Selling Photos for Magazine Use

Making extra money could be a necessity at one point in your life. It could be part of a long-term plan to raise your own family, buy a car, go on a costly vacation, put up a business, and the likes. Whatever it is that is driving you to want to earn more is a good inspiration to get started.

However, an inspiration is not enough to get you going and to bring you to places. You have to work and pay a lot of attention to what you want to achieve to be successful. The bottom line is, your dreams will not get you anywhere – your actions and dedication will.

If you want to make money out of your photography skills, like if you want to sell your photos to various magazine companies, then you got to do something to make it happen. Below are some of the pointers on how to turn your idea of seeing your photos on magazine into reality.

  1. Make the move and let your intentions be known by reaching out to your prospected client. For magazines, the address of the publisher is normally listed on the page where the publisher’s information is advertised. Sometimes, magazines will also post the guidelines on how to submit your contributions to them. If their contact information is not posted in the magazine, which is very rare to happen, search for the magazine or the publisher in the internet. There should be a contact us page that will allow you to reach out to them.
  1. When you get the chance to contact the company or the publisher, do not let go of the opportunity by asking for the name of the individual responsible for the section or page you are interested in. You may look for the person who oversees editing, advertising, marketing, and the likes. If you are talking to a receptionist or if the person you are talking to does not know who the right person is, keep asking. Ask the person to connect you to someone who may be able to assist you. Make sure that the person you are talking to knows the reason why you are calling so they can refer you to the right department or connect you to the appropriate person in charge. This process could be a bit frustrating at first as you may be passed around from one person or department to another. Do not give up and keep your goals in mind to inspire you to keep going until you get what you want.
  1. Present what you can do and impress them with your work. Another way to get started is by sending your prospected contacts a copy of your work. Choose the best photos that you have in your gallery. Edit them as needed. Do it carefully and do not stop until you are 100% sure that your photos can earn you a spot on the magazine that you are eyeing for. Do not send too many photos as you might just confuse the recipient of your work. By only sending a few of your greatest photos, you will be able to focus on the quality of your work and leave a better impact. Before sending the photos, come up with a short, but powerful cover letter containing your name, contact details such as phone and email address, and home address. You can also refer the client to your site or gallery, if you have one, so they can check your other work if they are interested.
  1. Make your pitch right. Before you send your photo along with a cover letter, make sure to assess how the magazine or publisher can use your photo. Once you have that understanding, market your photo towards that direction. If you are targeting to have your photo used in advertising, it will help if you can create a sample ad using your photo. For magazine, add a write up about the photo that you have submitted to give them a clear idea as to how they can benefit from your photo.
  1. Promote your photos completely. If you want your photos to be seen in some magazine, sell your idea completely. That is, edit it, include a write-up, and explain how the magazine can make a story out of your photos.

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