Why People Don't Want To Submit To Pinup Publications,...Why I Still Do & Always Will!
Let's talk specifically about pinup publications. The biggest issue I've ever have had, is magazines that basically only feature the same handful of model on their covers, all year long. Lots of photographers own pinup magazines which is clear, when half, or most of the covers are of their models and their photography. This isn't uncommon. It shows even more when certain magazines, only promote certain models, even though they publish others. They expect others to buy the issues and promote, with absolutely no cross promotion from them in return. I can predict that many models know all about those things, and frankly I can't see anyone seeing those things as, positive things, UNLESS you just happen to be one of their models. It can create the emotion of not being motivated to submit. Publication is supposed to be about showcasing your work, skills, talent, and to promote. Advertising costs money, marketing is essential and takes time and money. However, how many people am I advertising to with your magazine, how many people are actually buying copies and seeing my work, the work I donate for free and cost me to produce? Will I see an increase in my followers? Will fans, photographers, designers, companies, and models see my work, because they purchased a copy, or just the models who are inside the issue, and only the ones who bought a copy? I just don't really see the point in having my work featured, if there aren't many readers. Also, if that magazine happens to charge an amount, per issue, that is double or triple what every other magazine charges, that would lead me to believe that there aren't many readers, or aren't as many as other publications. From magazine's sold on the shelf at a store, to magazines you order online in print, the average cost of a magazine is under $20, or about that. In pinup I've seen issues that were under $15, and huge issues that cost over $25, 30 bucks. So the average cost is essentially $20, or so. If you have ever published a magazine issue via mag cloud, then you know their printing rates. Anyone can visit their site and see the cost per page. Now, with that said,.... I'm not at all concerned with how much money per issue, each magazine owner is making. Yes, it's a lot of work! Work that they decided to take on. Yes, they should be making money, dahhhhh! Yes, advertising costs, having a marketing budget is essential, and promoting is major when building a brand. That's my EXACT point though! Why would I invest so much money and time to specifically showcase and promote, if I never gain any new followers, never receive any promotion and I'm in the issue, and therefore there is no cross promotion. I'm expected to purchase a copy, promote the issue, which is also promoting the magazine, tell all my fans to buy it which is more of my time, and I'm submitting work that cost me money to produce. In return, all I get is thrown into an issue, nothing more. If very few readers, and the magazine happens to cost way more than ANY other magazine. Why would I invest in that kind of advertising? Has NOTHING to do with emotion, more like clear logic. There are plenty of pinup magazines, even though many fell off. There are the top pinup magazines, with in our industry. There are pinup and vintage magazines that have tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of followers, which logically means lots readers. Many magazines that don't predominately feature their own photography, and most of the issues all year aren't soley of their models. There are pinup magazines that do cross promotion, which is exactly why they have the huge following. There are pinup magazines that purposely share an image from a model's page, a model they published, or share her page. That's called cross promotion, and it's not uncommon. When people ask why I would submit my work and not be paid,........ PROMOTION, ADVERTISING, MARKETING! Are you, as a photographer or model making money off your images elsewhere? Is Facebook or Instagram paying you to post, are your followers paying you or paying anyone, to look at your work? Are you working exclusively, under contract, where a company or designer, a client, etc., is paying for your work? Advertising takes time and costs money, any production does. Magazines have ever right to make money for all they do and produce, PERIOD! If you aren't making money because of the money you invested, on shoots, gaining publication, and the advertising, then that's on YOU! You think Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, aren't making money, yet you have no issue showcasing your work for free, on those platforms. You are most likely, only reaching the same people and have a small following at that. Advertising costs, that's the bottom line. It's totally up to those who invest in marketing, to make money on what they are selling, or service they are offering. Again, that brings me right back to my original point. My photo shoots cost me and my photographer's money, take time to plan, work and skill to produce. Why wouldn't I want to see our work featured in a printed publication, a top publication within our industry? I say, do it all, if you're building your brand in any industry. Place sponsored ads, I guarantee you you'll see an increase in followers, and or traffic. You can reach way more people, meaning newer people, new followers. Place an ad in a pinup magazine, or ask if they'll place one complimentary. Submit your best, be patient, and then promote with those images after the issue drops. Begin your own website, create blogs on your favorite shoots, and share the link on social media. Blogs look professional, way more than a post. Blogs look more organized and there isn't any other distractions, like on pages or in groups. If you're building your brand, why limit yourself. You're only reaching the same people every day, and you're not being paid to post a damn thing, yet every social media platform you post on, is making money and will continue to,.... by whom? ADVERTISERS! There are ads in groups now, ads in messenger, sponsored ads all up and down my feed, on all social media platforms. I've seen brand new pages, that started off placing sponsored ads, and that's exactly how I found them. I've seen huge brands place sponsored ads. I've seen brand new businesses, owned by a single individual working from home, place sponsored ads. Actors, writers, companies, businesses, schools, brands, etc., they all place sponsored ads, not just big businesses. I knew a super talented gal who was producing a film, and starring in it! She began a page and paid me to get all her photo shoot images published, that she had already done. She asked me to advertise for her, to build her following. She created a monthly advertising budget, so while the film was being cast and went into production, she was building her brand and following, at the same time, before the film was even produced! She came to me, asked me to be her manager, and paid me up front, 6 months in advance. I'm quite sure her images cost money to produce, as her styling, wardrobe and photography were high quality, in every single image. I'm quite sure producing a film costs money, as well as the dedication and time involved, so did studio equipment, etc., and her advertising budget,...... ALL COST! Her, nor her photographer's were concerned or upset that they weren't paid to be published, more like happy to gain publication, including the 2 magazine covers I got her. Her plan worked! She gained like 15k followers in months time, she got her cast and crew, she produced her film, she starred it in, she had a red carpet event to premiere it, it won an award!
Success at its finest, that included lots of promotion, advertising and a marketing budget. Lots of work by many people and lots of money was spent, then made and everyone was paid. Sheer SUCCESS! Like 3 of the companies I model for currently, I found because they placed a sponsored ad. I've worked with a couple of wonderful photographers who found me, because I was in a pinup magazine that their work was also in. All my clients found me thru my promotion or the cross promotion a magazine or photographer of mine did. Making money from advertising is soley up to you, not anyone else. Like I said, I say do it all, as much as you can afford and learn about marketing as much as possible. If you're investing your skills, time and money on shoots, just to post on social media, are you getting paid for that? No. I'd rather reach as many people as I possibly can, by utilizing all the options and resources I've built, and are available. As far as magazines that I don't feel are benefiting me by being featured in them, I have no motivation to submit, and I just won't anymore. Having my articles published is another beneficial aspect of publication, an no I'm not getting paid by the magazines. Am I making money, from the shoots and images I feature of my work, yep! Huge reason why models come to me is to gain publication, and I'm paid for the services I offer. So basically, I'm far from worried about how much magazines are making every issue, it's more work than people know, and advertising costs, period. My concern is quality over quantity. Is it benefiting any of my goals, is it worth investing in my shoots to submit to that magazine? That's my focus. Seems slightly counterproductive, when there are many magazines that cross promote, do articles on models, and you'll see an increase in followers because of them publishing you, so why submit to those that don't. Pretty simple. I don't need free copies, I'll buy my own to show support, when it's affordable, and in my budget. I love being paid for my articles, but I don't need it to keep writing them and submitting them. What I need, and why I invest to produce for publication, is for advertising, promoting, and the benefits of marketing. New followers, new contacts, new clients, because I invest in promotion, and that's exactly what publication means to me!
( On a quick side note. I guarantee you that most readers, the majority of the followers who actually purchased issues, fans and those featured inside, love write - ups, editorial pieces, articles or biographies. I feel every cover model should have a full article on her, that shoot, and or their photographer. " take a page ", from the vintage magazines and publications of the past. The stars or models on their covers has genuine feature spreads, with fabulously interesting articles on them, as well as many other interesting articles inside. I own several vintage magazines and I'm inspired to buy them, because of the article's and ads, not just the images. ) This is why publication is awesome because you can bring awareness of a topic, of a new production, of what's new with a star, within that industry, and promote while showcasing. Reaching people, reaching your target audience. Marketing!
Vintage Stylist Dianna Prince
Fashion Forecaster
Instagram @princedianna
Lucille Ball bellow in all images.
