18 Digital and Print Photography Publications with FREE Submissions
A Guide to Photography Publications from The Open Call List
Hi,
Welcome to The Open Call List’s second bonus guide for paid subscribers! This guide contains a list of 18 digital and print photography publications that offer free submissions on a rolling or recurring basis.
What are the benefits of submitting to photo publications?
Wide Exposure. Above all, photography publications are opportunities to share your work widely and with new audiences. In addition to reaching photography fans and followers, established photo publications also help artists get their work in front of curators, gallerists, collectors, and more. Most of the publications listed in this article have audiences into the tens of thousands or higher, so having your work published — digitally or physically — could quickly place your images in front of as many or more viewers than a gallery show might. Publication can help you reach an important curator, your next collector, or even simply help you gain Instagram followers.
Minimal to No Cost. Exhibiting work in a gallery or museum often requires paying for printing, matting, framing, and shipping. On the other hand, publishing in any of the publications below comes at no cost to the artist — no submission fees, and no costs to print or deliver the work. In other words, publishing is often more economical and budget-friendly than showing in a gallery. Plus, many of the print publications listed here deliver free copies of issues to published artists, and a few even pay artists for their published images.
And, lest we be too utilitarian about it, publishing is also often rewarding and satisfying. A photobook or magazine that contains your photographs, for example, can be both a great source of pride and exciting to share with friends, family, and followers.
Ad-free bonus guides like this one are released once a month for paid supporters of The Open Call List. In contrast with The Open Call List’s weekly, time-sensitive content, paid bonus guides such as this one are evergreen and focus on recurring or ongoing open calls that will best serve your practice, your ongoing projects, and your photographic goals.
Free subscribers are able to preview the first three publications in the guide below. If you are not already a paid subscriber, to access the entire guide, please use the sliding scale subscription links below.
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At any amount, paid subscriptions support the time and energy I spend finding, vetting, and sharing open calls every week, as well as creating bonus guides like this one. Thank you!
18 Digital and Print Photography Publications with FREE Submissions
Note: Like last month’s guide to photography festivals with open calls, I have had to split this guide into two parts due to its length. See the second part of the guide here.
1. Humble Arts Foundation
Feature Type: Instagram Takeovers, Online Exhibitions, Instagram Features, Blog Features, and more.
Audience Size: 71K (Instagram)
Humble Arts Foundation is an online platform committed to promoting and supporting new photography. It is dedicated to supporting the artistic and professional development of photographers worldwide. Humble Arts shares photographers’ work via online exhibitions, long-form stories, blog features, Instagram takeovers, and more.
Humble Arts submissions are always open and always free. Submissions to be featured on the Humble Arts website, Instagram, online exhibitions, and more can be made on the Humble Arts Foundation submission page.
2. FlakPhoto
Feature Types: Newsletter Features, Long-Form Interviews, Instagram Features
Audience Size: 30K+ (web/newsletter), 52K+ (Instagram)
FlakPhoto is a fellow photography newsletter on Substack by writer and curator Andy Adams. Andy regularly shares photographers’ work in the series “Five Photographers,” as well as in the form of long-from interviews and various other features. Andy likewise shares work on the FlakPhoto Instagram via static posts and stories.
FlakPhoto is always looking for new work. Email Andy with sample images and information about your artistic practice at flakphoto@gmail.com.
3. Photoworks UK / Photography+
Feature Types: Photography Commissions, Digital Features, Print Publications, Instagram Takeovers
Audience Size: 57.1K (Instagram)
Photoworks UK is an online not-for-profit platform based in the United Kingdom that promotes photographic work from across the world. Photoworks has a wide range of ways to support photographers, including fellowships, awards, commissions for digital features, group exhibitions, Instagram takeovers, and more. Artists selected for any of these opportunities are paid for their work. Photoworks also publishes Photography+, an online magazine with free submissions that similarly pays artists selected for publication.
Photoworks UK submissions are recurring, rather than rolling. All current opportunities for submission are listed on Photoworks submission page, as well as posted on the Photoworks Instagram.