Getting published means different things to photographers. For many photographers getting featured or published in big name blogs or magazines is like getting a stamp of approval from the rest of the industry… to say, “I have arrived!” For some, it’s just another source of exposure to potential brides hopefully resulting in inquiries and bookings. Others might just simply want to share something with the world that they think is really special. Sometimes the brides and grooms want their photographers to submit their weddings for publication; how cool would it be to see your wedding in your favorite blog!? Those cute “published in…” badges are also like little affirmations that we can show to potential brides; to reassure them that we’re legit and not some pop-up scam. Whatever your reason, I hope this post helps!

Getting published was a huge goal of mine about two years ago. I didn’t know where to start and quite frankly, the thought was daunting… Submitting my work (my baby) to a wedding blog editor that looks at tons of beautiful photos every day? I was certain that they would look at my work, laugh, and say something like, “Oh, that’s cute… she tried!”

But I was determined and sought out the advice of some fellow photography friends. I signed up for Two Bright Lights and started with smaller, cute wedding blogs and worked my way up to submitting to well known blogs like Style Me Pretty.

Let me just tell you now… You WILL be rejected. It may, or may not, be the very first time you submit your work… but I can almost guarantee that you will be rejected at some point or another. My work has been rejected just as many times (if not more) than it has been accepted. You CAN NOT take this personally. There are so many things that editors consider when they’re reviewing a submission. Your work may be amazing… but they might already have a rustic-chic, barn wedding in their lineup! The key is to kindly ask the editors why the submission wasn’t a good fit. They are usually more than willing to share with you why they declined your submission and then give you advice. Listen to what they say and try again.

There are lots of articles and posts about how to get your work published… So I’m not going to get into that. But one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give is to look at the blog/magazine’s style. Look at the quality of work, the type of weddings (or shoots) that they’ve published, etc. Study the blogs that you want to submit to and then send them something that will mesh with their style. Also take note of their requirements and send them everything they need. If they request that you provide a list of vendors, but you leave it out, they might just skip over your submission entirely.

 Want to learn more about getting published? Consider a mentoring session that is tailored specifically to you!