Happy Tuesday my lovelies!!
First thing I try to do before I get unbundled from my bed is answer emails, then browse my daily reads ( I like to be up to date with current events and to get inspired first thing...awesome!),...which includes a wide variety of sites and one of my favorites is the uber talented and ultra creative, Green Wedding Shoes Wedding Blog.
As I was perusing tips and tricks from Jasmine Star's insightful blog for photographers, Jen from GWS was a guest poster with some helpful tips for Submitting to Wedding Blogs. I thought I would share a few of her tips with you because one of my goals in 2012 is to submitt more and build networks and maybe it will help you too!
Also, my goal is to share more info for photographers on my blog...so here is this weeks
Musings and Insights... with words from Jen of GWS...enjoy!
From Jen..." 1. Read Submission Guidelines. Each blog is different and likely has their preferred method of accepting and reviewing submissions (you can see the GWS submission guideline here). You can easily find their guidelines in their navigation and once you do, please read them and follow them. The easiest way to get your submission reviewed is to follow the preferred submission method for the blog to which you're submitting.....the opposite is also true, ignore the preferred submission method and there's a good chance that the same will happen to your submission. At GWS, we still review each submission, but those that adhere to our preferred submission methods will have a better chance of getting featured.
2. Be Selective When Submitting. Most of the top wedding blogs share only exclusive weddings and styled shoots. We work hard to share unique features with our readers, so we're looking to share weddings that won't be seen on two or three other blogs that same week. That doesn't mean that we'll never share a wedding that's already been featured on another site, but if your submission has already been featured....be up front if about it and let the Editor know when it was shared and on which blog.
Also, when initially submitting a wedding, submit it to just one blog and wait to hear from them before submitting elsewhere. If you send a mass email to five or more wedding bloggers and ask, "Who wants it?" , which happens quite often, the answer will likely be No One. My advice is to review your portfolio, select a shoot or two that work for a particular blog's style and submit only there and tell the Editor why you selected their blog. As an Editor, I appreciate Photographers that are selective with their submissions and definitely remember their selectivity when I receive future submissions from them.
Obviously not every submission will be accepted, so if an Editor doesn't feel your submission is a fit, figure out the next best match for your shoot and submit there.
2. Be Selective When Submitting. Most of the top wedding blogs share only exclusive weddings and styled shoots. We work hard to share unique features with our readers, so we're looking to share weddings that won't be seen on two or three other blogs that same week. That doesn't mean that we'll never share a wedding that's already been featured on another site, but if your submission has already been featured....be up front if about it and let the Editor know when it was shared and on which blog.
Also, when initially submitting a wedding, submit it to just one blog and wait to hear from them before submitting elsewhere. If you send a mass email to five or more wedding bloggers and ask, "Who wants it?" , which happens quite often, the answer will likely be No One. My advice is to review your portfolio, select a shoot or two that work for a particular blog's style and submit only there and tell the Editor why you selected their blog. As an Editor, I appreciate Photographers that are selective with their submissions and definitely remember their selectivity when I receive future submissions from them.
Obviously not every submission will be accepted, so if an Editor doesn't feel your submission is a fit, figure out the next best match for your shoot and submit there.
3. Give the Editor Time to Review Your Submission. I receive over a hundred submissions each week and I look at each and every one. I appreciate the time and effort taken to submit, so I believe its only fair that I review each submission. However, given the large number of submissions, it typically takes a few days until I get to a submission after it's been sent.
Each blog is different, but the GWS policy is that I will respond to you within 12 days. If 12 days have passed (or however long the blogger you submitted stated it would take them) and you still haven't heard back from me - yes, I do try hard to respond back to each and every submission with a yes or no - then please follow up. A simple "I sent you a submission 2 weeks ago and haven't heard back. If I don't hear anything by XX date I will be submitting elsewhere." works and then I can make sure to review and let you know.
4. Don't Send High Res Photos. Since your photos will be presented online and not in print, photos delivered at 72 dpi and not more than 900 pixels wide are sufficient. Anything larger risks filling up the Editor's inbox and increasing the time it takes for the Editor to downsize your images so they can be used on their blog.
Each blog is different, but the GWS policy is that I will respond to you within 12 days. If 12 days have passed (or however long the blogger you submitted stated it would take them) and you still haven't heard back from me - yes, I do try hard to respond back to each and every submission with a yes or no - then please follow up. A simple "I sent you a submission 2 weeks ago and haven't heard back. If I don't hear anything by XX date I will be submitting elsewhere." works and then I can make sure to review and let you know.
4. Don't Send High Res Photos. Since your photos will be presented online and not in print, photos delivered at 72 dpi and not more than 900 pixels wide are sufficient. Anything larger risks filling up the Editor's inbox and increasing the time it takes for the Editor to downsize your images so they can be used on their blog.
At GWS, I prefer images 650 pixels wide, but 900 pixels should cover all blogs.
8. Styled Shoots. If you're working on a styled shoot and have a blog in mind that you would love to get featured on, email the Editor in advance to share your idea. If the Editor is interested, they'll likely have feedback or suggestions to ensure that your shoot is a fit for their site. This gives you a much better chance of having your hard work pay off with a feature on your preferred blog."
These are a few of my take away passages, but there is more info on Jasmine Star's blog too! Thanks to Jen for sharing!!
xoxo
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