Publicity Photos are more likely to get published if they are good, simply said. However, keep in mind that photos need editing, too! Sometimes, by cropping, you can save a piece of art. Ask your camera shop to print 4x5 proofs for you. Then use pieces of plain white paper to blank out parts of the photo that are dull, not relevant, or compete with the photo's focal point. As you move these "cropping sheets," around on a photo, you may suddenly see an ordinary shot take on focus and impact. Once you've decided which parts of the photo you want to crop out, you can use a waterproof marker or a grease pencil to make marks right on the proofs so the film laboratory knows exactly how to print the enlargements. If you're not familiar with the process, ask your camera store for advice.

For great ideas and tips on how to take and make your photos better, more visually appealing, and thus more likely to be published, see David R. Yale's "How To Get Publicity Photos In Newspapers, Magazines, And On TV"