Making Your Camera Pay

by Frederick C. Davis

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 × 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 × 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.