If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your artwork featured in an art magazine, you’re not alone. For many artists, being published is more than a milestone—it’s an opportunity to share their creative voice, connect with a wider audience, and become part of a larger artistic conversation. While it can feel intimidating to submit your work, every published artist started with the same first step: deciding to apply.
The good news is that getting featured in an art magazine isn’t about having a perfect portfolio or decades of experience. Editors are looking for authenticity, thoughtful storytelling, and artists who are willing to share not only what they create, but why they create it. Whether you’re just beginning to submit your work or preparing your next application, these tips will help you better understand what editors look for and how to present your work with confidence.
There’s a moment that many artists dream about.
The first time you hold a magazine in your hands and see your artwork printed on the pages.
For many creatives, it feels like a milestone that validates years of experimenting, learning, failing, growing, and creating. But for most published artists, that moment didn’t happen by accident. It happened because they took a chance.
One recent contributor to The Turquoise Iris Journal, artist Erin Mullis, shared this after receiving her published copy:
“A few months ago, I decided to stop waiting for opportunities and start applying for them. One of those applications became a ‘yes,’ and now I’m officially a published artist.”
That simple decision—to stop waiting and start submitting—is often the biggest difference between artists who dream about publication and artists who become published.
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If you’ve ever wondered how to get featured in an art magazine, here are a few things editors are truly looking for.
1. Create Consistently
Editors aren’t looking for one perfect painting.
They’re looking for artists with a recognizable body of work.
Whether you work in watercolor, mixed media, acrylic, fiber art, ceramics, photography, or another medium, consistency helps editors understand your artistic voice. That doesn’t mean every piece has to look the same—it means your work reflects your perspective and your creative journey.
A cohesive portfolio is often more compelling than a collection of unrelated masterpieces.
2. Tell the Story Behind the Art
Beautiful artwork catches someone’s attention.
Your story is what keeps them reading.
Readers want to know:
- What inspired this piece?
- What challenges have shaped your work?
- How has your creative practice evolved?
- What do you hope people feel when they experience your art?
The most memorable magazine features invite readers into an artist’s process—not just the finished work.
3. Invest in Quality Photography
Your artwork or craft deserves to be seen clearly.
Editors often have only a few seconds to evaluate a submission, and photographs play a significant role in that first impression.
Take time to:
- Photograph work in natural, even lighting.
- Use high-resolution images.
- Capture close-up details.
- Include a few photos of yourself creating.
- Photograph your studio or creative space when appropriate.
- Avoid selfies – use a timer, a friend, or a tripod to capture your photo.
Good photography helps editors imagine how your work will appear in print. This doesn’t mean you need to invest in a professional photoshoot, but it may mean having a friend help.
4. Be Willing to Share Your Knowledge
Many art magazines are about more than showcasing finished artwork.
Readers love learning how artists think, solve problems, develop ideas, and overcome creative challenges.
Consider sharing:
- tutorials
- favorite materials
- creative routines
- lessons learned
- studio or space organization
- business experiences
Teaching doesn’t require being an expert—it simply requires being willing to share what you’ve learned along the way.
5. Build Relationships Within the Creative Community
Publication isn’t only about having beautiful work.
Editors are continually looking for artists who contribute to the creative community through encouragement, collaboration, generosity, and authenticity.
Support other artists. Attend events. Participate in workshops. Share others’ work.
Become known for lifting people up.
Those qualities often shine through long before an application arrives.
6. Follow Submission Guidelines Carefully
Every publication has its own editorial process.
Before submitting:
- Read the guidelines carefully.
- Submit everything requested.
- Meet deadlines.
- Label images clearly.
- Proofread your written responses.
- Don’t be afraid to provide more information than less.
A thoughtful, organized submission makes an editor’s job much easier.
7. Don’t Wait Until You Feel “Ready”
This may be the most important advice of all.
Many artists delay submitting because they think they need one more class, one more collection, one more year of experience, or one more accomplishment.
The truth is that creative growth never really ends.
If your work is genuine, your story is authentic, and you’re willing to share your creative journey, you may be more ready than you think.
As Erin Mullis so beautifully said:
“Here’s to saying yes to opportunities—even when they feel a little scary. You never know where one application might take you.”
What We Look for at The Turquoise Iris Journal
At The Turquoise Iris Journal, we’re passionate about sharing the stories behind art and craft.
Each quarterly volume is built around a central theme, inviting artists, makers, designers, writers, and creative entrepreneurs to explore that idea through their own experiences and creative practice.
Our contributors aren’t selected because they all paint the same way or have identical backgrounds. They come from different mediums, different crafts, different stages of their careers, and different corners of the creative world.
What connects them is a willingness to create thoughtfully, share generously, and inspire others.
If you’ve ever considered submitting your work, we’d love for you to follow along, subscribe to the Journal, and watch for future contributor opportunities. The next “yes” could be yours.
Keep Creating. Keep Sharing. Keep Applying.
Every published artist started somewhere.
Almost every one of them has wondered whether they were “good enough.”
The difference is that they chose to submit anyway.
Your artwork doesn’t have to be perfect.
Your story doesn’t have to be extraordinary.
It simply has to be yours.
Because the next opportunity might begin with one application—and one courageous decision to press “submit.”
