Hello from Sibiu, Romania, where I am travelling with my family! We have been in Romania for a week now and have largely been exploring Transylvania. We were greeted by warm spring weather and enjoyed many walks and hikes, as well as a chance to explore historic landmarks such as Bran Castle, Brasovโs Black Church, and the incredible piazzas of Sibiu. Tomorrow we head towards Bulgaria for part two of the trip. Itโs such a joy and a privilege to be able to explore these lesser-known corners of Europe with my dad, my wife and our two young daughters.
I wanted to thank everyone who chose to upgrade their subscription last month. The feedback on the first drip of exclusive content ensured me we are on the right track. Iโm excited about this monthโs offering, which I outline below!
Hereโs what else is in this monthโs Fuelled by Creativity!
Upcoming image critique session
Reader Question: Tips for working with magazines
Workshops Feature: Elemental at Emerald Lake Lodge and The Creative Flow
See you next month!
Coming Upโฆ
Next up for paid subscribers will be an image critique session! Subscribers will have a chance to upload an image and Iโll pick a selection at random for feedback and critique. Upgrade your subscription to participate!
Reader Question of the Month
Want to ask something? Submit your question here!
Q: Youโve managed to work with a lot of publications. How do you get in with magazines?
A: This is certainly an FAQ for me. I am so grateful to have a small team here at Paul Zizka Photography that assists me in working with various clients and publications. So, to answer this question today Iโm looping in
who is our Sales and Marketing Manager, and also a freelance writer who is very acquainted with working with magazines. Here are some of her best insights for getting your photos in with publications!TIPS FOR WORKING WITH MAGAZINES
Put your best work out there. Use your social media feeds and websites to showcase your work. That way if editors are browsing, they are seeing your best. Iโd also ensure you use your metadata properly so that images will appear in Google searches. This is especially helpful when publications are looking for images from a specific location.
Learn the publishing cycles of the magazines you are looking to work with. They are often workingย monthsย in advance. They are also frequently working 'off-seasonโ (eg. in the winter months, they will be working on their upcoming summer issues). If you pitch winter content during the winter, you are already late to the game.
Browse their website for Contributor Guidelines. Get to know how they like to receive information. If nothing is posted (look hard!), email the photo editor and kindly request this information. You can also ask if they have a photography call list they can put you on. That way, youโll receive their requests as they need material.
Once you've established a relationship, you can consider sending a small gallery of fresh images they might like to publish. It's best if these are on a first-right-to-publication basis (at least for your continent). Make sure your submission demonstrates that you understand what kind of imagery they are looking for. Take time to curate before you send it.
You can also pitch an article with a photo essay, but itโs best to learn how to write a query letter. Essentially, pitch an idea rather than submitting a fully-written article.
Don't send the same gallery to competing magazines, unless you disclose this information. They probably won't like being pegged against each other though! Start with your #1 and if they decline, move on to the next one.
Keep your catalogue fresh! Get out there and keep creating great content. Consider collaborating with various personalities and athletes; publications may be looking for images of them, too.
Want to ask something? Submit your question here!
New Creative Retreat
Elemental at Emerald Lake Lodge
November 4-8, 2024!
I am so excited about this upcoming retreat being hosted at the incredible Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Elemental will bring us back to the building blocks of what makes for great photography โ all in the peaceful and beautiful landscape of the Canadian Rockies. Join us for five all-inclusive days of photo mentorship, great company, and delicious food in the unparalleled setting of Emerald Lake.
More Workshops
โจ THE CREATIVE FLOW
April 20, 2024
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Join Paul Zizka for this unique one-day workshop learning one photographerโs approach to workflow in the field, from location selection to composition, settings, and more.
Learn More/Register - 3 spots left
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Cryophilia Project - Documenting Vanishing Ice
Some great tips here for working with magazine photo editors!