Getting your Products Noticed by Magazines and Designers!

Getting your art noticed by high end magazines, blogs and designers is a surefire way to increase the reach of your work! But how does one do that? Sometimes it can seem like an overwhelmingly daunting task.

So I decided to talk to someone who knows how to go about it and get their advice. Enter the lovely Keri-Anne of GingerlilyTea Photography! Not only does her photography grace the walls of my home and office, but her work can be seen across the glossy pages of up-and-coming magazines all across the globe. She has also begun collaborating with young indie designers to create advertising images for them!

I wanted to find out first hand how she landed herself in so much awesomeness! So one evening after she has put her little one to bed, we popped online to have ourselves a little bit about how she has continued to create such success for herself!

Keri-Anne:
hii

me: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me!

Keri-Anne:
fireee away :D

me: excellent! I've noticed that you have a pretty thick portfolio of magazine features!

Keri-Anne: yes. i feel really lucky :)

me: and I was wondering, for the sake of others who want to venture in that direction, how do you 1) seek out appropriate magazines and then 2) what is the usual submission process

Keri-Anne: to be truthful, alot of the magazines i have been in approached me first. the rest, i found magazines through blogs and on flickr and then i approached them in an email about how to submit work. most of the time, the actual site will have a submittance guideline which sometimes seems really time consuming to resize pictures and name them a certain way but it really does pay off

Keri-Anne: i dedicated nights soley for submitting work as one submittance can take a good hour

me: Can you tell me a bit about how some magazines have found you then? Because that is pretty awesome!

Keri-Anne: i have had magazines approach me through etsy and flickr and at least two magazines that the features are not out yet got passed details on by other magazines so it is worth submitting to as many as possible even if it just gets your name passed on to other magazines or people. my first ever magazine feature was antler who approached me through etsy. i was then emailed by the editor for a second feature and then another magazine emailed me saying they had seen me in antler and i got a feature in that magazine :)

me: Wow. I am very impressed

You seem to have very active Flickr and Facebook accounts. Are you finding that this is a good place for companies and magazines to find your work?

Keri-Anne:

yes, i believe so. i like to think that i am quite approachable and i always make sure i thank people for adding me on flickr and i think if you go out of your way to thank people and to let them know you appreciate their support, then people will bemore likely to approach you and want to talk to you.

Keri-Anne: and that can lead to lovely things :)

me: With Facebook, you have over 800 fans. How do you keep track of the people adding you and make sure that fans feel appreciated?

Keri-Anne: i know! i cannot believe it. i run alot of giveaways to make people aware that i do appreciate them and to thank them for adding me. i think it is really important to give back as people go out of their way to message me or to add me or to view my work and i truly truly do appriecate it so i try to give back as much as i can

me: Excellent!

me: Can we talk a bit about the collaborations you have been doing as well? Do you approach the artisans or do they approach you?

Keri-Anne: of course. i have been approached by each one. i had an email yesterdya asking me to do a collaboration for a lady who found my name in a magazines and searched for me just to message me and ask me which i thought was so lovely! others have approached me who have become fans and i have become their fans and then got talking and then i was asked. and one lady emailed me who i have no idea how she found me but i believe it was through word of mouth. i try to comment on other artists work and other photographs work and that is how i have gotten to know the people who have asked me

Keri-Anne: being on flickr and etsy is like a little family and you get to know such lovely artists

me: Other than FPoE what has been a good source of community and contacts for you on flickr?

Keri-Anne: i join alot of groups and comment on peoples work alot. what you give out, you will get back. its like Karma. if you take the time out to be nice to others and comment on their work, then others will do the same to you and your work

Keri-Anne: also, thanking people through messages for adding me has got me alot of loyal followers and not many people do that

me: That's a really good point!

me: So it would seem, and correct me if i am wrong, that most of the notice that you get is through your kindness and appreciation of other's work or of their attention to your own work?

Keri-Anne: i like to think so. and i dont comment on others work just so i can get attention back. i hope that didnt come across like that. i do it because i want to. i truly love getting to know other photographers and artists and i have met some really lovely people (including you :D)

me: Hehe thanks!

And NO it didn't come across that way

It's just by virtue of being a lovely person, you seem to have attracted some really wonderful energy

Keri-Anne: i am glad.

its karma. thats the underline to all this and the trick to being a good photographer. you cant be a good photographer if you are arrogant and ignore people who take the time out to comment you. you can take good pictures but in the long wrong it doesnt get you anywhere

me: i completely agree and am glad to hear someone else adheres to that same standard!

so unless there is something you really want to add, I will let you get back to your family! =) have a great night and thank you so much for your time!!

Keri-Anne: thank you. speak soon darling xx