Magazine_ and _House Beautiful_ are waiting for your prints. These
magazines are very artistic and use only the best work; but they are
interested in unusual gardens, beautiful lawns, landscaping, interior
decorating. A house remodelled from a common building to an unusual or
striking residence will find ready sale to them if photographs of the
"before and after" variety are offered. Nature, sport, and building in
the country are the specialty of _Country Life_, Garden City, New York;
_Garden Magazine_ is interested in nothing but gardens and ornamental
horticulture, preferably of the personal experience trend. Same address
as _Country Life_. _House Beautiful_, 3 Park Street, Boston, wants
photographs of unusual types of interior decorating and landscape
architecture. What a wealth of material a well-kept, modern home
contains! Owners should readily give consent to photograph if the
photographer explains his purpose.
_Arts and Decoration_, 470 Fourth Avenue, New York, also uses garden
and house material, but runs also to the arts. Photographs of
architecture, interior decorating, etc., here find another market.
So it is with the broad field of country-life magazines generally, as
an example. House furnishing and "before and after" remodelling
pictures are easily obtained and easily sold if well done.
Every class of magazines uses photographs: Literary magazines, Women's,
Farm journals, Juvenile, Religious, Outdoor, Photographic, Theatrical,
Musical, Art, and Trade publications. The following notes generalize
the needs of each of these fields.
GENERAL MAGAZINES
This excludes most fiction magazines; those which do use photographic
illustrations buy the work of professional studios already established
and perhaps specializing in that type of illustrating. The beginner may
develop into one of these illustrators--many magazines use them, as
_Love Stories_, _Cosmopolitan_ for special articles, _National
Pictorial Monthly_, etc.,--but these markets are not open to the
free-lance photographer.
_Current History_, Times Building, New York, New York, is an example of
a news-magazine which uses timely photographs of wide interest.
_The Literary Digest_ is of similar nature, but this second magazine
does not buy photographs from the open market.
The Curtis Publishing Company occasionally uses photographs of a scenic
or artistic nature as fillers. These magazines comprise _The Saturday
Evening Post_, _The Ladies' Home Journal_, _The Country Gentleman_.
These are always available, and a glance through several numbers of
each will disclose the type of photograph wanted.
_Grit_, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, uses many photographs, and short
articles written around them. This publication wants common,
human-interest subjects treated carefully.
The needs of _The Illustrated World_, _Popular Mechanics_ and _Popular
Science_ have been made very clear in previous portions of this book.
_The Scientific American_ always wants photographs of new inventions of
wide interest, accompanied by brief articles. Address 233 Broadway, New
York, New York.
_Physical Culture_, 119 West 40th Street, New York, New York, always
wants photographs of persons having splendid physical development. A
glance through this magazine will disclose the types of poses desired.
Straight front, back, etc., views are never used; action in the picture
is essential.
WOMEN'S MAGAZINES
These magazines use generally pictures of home improvements, remodelling
of residences, flower gardens of unusual variety, and use short
illustrated articles on house-building, interior decoration, rugs,
gardens, domestic science, etc. The magazines listed below are only a
few of the many which use photographs and illustrated articles of
interest to women.
_The Ladies' Home Journal_, Philadelphia, Pa.; the _Woman's Home
Companion_, New York; the _Delineator_, New York, and _Good
Housekeeping_, New York, are all generally fiction magazines with a
homey flavor which do not offer a good market for separate photographs
or short illustrated articles, although they are in the market for
suitable material of this sort, in a limited way. Others are:
_American Cookery_, 221 Columbia Ave., Boston.
_Better Times_, 70 Fifth Ave., New York.
_Canadian Home Journal_, 71 Richmond St., West, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada.
_Farm and Home_, Springfield, Mass.
_Mother's Magazine_, 180 No. Wabash Ave., Chicago.
_New England Homestead_, Springfield, Mass.
_Vogue_, 19 West 44th St., New York, uses exclusive photographs of
society in New York, Newport, etc.; photographs of handsome homes of
well-known society people, beautiful and unusual gardens, etc.
_Woman's Weekly_, 431 So. Dearborn St., Chicago, uses short articles of
home interest, illustrated.
FARM JOURNALS
The needs of farm journals are specific. They form an important
division of published magazines, and a large one which uses a great
amount of material. Articles on farm improvements, etc., are always
used, and photographs also. A conjunction of the two, in an illustrated
article, forms a much more marketable commodity. The farm work is
composed of many divisions--agriculture, bee culture, botany, breeding,
cheese-making, etc. The following are a representative few of the
agricultural markets which are always buying material:
_American Agriculturist_, 315 Fourth Ave., New York.
_American Bee Journal_, Hamilton, Ill.
_American Botanist_, Joliet, Ill.
_American Breeder_, 225 West 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.
_American Farming_, 537 So. Dearborn St., Chicago.
_American Forestry_, 1410 H St., Washington, D.C.
_American Fruit Grower_, State Lake Bldg., Chicago.
_American Poultry Journal_, 542 So. Dearborn St., Chicago.
_American Seedsman_, Chicago, Ill.
_Bean-Bag_, Syndicate Trust Bldg., St. Louis, Mo., is devoted to the
bean industry.
_Canadian Countryman_, 154 Simcoe St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
material of Canadian interest.
_Country Gentleman_, Independence Square, Philadelphia.
_Dairy Farmer_, Waterloo, Iowa.
_Farm and Fireside_, 381 Fourth Ave., New York.
_Farm Journal_, Philadelphia, Pa.
_The Horse World_, 1028-30 Marine Bldg., Buffalo, New York.
_Jewish Farmer_, 174 Second Ave., New York.
_Kennel Advocate_, 636 Market St., Sierra Madre, Cal.
_The Milk Magazine_, Waterloo, Iowa.
_National Alfalfa Journal_, Otis Building, Chicago.
_Orchard and Farm_, 1111 So. Broadway, Los Angeles, Cal.
_Potato Magazine_, Room 605, 139 No. Clark St., Chicago.
_Power Farming_, St. Joseph, Mich.
_Rabbitcraft and Small Stock Journal_, Lamoni, Iowa.
_Southern Agriculturist_, Nashville, Tenn.
_Wallace's Farmer_, Des Moines, Iowa.
JUVENILE PUBLICATIONS
Almost every magazine uses juvenile material, and there are many that
specialize in it. The following markets use the well-known type of
photograph and illustrated article which are of interest--travel,
how-to-make-it, etc. A great field is open here to picturized
activities of boys.
_The American Boy_, 142 Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, Mich.
_Boy's Magazine_, Scarsdale, N.Y.
_Classmate_, 420 Plum St., Cincinnati, Ohio.
_Forward_, Witherspoon Bldg., Philadelphia.
_Girl's World_, 1701 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
_Junior Christian Endeavor World_, 31 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, Mass.
_Kind Words_, Nashville, Tenn.
_Open Road_, 248 Boylston St., Boston.
_St. Nicholas Magazine_, 353 Fourth Ave., New York.
_Youth's Companion_, 881 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Mass.
RELIGIOUS PAPERS
Religious publications are not given to printing many photographs,
although there is a market of appreciable size here. This field is a
difficult one to generalize upon, but the following may be taken as
such a list:
_Adult Student_, Nashville, Tenn.
_American Messenger_, 101 Park Avenue, New York, New York.
_Christian Advocate_, 810 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn.
_Christian Endeavor World_, 31 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, Mass., uses
photographic covers.
David C. Cook Company, Elgin, Illinois, publishes about forty
magazines, which use a great amount of photographs and illustrated
material.
_Epworth Herald_, 740 Rush St., Chicago.
_Front Rank_, 2710 Pine St., St. Louis, Mo.
_Lookout_, Cincinnati, Ohio, uses photographs for covers.
_The Missionary_, Apostolic Mission House, Brookland, Washington, D.C.
_Sunday School World_, 1816 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
_The Watchword_, Otterbein Press, Dayton, Ohio.
OUTDOOR MAGAZINES
Here is a group of magazines which is deeply interested in unusual
fishing-trips, hunts, and such excursions--it wants material on the
animals in water or air or on land, that its readers may bag them the
more easily; it desires material on bird-dogs, on outdoor devices and
tricks, on tennis, motoring, baseball, cats, dogs, golf, horses,
yachting, and on every phase of outdoor and sport life. Photographs of
men prominent in each line are wanted; prints of hunting, fishing,
camping, canoeing, sailing, and everything connected with the big
outdoors. Here is a large and remunerative market for open-air
photographs and sport prints.
_Aerial Age_, 280 Madison Ave., New York, wants material on aviation.
_All Outdoors_, _Outing_, _Forest and Stream_, _Field and Stream_,
etc., want the wide variety of outdoor material that appeals to any
sort of sportsman. These magazines circulate widely, and a study of
them will disclose their needs.
Dogs are the subjects of such magazines as _American Beagle_, 639 West
Federal St., Youngstown, Ohio; _Dogdom_, Battle Creek, Michigan; _Dog
Fancier_, Battle Creek, Michigan; _Dog World_, 1333 So. California
Ave., Chicago.
Material about cats is welcomed by such as _Cat Review_, 196 Centre
St., Orange, New Jersey.
Fishing material appeals to the general run of outdoor magazines,
including _American Angler_, 1400 Broadway, New York.
Tennis appeals to _American Lawn Tennis_, 120 Broadway, New York, and
the _Tennis Review_, California Bldg., Los Angeles, Cal.
Golf material is used by _American Golfer_, 49 Liberty St., New York,
and _Golfer's Magazine_, 1355 Monadnock Block, Chicago.
Motoring appeals to a long list of such publications as:
_American Motorist_, Riggs Building, Washington, D.C.
_Mileage_, 4415 No. Racine Ave., Chicago.
_Motor_, 119 West 40th St., New York.
_Motordom_, 110 State St., Chicago.
_Motor Life_, 239 West 39th St., New York.
_Speed_, 809 Shipley St., Wilmington, Del.
Then there are a variety of different subdivisions of this class, the
mere names of which are sufficient to disclose the great variety of
material they use:
_American Checkers_, 1846 So. 40th Ave., Chicago.
_American Chess Bulletin_, 150 Nassau St., New York.
_American Cricketer_, Morris Building, Philadelphia.
_Baseball Magazine_, 70 Fifth Ave., New York.
_Billiards Magazine_, 35 So. Dearborn St., Chicago.
_Bird Lore_, 29 West 32d St., New York.
_Bowler's Journal_, 836 Exchange Ave., Chicago.
_The Horse World_, 1028-30 Marine Bank Bldg., Buffalo, New York.
_Spur_, 389 Fifth Ave., New York--raising prize winners.
_Yachting_, 141 West 36th St., New York.
PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINES
These magazines pay more attention to the photograph itself than to
what it pictures. Here is a market for artistic prints, for prints
showing new working methods, and such material interesting to
photographers. Artistic taste and technical accuracy are instrumental
in getting you into these magazines.
_American Photography_, 428 Newbury Street, Boston.
_The Camera_, 210 No. 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
_Camera Craft_, Claus Spreckels Bldg., San Francisco, Cal.
_Photo-Era Magazine_, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
THEATRICAL MAGAZINES
Theatrical magazines embrace the following representative few who
desire prints of current news in the show world, new theatres,
interviews with actors and actresses and photographs of them, etc.
_The Drama_, 306 Riggs Bldg., Washington, D.C.
_Theatre Arts Magazine_, 7 East 42d St., Detroit, Mich.
_Theatre Magazine_, 6 East 39th St., New York.
MUSICAL JOURNALS
Photographs of bands, orchestras, leaders, band-stands that are unique,
artists, composers, etc., are used by this class.
_Musical Courier_, 437 Fifth Ave., New York, New York.
_Musical Enterprise_, Camden, N.J.
TRADE PAPERS
These include magazines published and devoted to every trade
imaginable. One magazine will be cited for each division of trade, the
title of which is self-explanatory, and which uses photographs in its
particular field:
Advertising: _Advertising and Selling_, 471 Fifth Avenue, New York.
Architectural: _American Builder_, 1827 Prairie Ave., Chicago.
Automobile: _American Garage and Auto Dealer_, 116 So. Michigan Ave.,
Chicago.
Baking and Confectionery: _Baker's Helper_, 327 So. La Salle St.,
Chicago. _Western Confectioner_, Underwood Bldg., San Francisco.
Cement, etc.: _Concrete_, 314 New Telegraph Bldg., Detroit, Mich.
Drug, Oil, Paint, etc.: _Druggists' Circular_, 100 William St., New
York. _Painters' Magazine_, same address.
Dry Goods: _Dry Goods Reporter_, 215 So. Market St., Chicago, Ill.
Electric: _Journal of Electricity_, Crossley Bldg., San Francisco.
Engineering: _Everyday Engineering Magazine_, 2 West 45th St., New
York.
Financial: _Financial World_, 29 Broadway, New York.
Fraternal: See particular paper referring to particular fraternity or
lodge in list given in Market Book.
Furniture: _Furniture News_, Wainwright Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.
Grain: _Grain Dealers' Journal_, 315 S. La Salle St., Chicago.
Grocery: _National Grocer_, 208 So. La Salle St., Chicago.
Hardware: _Good Hardware_, 211 So. Dithridge St., Pittsburgh.
History: _Hispanic American Historical Review_, 1422 Irving St., N.E.,
Washington, D.C.
House Organs: Some two thousand of these are listed in the market books
named.
Jewelry: _Jewelers' Circular_, 11 John St., New York.
Labor: See particular division desired by consulting Market Book.
Law: _Casualty Review_, 222 East Ohio St., Indianapolis, Ind.
Lumber: _Lumber_, Wright Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.
Medical: See division desired, as Dental, Hospital, etc., in Market
Book.
Military: _American Legion Weekly_, 627 West 43d St., New York.
Municipal: _American City_, 87 Nassau St., New York.
Printing: _The Inland Printer_, Inland Printing Co., 632 Sherman St.,
Chicago.
Railroad: _The Railroad Red Book_, 2019 Stout St., Denver, Colo.
Shoes: _Boot and Shoe Recorder_, 207 South St., Boston.
This survey gives a general idea of the wide market open to photographs
which fall within each magazine's requirements. No attempt has been
made to give the needs of magazines, or to present what is usually
called "a list of markets." We have been concerned here with
generalizing the market--pointing out to the reader who never sees most
of the magazines named that they really exist and buy photographs. The
purchase of a Market Book is necessary if one desires seriously to make
his way selling photographs to publications.
"Study the magazine" is the bromide flung always in the teeth of the
beginner. But what if one can't obtain copies of the magazines which
print material which the reader may easily find? Then he has only to
request from the editor a sample copy of the magazine, using the
address gleaned from the Market Book--and he then has the best
information as to what that particular magazine wants. And at a cost of
only two cents per copy.
VIII
SHIPPING THE PRODUCT TO MARKET
When a print is to be offered to a local newspaper, the photographer
starts out, sometimes, as soon as one hour after making the exposure,
with the print in his hand, and, arriving at the desk of the
city-editor, he allows him to examine it. In such a case, mailing the
print would delay it; perhaps delay it until its interest has cooled,
and so make it worthless. But when submitting prints to magazines one
should always invoke the aid of Uncle Sam's mail-service, no matter if
the editor lives just next door and the publication-office is but a
block distant.
The shipping of your prints to their markets merits special
consideration. If the photograph, after being wrapped, can be bent
easily, it is apt to arrive at the editor's desk in a cracked and
crumpled condition. Then the editor could not buy it if he wished. And,
when it is returned, its maker finds it to be so mutilated that it is
useless to try to market it elsewhere. Proper protection of photographs
when shipping them is an aid to both editor and contributor.
Photographs which are 4 x 5 inches in size can be sent safely in a No.
11 envelope of heavy manila paper if a sheet of cardboard is placed in
the envelope too. The cardboard prevents the breaking of corners, the
bending, and the cracking of the print. For a return-envelope--_never
omit to enclose an envelope addressed to yourself and adequately
stamped for the return of the print if it is unavailable_--for a
return envelope, a No. 10 manila envelope is the best.
Prints which are 4 x 5 inches or larger should be sent in larger
envelopes--in clasp-envelopes. These envelopes can be obtained at
stationers' in sizes suitable for almost any photograph. The envelope
should be about an inch larger each way than the print. The print, as
well as a piece of cardboard--which should be somewhat larger than the
print--can be sent safely in the clasp-envelope container. _On no
occasion forget to enclose a return-envelope, which should be
self-addressed and stamped._ The return-envelope may be of the same
size as the outer one; and, if it is folded, it may be easily inserted.
The envelopes mentioned, I have found by experience, are the best
containers that can be used for photographs that are to be mailed.
Never roll a print and insert it in a mailing-tube. If there is
anything an editor does _not_ want you to do, it is that. Prints so
sent never lose the violent curve they acquire in transit, and then
they are no more amenable to reason than a temperamental mule. Prints
should always be sent _flat_--never rolled or folded, nor in any other
condition except perfectly _flat_.
The envelope should be addressed to "The Editor" of the particular
magazine selected. Do not address it to the editor by name, for it
might arrive at a time when he is on his vacation, and so it will
follow him all over the country and perhaps become lost. There should
be no enclosure other than the photograph; except, when it is
necessary, a sheet carrying an explanation or a short article to be
printed with the picture. Do not write a letter to the editor unless
the photograph is timely and should have an immediate decision. The
professional news-photographer submits his work without letters, and
with no identification except his name on the back of each print--and
it isn't what's on the back, but what's on the front, that counts.
Photographs properly require only third-class postage rates. The
addition of a caption to the print, or any other written matter
included with it, automatically raises the rate to first-class. Even if
nothing but the photograph alone is sent, I advise the use of
first-class service for several reasons: the print is then carried more
quickly; it is handled more carefully; and the sender may seal the
container, which he is unable to do with third-class matter. Always,
then, send your photographs by first-class mail.
Editors do not maintain special funds for the purpose of paying for
postage-due stamps. That is, if a package of photographs arrives at the
editor's desk with the postage not fully prepaid, the payment by the
editor of the postage due does not make his attitude kindly toward the
work itself. There are a good many editors who will not accept
contributions from the postoffice which have postage-due stamps
attached because of the neglect of the sender to fully prepay the
postage. There are a great many more editors who will not return
photographs unless a stamped and self-addressed envelope is enclosed
with the offering. The attitude is entirely justified, for the
supplying of postage to careless contributors in such cases would cost
a magazine hundreds of dollars every year.
Never send your photographs by registered mail unless their value is
extraordinary; and never send them by special-delivery mail unless the
prints are addressed to a newspaper and possess burning-hot news
interest. To send photographs of average quality by either registered
or special-delivery mail is a trick of the novice struggling for
recognition. Use ordinary first-class service and the editor will feel
more kindly toward you than if he is made to stop his work and sign a
mail-receipt.
Not all photographs are accepted by the very first editor who sees
them. Very often it is the fifth, or the tenth, or even the twentieth
editor who buys them. So if a print comes back, immediately send it out
again and again and again. _Don't stop, for the very next time you
might sell it._ If it's a good print, there is an editor somewhere
waiting for it.
IX
THE PRICES PAID
The most remarkable news-photographs ever made--they were exposed at
the South Pole--brought $3,000 from _Leslie's_ (now no longer
published) for "First Rights," and $1,000 more from International
Feature Service for "Second Rights." Some photographers have realized
hundreds of dollars from lucky shots; an extraordinary photograph may
bring from $25 to $100; but the average price paid is $3.00; and,
indeed, there are some editors who unblushingly offer as little as ten
or twenty-five cents for prints; and some who find it impossible,
unwise, or unnecessary to pay for prints at all.
Although the average price paid is not astounding, it is a good return
on the cost of making; also, the abundant opportunities for salable
prints compensate for what each cheque lacks. A photographer who is
wide-awake and moving ought not to find it difficult to sell at least
ten prints each week, if not more, when one considers the large number
of available subjects and the multitude of magazines.
Newspapers pay for prints according to their breadth of circulation. A
widely-read daily will pay more for photographs than one of small
circulation. Very often, newspaper-editors prefer that the
press-photographer send a bill for his services. If you are asked to do
that, do not hesitate to charge a price you think is entirely just; but
don't grasp the opportunity to profiteer. Better, discover the price
asked by the newspaper's favorite commercial-photographer, and mark
down your price accordingly. That is business; it isn't taking an
unfair advantage.
Whatever the price that is paid, don't object if you think it is too
low; accept the payment and seek a more remunerative market next time.
This applies to magazines as well as to newspapers.
The prices paid by magazines vary likewise, but none of any reputation
pays less than one dollar per print. There are many factors which
decide the size of the cheque which the press-photographer receives.
The first is the circulation of the publication, for its financial
reserve depends on the number of buyers. The size of the print in some
instances decides the price paid. Thus, one magazine pays $1.00 for
prints of one size and $2.00 for larger ones. However, there are not
many magazines who pay according to the size of print.
Sometimes, retouching must be applied to a print in order to make it
suitable for reproduction; and, as the service of a retoucher is
expensive, something is deducted from the photographer's cheque to pay
for the work. _Popular Science_ is a magazine of that policy. The
photographer can avoid such deductions from his cheques by supplying
photographs of such quality that they will need no retouching.
If a photograph is offered for the exclusive use of one magazine it may
bring a higher price than if it were non-exclusive. Thus, _Collier's_
pays $3.00 for non-exclusive prints and $5.00 for exclusive ones. Some
few magazines rarely accept any print that is not exclusive; indeed,
non-exclusiveness may be a reason for rejection. Calendar-makers and
postcard-makers, of course, buy only exclusive rights. A publisher is
always more favorably inclined toward an exclusive than toward a
non-exclusive print; and, very often, the added favor means added
dollars to the payment.