4 Ways to Make A Stand Out Submission

Getting published: it’s something you’ve had on your mind, but haven’t quite taken the leap to submit and get featured. Wondering what editors are really looking for when reviewing which submissions to publish? Our friends at Two Bright Lights shared the top 4 ways to make your submission stand out and be one that an editor would love to publish. Make today the first step towards getting your work published.

1. Research the Publication

Finding the right publication for your work is critical to the success of your submission. Start your research by visiting the publication’s website and its social media accounts. This will give you a better sense of what type of photography they feature and whether your work would be a good fit. You wouldn’t submit a maternity shoot to a wedding-only publication, right? This is why the research step sets you up for submission success right from the get-go. Also, look into whether the publication is print, online, exclusive, or non-exclusive. These factors can affect how your work will be distributed, received and how quickly you’ll hear back about your submission status. Here’s a quick rundown: Online can work on shorter timelines, as less physical work goes into the feature’s creation (printing, binding, shipping, etc,) so you work could be accepted and published in a matter of weeks. Print typically works a season or more ahead or on a longer lead timeline. If you were to submit to an exclusive publication, it may be a few months before you hear back (depending on whether it’s print or online). Non-exclusive can vary, but they often fall within short- and long-lead timelines, contingent on whether they are print or online. 

2. Choose the Right Photos for Your Submission

The term “shooting for publication” gets tossed around in submissions, but what does it mean? For starters, publishers are looking for images that will grab readers’ attention, rather than particular shots your clients request on their special day; It’s essentially a different way of looking at your photography: there’s the client lens, and then there’s the publishing lens. Editors are looking for details, a variety of poses, wide shots, venue shots and vendor connections. We recommend uploading your photos in the order that they occurred on the day to tell a complete story. Wedding features can serve as inspiration for other couples planning their day, so make sure you put yourself in their shoes when choosing the right images to include.

3. Include all Vendor Information

Credit needs to be given where credit is due, which is why editors want to give credit to everyone who participated in the photoshoot. Submissions with more vendors and vendor information are more likely to get accepted for this very reason. Adding vendors to your submission broadens the reach of your published feature and generates free publicity for your business. When vendors share that their business was featured in a publication, it creates more visibility for you and drives more potential leads straight to your door —it’s a win-win!

4. Every Album has a Story, So Include it!

There are a few ways to convey the key details of a submission to editors: the album story, the client questionnaire and the photo order in the album. The album story provides context to complement your beautiful images and is an integral part of the editors’ writing process. Be sure to include all the basic information from the event, such as how the couple met, why they chose their venue, etc. The editor will take this information and craft it into a compelling feature, highlighting your client thanks to all the key details you relayed. The client questionnaire is the next step in conveying key information by getting answers directly from the couple or the client. On Two Bright Lights, we’ve made it easy by allowing our users to use a pre-made set of the most commonly requested questions from editors, which can be emailed or shared via link to the client. The last way to convey the story to an editor is to include a video with your submission. This is a great way to create a standout submission, as many times people forget they can consist of this. Often, weddings have a hired videographer who captures the whole day from start to finish, including details of the ceremony, the reception and more! Including a video is optional, but if available, we recommend it.

Ready to get your work noticed by editors at hundreds of publications? Sign up for Two Bright Lights here.