Newspaper photos are going to be different from magazine photos, so before you try and get your photos published, know what the media is looking for.

Your publicity art for newspapers should have strong contrast, since a lot of its sharpness will be lost when it is transferred to newsprint. And since newspaper columns are narrow, your pictures should be shot in a vertical format so they can be reduced to fit one column, if necessary. You can include some horizontal shots as well, in case the editor really likes your art and decides to run a shot across several columns, but the vertical shot is the basic one.

If you're submitting photos to magazines, ask the editors you work with whether they prefer vertical or horizontal shots.

Whether you're submitting them to newspapers or magazines, your photos must have a glossy surface. Photos with matte (textured or rough) surfaces won't reproduce well.

Don't write on the back of a photo. The pressure of your pencil or pen can cause indentations in the surface of the shot that will show up in reproduction. Write or type any necessary information on a label, and then attach it to the back of the art. Never use paper clips on photos because they, too, can cause indentations.

For great ideas and tips on how to take and make your photos exactly what the newspaper or magazine of choice is looking for, and thus more likely to be published, see David R. Yale's "How To Get Publicity Photos In Newspapers, Magazines, And On TV"