that has sufficient credibility to be taken seriously, and you want one with a more select (preferably affluent) readership that will then seek you out.  If you appear in Popular Photography you may have a large audience but it will likely do little to promote your sales, at least initially.

When my pictures surfaced on MSN Hotmail, for the next couple of weeks I literally had dozens of inquiries a day regarding what camera I used and where I took my pictures.  I was even asked if I’d be interested in showing my pictures on the wall of a successful hardware store–the owner wanted me to display on consignment.  Rarely did somebody want to purchase my prints, and when they did, they usually wanted to pay no more than $100.   It wasn’t until later, when  my images emerged on more specialized sites and publications that I was approached by new galleries, clients and publishers.

So where to begin?  Who to target?  For starters,  the magazine edition of established newspapers in your area.  This builds both credibility and a ground-swell of recognition in your home base.  It also helps you establish rapport with local journalists and reporters who cover culture and arts events.   Frequently these magazines have an online version that differs slightly form the print form.  It’s usually a bit easier to get in on the online version because content is less booked-up in advance.

Another good tactic is to find credible magazines that are not focused on photography and arts per se, but nonetheless have a small section featuring just that.  Perhaps nothing more than a page or a small corner of their web-site.  This is preciesly what I found to be the case with GOOD magazine, which was then picked-up by a plethora of sites including MSN.

Moving up the food chain are the specialized photography and art magazines. There are of course established names in the business such as Aperture and B&W, each with its own value and audience.  Don’t be intimidated and ignore them.  If you feel you are not ready for them consider the many newcomers that are e-magazines.  Despite what I mentioned earlier about the power of print, some these e-magazines are often quite good and are well read. The key is to identify them.

I’ve done just that and created a list of print and e-magazines that I consider reputable, and are also looking for submissions. Rarely do I come across good lists, and less often do I find feedback, so I tried to include useful comments where possible, either from personal experience or through that of others. If you click their thumbnails you’ll be taken directly to their submission page.  If you have a magazine to add, please send it to me for review and inclusion in this list.