How to Get Photos Published in a Magazine

When the big brown envelope arrived, I was ecstatic.

I mean, I rarely get snail mail anymore. Plus, I was expecting this package for quite some time. It was finally here. My gifted copy of Munaluchi Bride magazine was finally here!

I think being published in a magazine is a positive turning point for just about anybody. As an artist, sometimes we question our ability and wonder whether others will enjoy our work as much as we enjoy creating it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and I try not to preoccupy my thoughts with fear of what people think. But the truth is I create art for people, especially my clients, to enjoy. Being published in a magazine is a positive affirmation that I’m on the right track and contributing something special and unique with the world.

Today I’m sharing some information on how I got my work published on the pages of an international magazine – Munaluchi Bride’s recent issue.

I hope this helps brides and vendors create work that can be shared with the world in this way.

Choose a concept with an audience in mind 

The first step for me was to come up with a concept. The styled shoot featured in Munaluchi was one that was specifically made with that publication and its audience in mind. I don’t think it’s necessary to be this narrow, but it’s great to have a general idea.

I was fairly simple in my vision to begin with. I believe a concept can be simple or it can be elaborate. Mainly, I wanted to feature a bride with natural hair and I imagined the combination of mint and coral together. I know my limits so I wanted to collaborate with others to make the rest of the shoot come together. Once I began communicating, the concept turned into so much more. We styled a honeymoon photoshoot where a bride and groom shared a breakfast together the morning after their wedding – a fairly new idea for most couples and publications.

Communication and collaboration with a great team

Munaluchi is an international magazine that caters to women of color around the world with different traditions and cultures. It also promotes beauty in all shades, shapes and forms. I knew that the concept would have to cater to that audience in order to be published. After deciding on a concept or a theme, I’d say the next step is to communicate your intentions with your wedding vendors – if you’re a bride.

Artists and vendors should do the same with the people they’ve chosen to work with. I contacted a talented producer and event coordinator in Atlanta by the name of Lissahn Devance. She owns Enraptured Events and is an incredible woman that put together a dedicated team of about 13 wedding vendors.

Having a great team is essential! My concept was nowhere near as detailed when I approached Lissahn, but together and with the talented team, we created something that we’re very proud of. Our experience showed us how well we work together and we are planning to work together again in the future!

It’s all in the details 

I don’t think any editor would disagree with this one. The parts of your wedding or styled shoot that inspires others the most are the details that make it unique.

Why would the publication want to publish your wedding over the hundreds of others they may receive? Standing out from the crowd is essential so with stunning pieces of the puzzle like the invitations, the table setting, the makeup and hair, the jewelry, and the florals an editor can ascertain how different your submission is from others.

I personally love portraiture, so this part can be tricky to focus on. But now it’s become second nature and a part of weddings that I enjoy.

Follow through on your promises 

In addition to communicating your expectations and aspirations, it’s important to do what you say you’re going to do. Sometimes we make mistakes or overlook certain things, but it’s always good to be as clear as you can and follow through with the emails, weekly phone calls, and other duties you have committed to.

I am certainly not perfect and can bite off more than I can chew sometimes. After this shoot last May in Atlanta, I traveled to Trinidad and then Saint Lucia for a destination wedding, lost my cell phone during my travels, and got a terrible cold. Things happen. But I really wanted to submit the photos as soon as possible to ensure that they could be considered for the magazine’s print edition. It was tough to pull off, but working with a team meant that others were depending on me to get the job done. I’m so glad that everything worked according to our plan!

Munaluchi Bride magazine  is on sale now in the US at Target and Barnes and Noble! Pick one up to see the work of some very talented people. Every page is so absolutely stunning that I carry mine with me on a daily basis!

If you’re in Canada, the UK, the Caribbean, or anywhere else in the world or simply unable to get a copy on newsstands, you can purchase your copy [here]!

To view the honeymoon styled shoot that was featured, visit Munaluchi’s website for the full feature here.