Me and Ashley Gregory in front of the Chicago Art Institute.

Me and Ashley Gregory in front of the Chicago Art Institute.  

I am fresh off a trip to America’s Beauty Show in Chicago, where I had the honor of being a guest panelist on The Nailscape’s Making Your Mark in the Nail Industry panel. Moderator and NAILS contributor Ashley Gregory did an incredible job of pulling together excellent questions and a knowledgeable panel. A few of the questions that came up during this panel are ones I hear frequently, so I thought I would re-address them here.

Q: How do I get to do a NAILS cover?
A: We are choosy about our cover artists, but ultimately it all comes down to timing and trends. Most of our covers are shot in-house in Torrance, Calif., three months or more ahead of the issue date. You can email me your portfolio and let me know if you’ll be in the area at a particular time. We also have our Cover Tech Contest that takes calls for entries beginning in Augustn.

Q: How do I get reposted on NAILS Magazine’s Instagram?
A: Make sure to tag #nailsmagazine on your most beautiful, up-close, clean nail shots. Email me if you’d like to be featured in print as well.

Q: I want to try out for NTNA. How do I perfect my skills for the competition?
A: I recommend taking nail art classes or seeking out online education (NAILStv, YouTube, and Lably are good places to start). NTNA alum Lauren Wireman offers Wildflowers classes all over the country and since she has experience with the contest, she can offer lots of useful tips. You should also practice shooting and editing video, and work on your photography skills. More resources can be found at www.nailsmag.com/photography. The Season 6 application can be found here.

Q: I have an idea for a NAILS article, should I pitch it to you?
A: Yes! NAILS loves hearing from our readers, especially if it will give us ideas on how to better supply you with content. You can email me anything from an article proposal to a rough sketch of an idea.

It’s my job to keep you informed and offer you the resources necessary to make your mark on this industry. NAILS looks forward to working with you and hopefully featuring you soon. For more follow-up from this panel, visit The Nailscape

For more insight on how to get published, go to
www.nailsmag.com/submissions

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