Magazines, offer one of the largest markets for freelance photographer. And while many accept images on their own, to illustrate existing or planned articles, others prefer, and sometimes only consider, complete packages of words and pictures. Having detailed knowledge of a subject, and the ability to express yourself in words as well as pictures, can dramatically increase the opportunities open to you. Also, getting paid for both means a better financial return on your time and effort.
Getting accepted
Many photographers, however, never think of writing articles to accompany their images because they don't believe they would be good enough. One of the reasons they became photographers in the first place is that they're better at expressing themselves visually. But anyone who can describe their experiences and interests with enthusiasm and clarity should have no difficulty in putting together a feature that has the potential to be published.
Don't worry if your spelling isn't quite up to scratch. Most word processing packages these days include a spell check that will sort that out for you. And most magazines have a sub-editor whose job it is to knock 'copy' into shape, providing the ideas are interesting and relevant to the magazine's readership. That said, you'll still certainly improve your chances if you brush up on your grammar and syntax.
One of the most important things is to write in a way that comes naturally. Avoid pompous, pretentious language you would never use in normal conversation.
Carrying out research
Every magazine has its own tone and personality. Many are chatty in the language they use. Others are more formal. So before you start to write an article, carry out some research. Gather together a selection of titles that serve the market that interest you and analyse them carefully.
The first thing, of course, is to check whether they publish word and picture packages or whether they prefer to source them separately. Having established that the magazine is open to illustrated articles, you should then establish their typical length, whether it's all continuous text or if there are any separate 'box-outs', and whether it's written from the authors of view. This research is essential, not optional. If you write an article and then try to find a market for it you're almost certain to get rejected, because it won't match a magazine's needs.
The next step is to contact the editor, to check whether the idea is of interest to them. Either send a brief email with a synopsis of what you have in mind or give them a call. If they like the idea, but you've never written for them before, it's unlikely they'll give you a firm commission. Instead, they'll probably say they'd be interested in seeing it. You can expect no more at this stage. The only option is to write and submit it speculatively. Once they've actually published your work you can expect a more positive response.
They may, however, feel it doesn't fit with their approach or content, or they may just have accepted or published something similar from another contributor - in which case it's back to the drawing board. You need either to pitch the suggestion to another magazine or come up with some different ideas for the one you've just approached.
Planning and preparation
Sooner or later you'll find a magazine that expresses interest in a feature you've proposed. That's when the real work begins. But, unless you're really clear about what you want to say, don't start writing immediately. Spending some time first in planning and preparation will mean you come up with an article that reads well. One simple way of coming up with a logical structure is to list on a large sheet of paper all the things you want to cover. Don't try to put them in any order at this stage. Just get them all written down. Then, and only then, should you think about the best sequence. What needs to be said first? How would you like to end? Spend a few minutes trying out different sequences until you come up with one that seems to flow.
Then you can start the writing itself. If you're knowledgeable on the subject, or describing a personal experience, you may be able to write it 'out of your head'. But often you'll need to do some research, using the Internet, reference books or magazines, to fill in any gaps.
Once you're happy with what you've written, set it aside and come back to it a few days later. Then look at ways you can make it better. Treat it as a first draft - not the finished product. What else could be added to make it better? Is there any part that doesn't quite work? Continue to polish it until you can't think of any way it could be improved.
If you're confident of your grammar, spelling and syntax, now is the time to send it. If you're not, ask friends, work colleagues or members of your family to read through it and point out any errors that you can rectify before it goes.
Sticking at it
Writing is a skill like any other, and the more you practise the better you'll get. Do not expect to be an instant expert. Read lots of articles in a range of publications to get ideas of different ways to express things - and you'll soon be selling illustrated articles on a regular basis.
Hi I'm Mike. You can find more resources and articles at
http://www.worldofunderwatercamera.com
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