How long to wait after magazine submission?

I recently shot a 1962 nova (twin-turbo, 1200-1400 hp, looked like it had just gotten pulled out of a junkyard, total sleeper) that had just won its division at the LSX shootout after driving 500 miles there as well as finishing Hot Rod's Drag Week. The owner informed me that one of Hot Rod's online contributors had approached him about an online feature and that he needed some photos. I got the editing on them finished 3 days later and sent them to her with the email address the car's owner gave me.

These are some of my favorite pictures I've taken and really want to share them, but I don't want to screw up my chances of them being featured because I posted them online. This was about 3 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back from her. Should I consider it a lost cause and post them, or should I wait a little longer?

Why don't you contact the person from Hot Rod magazine to see if they received the photos. Find out when they will be posted online.

If you are concerned with your images being used, why do you have a compulsive need to share them anywhere? Be sensible and think about your photography in a business sense, and don't worry about sharing them with anyone on a forum. If you think that it could possibly harm your chances, why bother? No one in these forums is going to put money in your pocket, nurture and respect the relationships that will, and don't burn bridges.

Also, most magazines will not contact you. I deal with about 12 different publications and they never tell me when something is going to print nor do I ask. Usually i find out from an owner, or if I am on the phone with the editor, I might ask, otherwise, don't expect them to call you. It the nature of the business.

BTW, I looked at your Flickr page, and that bike shot with the fire, excellent work.

lusospeed wrote in post #16404438
If you are concerned with your images being used, why do you have a compulsive need to share them anywhere? Be sensible and think about your photography in a business sense, and don't worry about sharing them with anyone on a forum. If you think that it could possibly harm your chances, why bother? No one in these forums is going to put money in your pocket, nurture and respect the relationships that will, and don't burn bridges.

Also, most magazines will not contact you. I deal with about 12 different publications and they never tell me when something is going to print nor do I ask. Usually i find out from an owner, or if I am on the phone with the editor, I might ask, otherwise, don't expect them to call you. It the nature of the business.

BTW, I looked at your Flickr page, and that bike shot with the fire, excellent work.

Thank you, that's probably my favorite picture I've ever taken!

I wasn't as concerned with sharing them here as I was with putting them on my business page and sharing them on Facebook. I'm extremely happy with how they turned out and don't want them to be sitting in limbo forever. Also, I've asked the car's owner to not share images until I hear back, but he's eager to show off his baby.

Also, if I don't get contacted by the magazines, how do I get paid by them?

steelbluesleepr wrote in post #16405412
Also, if I don't get contacted by the magazines, how do I get paid by them?

They weren't the ones who asked you for the photos in the first place, I'm guessing you won't.

My thought is they approached the car owner because they figured they would get them for free that way.

So you dont have any agreement in hand that you are going to paid for the shots?

gonzogolf wrote in post #16405963
So you dont have any agreement in hand that you are going to paid for the shots?

Oh no... here we go again.

Now I also wonder if there is no agreement for the magazine to pay you do they have anything that says they even have permission to use them? Maybe permission was given by the car owner and they assume he took the photos or had rights to them?

As for when they appear it could be any number of months. Part of the reason they call them editors is they always have more content on hand than they can use a particular time. Its entirely possible that they are holding the feature piece until they have a slot for it, which might be months away depending on their process.

Really cool stuff on the fire / motorcycle shot! Faved it on Flickr.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16405963
So you dont have any agreement in hand that you are going to paid for the shots?

no, I do not. I submitted 4 images to the writer (who had contacted the car's owner) along with a message saying that the car's owner and I worked together to get these images taken specifically for use by the magazine.

As much as I've researched and asked friends who've had work published, etc. I've never been able to find anything that says the proper way to submit photos to a magazine. Obviously contributors get paid or they wouldn't contribute their work, but how this is done is about as clear as mud. I did not include anything (I believe) in the email giving them rights to publish the images yet. I assumed they would get back to me to let me know that my images were selected.

Blaster6 wrote in post #16406023
Maybe permission was given by the car owner and they assume he took the photos or had rights to them?

I sent the images myself, not the owner.

aphphoto wrote in post #16406047
Really cool stuff on the fire / motorcycle shot! Faved it on Flickr.

Thank you!

steelbluesleepr wrote in post #16406154
no, I do not. I submitted 4 images to the writer (who had contacted the car's owner) along with a message saying that the car's owner and I worked together to get these images taken specifically for use by the magazine.

As much as I've researched and asked friends who've had work published, etc. I've never been able to find anything that says the proper way to submit photos to a magazine. Obviously contributors get paid or they wouldn't contribute their work, but how this is done is about as clear as mud.

Thank you!

Not all contributors get paid. Lots of magazines run pieces where there is a benefit to the car owner (prestige, publicity, ego) and they provide art to the magazine as part of that. If you never had a single discussion about compensation then now is a bit late to be doing so. The writer may be under the impression that you were paid by the car owner who has the rights to publish. Contact the writer and make sure your understanding and his are the same.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16406169
Not all contributors get paid. Lots of magazines run pieces where there is a benefit to the car owner (prestige, publicity, ego) and they provide art to the magazine as part of that. If you never had a single discussion about compensation then now is a bit late to be doing so. The writer may be under the impression that you were paid by the car owner who has the rights to publish. Contact the writer and make sure your understanding and his are the same.

This was actually for an online feature, not print. The car isn't a shop car or representing any companies that I know of, it's just owned by a guy with fairly deep pockets and likes to go fast in style.

for those curious, this is the car (not my images) http://blogs.hotrod.co​m …-80197.html#axzz2j3CWn7​aP

steelbluesleepr wrote in post #16406180
This was actually for an online feature, not print. The car isn't a shop car or representing any companies that I know of, it's just owned by a guy with fairly deep pockets and likes to go fast in style.

for those curious, this is the car (not my images) http://blogs.hotrod.co​m …-80197.html#axzz2j3CWn7​aP

The more you tell us, the case for actually getting paid gets weaker and weaker.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16406188
The more you tell us, the case for actually getting paid gets weaker and weaker.

If I don't end up getting paid, I guess I'll have to chalk it up as a learning experience. I'm happy with the images, i just wish I could have been happy with a check too.

steelbluesleepr wrote in post #16406192
If I don't end up getting paid, I guess I'll have to chalk it up as a learning experience. I'm happy with the images, i just wish I could have been happy with a check too.

Here is a checklist for the future. 1) if you want to be paid, talk about it before you take the first photo. 2) have some understanding and an agreement in writing about who gets to use the photos, where, and for how long. 3) Get some understanding of the process before you hand over the goods. Never assume that people who want to use your images understand your need/desire to get paid or understand your rights to control the images.