When it comes to business growth, there are so many things you want to be thinking about when setting goals for next year. And as photographers, getting published is a frequent item on your to-do list. But where do you start? We sat down with Two Bright Lights, the simplest tool for photographers, planners, and other creatives to get their work featured in hundreds of blogs, websites, and magazines, to help wedding photographers reach submission rockstar status.
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Tips from Two Bright Lights
With the new year here, it’s important to start setting new goals and aspirations. This year, we want you to take your work one step further and increase your credibility by getting published.
Whether it be exposure to more publishers to increase the number of times you are published, or the first time you get published period, Two Bright Lights is here to help! Take a look below at our steps for setting yourself up for a year full of features.
1. Look through your past year
Start by putting the past year into perspective—not just the photography you’ve captured, but also acknowledge the work you were able to achieve! Recognize your strong points and take note of which areas you want to work on this year. From there, determine which shoots best represent your personal brand so you can submit them for publication.
Image by Vanessa Joy Photography
Once you decide which shoots you want to include, take the time to confirm with the couples or people you have photographed that they are okay with being featured in a publication. Most people are thrilled at the chance and are more than happy to have you submit.
Related: Are you capturing these must-have images for your clients and publishers?
2. Do some digging before submitting
The best way to ensure your work is a good fit for the publications you are submitting to is to do some digging beforehand. Take a deep dive into the publisher’s website or blog and see what kinds of content they are featuring. If one publication specializes in all things maternity, then a bridal photo shoot wouldn’t be the best fit for them.[ninja-inline id=14322]
Not only will this help you discover which publications are a good match for your photography, but it will also allow you to see what types of photos are being published in the industry. This will better inform the types of content you should submit in the coming year.
Social media is also a great place to look, as publishers use images from their features on their social channels. If you head over to our Instagram, you can also take a look through the images we have re-shared to get a sense of how they market their work on social.
Related: What are you doing now to maximize your social presence in 2019?
3. Gear up for the submission process
Now that you have done your research, it’s time to gear up for the submission process. Filter through your selected shoots and narrow down the images you want to include. Submitting a wedding? Check out our Wedding Shot List.
Image by Vanessa Joy Photography
Tags range across characteristics such as color theme, setting, fashion type, shoot style, season, and ethnicity, allowing you to clearly convey to publishers what is in each of your albums. Once all of your tags are chosen, it’s time to submit. With all your submissions in, it’s time to sit back, relax, and wait for the new year.
What are you waiting for?! Start the new year off right by getting published with the help of Two Bright Lights. Make sure to follow along for more exciting updates on our social channels: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or learn more about us here.
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When your wedding images are published, your reach expands exponentially. Find out additional ways to share your photography business with ideal clients when you download our Guide to Marketing for Wedding Photographers!
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