Submitting Art To Magazines

THE KING COLLECTION

Title: ‘War Party’ (1972)

Artist:  Harvey W. Johnson (1921-2005)

Medium: Oil on board

Size: 20 x 30 inches

How acquired: Gift of Francis E. King

Misc.: Harvey Johnson’s exposure to art at a young age helped to shape his future. He was surrounded by a family of artists: His father, Burt Johnson, was a noted sculptor and his mother was a landscape painter.

Johnson showed his talent early when he entered a New York City art contest in eighth grade and won first place. As a high school freshman, he was art editor of the school literary magazine. After World War II, he returned from three years in the army to enroll in the Art Students League, where he studied under Robert Johnson and Howard Trafton. After art school, Johnson worked for a number of studios and advertising agencies. He fell in love with the old West when he worked as a free-lance illustrator for early pulp magazines — many of the stories he illustrated were of life on the frontier.

An ad for artists in a 1966 issue of Western Horseman announcing the formation of a group of like-minded artists who portrayed the West inspired Johnson to submit some pictures of his work. He soon became one of the charter members of the Cowboy Artists of America, and the group became a major focus in his life. He served as vice president in 1976 and president in 1977. Johnson's paintings have been purchased by collectors in 35 states, Europe, Mexico and Canada.

The Art Of Selling Photographs To Magazines | All Magazines ...

These days most magazines are focused on providing substantial visual content, compared to the textual content and stories they publish. Therefore, good quality photographs appropriate to magazine content can fetch great rewards from these magazines. Let us see how to get these photographs published, and get paid well for doing it.

Understand the market

Photographs differ in subject, as do the magazine cover stories. The range can be vast – politics, sports, entertainment, disasters, technology, social concerns, food, cuisine, fashion, comical situations, serious concerns, health, education or nature, all things great and small.

The scale and focus could also be different – local to state, national and international, or rural or urban, or glamor or plain and truthful reporting. There exists a place for every slot and every setting. It is therefore essential for you to understand the market for your work. After knowing your market, it is much easier to find potential customers for your work.

First, compare and assess your work

Before approaching suitable magazines, first study the photographs already published in the magazines that are relevant to your category of work. Make an honest comparison of the work you want to submit to those magazines. After an impartial assessment, if you feel your work is as good as the work published, then you are ready to approach the magazines.

Care to be taken while submitting your work

Write or send a mail to the magazine’s photo editor giving a brief idea of your work. Give the details of your website in your mail, if you have one. It is easier for the photo editor to visit the site and view your work. While sending photographs by post, attach a stamped self-addressed envelope to ensure return, in the case that it is not accepted.

The monetary aspect

The money offered for accepted work depends upon the magazine management. There are well-paying ones and also lower-paying magazines. However, sometimes there is a general structure of fees common between several magazines. If they place your shot in the cover page, you will get paid the most for your photograph. The double center spread is a close second.

To the lighthouse

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Getting to Yes, Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in

What to Expect When You're Expecting

Spoken from the Heart