How To Get Your Work Published In A Magazine

Getting your work published as a stylist feels like the ultimate stamp of approval. Moreso, published work is often an unwritten requirement for stylists who want to be signed by agencies or work with big names or celebrities.

A stylist’s first publication is a major career landmark. If you haven’t achieved it but want to, you’re in the right place! 

Here are 3 methods to achieve publication. Keep reading for the breakdown:

1. Build your own editorial shoot team

2. Join an existing editorial shoot team

3. Work with an agency, magazine, or assist a stylist on an editorial project

1. BUILD YOUR OWN TEAM — 

Though this is by far the most time-consuming option, the results are a massive pay-off. As a stylist, you have the unique opportunity to create your very own editorial team to create work that can be pitched to magazines.

Building your own editorial team means coordinating everything from locating a photographer, to securing a shooting location, and booking the model and hair & makeup team. You will often find that folks in these categories will work pro-bono or on a “collab basis,” as long as you communicate that the photoshoot will be submitted to editorials. The cons? This method is costly, even if you find a team that is willing to work with you for free. However, I believe that the biggest benefit of this method is that YOU have full creative control over the project. In fact, if you’re the sole creator of the moodboards, overall vibes, lighting concepts, and wardrobe inspiration, you can be sure to credit yourself as Creative Director as well as stylist!

Once the photos from your shoot are edited and ready to go, you can use an app like Kavyar to submit the project to various online magazines. Some are free to submit, while others charge a fee (typically $50-200) to publish your photos, secure a feed post on the magazine’s socials, and in some cases, even receive a print copy of your work!

Pro Tip: When you assemble a team of creatives who help bring your vision to life out of the kindness of their hearts, be sure to reward them with coffee, lunch, on-set snacks, or even a small gift card. The gesture will NOT go unseen. Trust me!!

Courtney's styling work is featured in the winter issue of Local Wolves Magazine.

2. JOIN AN EXISTING TEAM –

If the previous option sounds like more work than you’d like to take on, I get it! Assembling a team is not part of a stylist’s typical job description. One of the easiest ways to get published is to join an existing team of creatives who are seeking publication. How do you find these teams? My personal favorite is to post my inquiry to Instagram Threads, which will show your post to hundreds of local users. Here’s an example of what you might say…

“Hi Threads! Is anyone in [city/region] looking for an editorial stylist? My name is XXX, and I’m looking to get my work published! Any models or photographers out there with an editorial concept in the works? Reach out to me with your moodboard or vision!”

A message such as this one will prove especially lucrative in replies, as most editorial submissions actually require a stylist in the credits to qualify for eligibility. Sweet! 

Again—don’t expect to be paid for this work. Unfortunately, editorial work is not only a super-saturated sector of the industry, but is often pulled off with a shoestring budget. The good news? You get to be creative, savvy, and challenged to create something beautiful with your available resources. 

Upon receiving the team’s moodboard, you will be deemed responsible for sourcing wardrobe for the shoot, whether from thrift and vintage stores, showrooms, or from your own closet. It’s completely up to you how much of your own money & time you’d like to invest in a particular editorial project. I suggest that you choose projects that excite you, in addition to what feels most aligned to the style of work you’d like to specialize in.

To curate an editorial wardrobe, reach out to as many showrooms as you can with the moodboard, photographer's name, and the model measurements and/or social media. Most will be happy to help once they know you are seeking publication. Some showrooms may turn you away or not reply, and that’s okay! Don’t let the rejection or ghosted emails stop you.

** For My Los Angeles Stylists: A few showrooms I’d recommend for your next editorial projects are: Basic PR, Showroom 316, the Pop Group, Viva StyleHouse, and AMPR. These are all places I’ve worked with firsthand and would recommend to stylists, both seasoned and beginners.

Some creatives use editorial shoots to tell a story. Photo by Carlos Vaz.

3. WORK WITH AN AGENCY, MAGAZINE, OR ASSIST A STYLIST ON AN EDITORIAL PROJECT —

So maybe you've scrolled through Kavyar, you’ve seen the online magazines on Instagram and Threads, but you want something bigger.  

There are a few ways you can achieve bigger, more widely known publications to feature your work. This method is personally something I have not done, so please take my advice with a grain of salt.

You can land a big spot in your favorite magazines like Elle, or international Vogue, and that’s by working with the ‘big dogs’ of fashion. I’ve separated this section into tips for emerging stylists and for experienced stylists. 

For emerging stylists: If you are an emerging stylist (0-2 years experience), you can offer your services to a successful stylist as an intern or assistant. Specifically, you can ask if there are any editorial projects that they need your assistance on. You might be asked to run errands, complete showroom pickups and drop-offs, or help out on set with various tasks. Don’t expect to be in charge, and also don’t expect to be paid. IF the stylist themselves are being paid for the project, it’s worth asking for an assistant rate (typically $200-350/day). I will say that many of these stylists were brought up in an industry that thrived on free labor. Though you may land a bigger publication or get to work with big talent by assisting, expect to work twice as hard and to earn little to nothing. The stakes are higher, more corporate interests are involved, and deadlines are often tight and unforgiving. My advice? Proceed with caution, set reasonable expectations, and always ask for some type of compensation from your stylist, whether it be gas/miles, lunch, or even a mentorship call down the line.

For experienced stylists: Are you a more experienced stylist (3+ years)? Congrats! You might be called up either by an agency, talent organization, or a magazine (though usually smaller magazines) to style a project. Again—paid editorial gigs are few and far between. When asked to style an editorial by a talent agency, you may consider it an exchange for the experience, hands-on knowledge, and of course, the publication credit that the opportunity offers. I personally find it challenging to donate my time, energy, and my network of showrooms and local designers when I am not being compensated. And yes, I have been asked to style, completely unpaid, on editorial projects that have $100K+ budgets. It is crazy, it is unfair, and it does need to change. If the right project comes my way and feels aligned, I will consider coming on as a stylist. I tend to only say yes to very special and meaningful projects. 

** NOTE: There are some online magazines that might reach out to you via DM asking you to style a shoot for their publication. Though some of these inquiries may be legit, some are not, and will utilize your free labor, but never deliver or publish the images. In turn, your relationship with your showrooms could be in danger. If you’re ever unsure about a project, ask around! I find that creative folks are more than willing to share their experience with a particular account. 

Here are a few other ways to achieve published work:

• Submit images from a test shoot you worked on (with the entire team’s permission) to an open call. Try out PhotoVogue or other local, grassroots publications or zines. 

• If you or someone who you know has a beautifully infinite budget, you may be able to pay to have your editorial to be published in a large magazine. This method often requires a big name attached to the project, such as a famous model or an up & coming Netflix actor. (And yes, it does cost thousands of dollars to get into those glossy pages.)

• I have also had friends who have worked on shoots that submitted to Vogue international and have had their work published! It never hurts to find that email, send a message, and pitch what your project can bring to their next issue.

These methods are by no means the only ways to get your styling work published. After 7 years working as a stylist, 3 of those being freelance, this industry still feels infinitely expansive to me. Fashion is a living, breathing organism that is constantly changing. 

"Fashion is a living, breathing organism that is constantly changing."

Closing Thoughts —

Important details to remember: ALWAYS check that you are properly credited in the editorial credits as “Stylist,” “Wardrobe,” or whatever term you prefer. Once you have the image selects from your shoot (photos that are lightly edited but not retouched), be sure to send these over to your showrooms to confirm that the proper garments are tagged in the fashion credits BEFORE the images are submitted. Mistakes happen, but your job as a stylist is to try and prevent missing credits from happening. After all, these showrooms are lending the items to you with the promise that you will get their brands some good PR. Be communicative, prompt, and share any BTS (behind-the-scenes) content that you have from the shoot.

This was how to get your work published in an editorial for stylists! I hope you enjoyed and found value in my perspective. As always, if you have any questions, my dm's are open! Send your brief message to @courtstylist and I will do my best to answer your question. 

Don’t forget to trust your gut (because it’s always right), be kind (because it’s the nice thing to do), and have fun, (because that’s what life’s about!)

xoxo, Court