What is the process to get your car featured in a major publication?

[CTSV]

My buddies and I want to get some feature press on our builds and just do not know the process or who to connect with for Popular Hot Rodding, Camaro Performers and Modified Mustang and Fords.

I am sure some of you guys have had your cars featured or know a friend or car builder who has and can lend some input on how its done and who to approach.

Do we need to hire a photographer and make a Press Kit to submit or does the magazine hire the photographer and writer for the feature? no clue on how this is done.

[CarlC]

Since all three of those publications have been terminated by Source Interlink, now TEN (The Enthusiasts Network), you may want to consider another set of targets.

[CTSV]

CarlC are you saying these publications are canceled but we are still getting subscription copies of all. Fill me in if you can i wasn't aware of this and can you suggest other publications to look into for a feature?

[andrewb70]

https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/107484-Farewell-to-our-favorite-magazines

[CTSV]

this really sucks now i realize why i received 3 copies of PHR all within a weeks time which was their May June July issues.

i hope they mail subscribers a notice or someone picks up and continues to keep these publications going. I honestly like magazine and hate online media and magazine as i spend enough time on a PC at work i like to relax and flip through car mags .

[Schwartz Performance]

The "process" is either to know somebody, or locate an editor at a show, or simply email your car in- maybe a readers rides story. If the magazine editors like it enough they'll contact you further. But the best way would probably to introduce yourself and your car to an editor of an appropriate magazine at a show if possible.
You could also email them if the car isn't done yet and see if they'd be interested.

-Dale

[1966longroof]

For me........they came up to me and asked to take pics. Hot Rod during last years power tour, they ended up putting some pics on-line. Then at the CHP Nat's a couple weeks ago. Chevy High Performance took some extra pics of the wagon and said they will be in the Oct or Nov issue. I'm far from any type of an expert on anything. But as stated above.......get your car seen, introduce yourself, send in pics, and once again get your cars out and about.

[killer69]

Buy advertising in the magazine then it is easy,

[LS1-IROC]

If your car is good enough to catch their eye, they will contact you;-)

[wendell]

It's also important that every bit of your car can be purchased in a Summit catalog.

[BMR Sales]

this really sucks now i realize why i received 3 copies of PHR all within a weeks time which was their May June July issues.

i hope they mail subscribers a notice or someone picks up and continues to keep these publications going. I honestly like magazine and hate online media and magazine as i spend enough time on a PC at work i like to relax and flip through car mags .

Good Luck with that thought, but it's not going to happen. There is no money to be made with Magazines and now that Source Interlink let all the good people go, they are landing jobs elsewhere (we hired one)

[BangShiftChad]

The blood letting at Source is unfortunate, and a lot of good people have been displaced. Nobody likes to see that. The likelyhood of anyone "purchasing" those titles in very unlikely.

Now back to the topic at hand. Getting your car featured somewhere.

I have had cars featured in multiple publications over the years, and the only way it happened was because I was at the right place at the right time and some editor liked them.

Now, on BangShift we are looking hot and heavy for feature cars right now. SoCal, where I live is the easiest for me, but I'm connected with some photographers that can shoot cars all over the place. So...email me some pictures of the cars and maybe we'll be interested. Although I know you hate online media.

If anyone else is interested though, email me [email protected]

[shortrack]

On a lark I simply emailed Hunkins of PHR and sent him some pics of my car. Within ten minutes he emailed me back and said he "HAD to have it" in his upcoming "builds" issue.......BUT he said the deadline for the issue was the Monday (this was Thursday) and he needed a short bio on the car, more hi def pics and have them converted to some stone age computer format that made my kid laugh his head off because it was so old. SO....I put my life on hold, found and downloaded the format and did everything he asked and got it all in on time.....THEN The issue comes out, no car. I guess it didnt make the final cut I only guess because after repeated emails no response from Hunkins.....****wad

Bangshift on the other hand real nice bunch of people

[mikedc]

1. Build whatever the hell you want. Just make sure bodystyle & engine are both either expensive or weird. If you are going to chop out the entire underside then make sure you start with a zero-rust body.

2. Make the fit & finish far too perfect to ever drive the car. Tire sidewalls should be no more than 2" high even in urban Michigan. It MUST have an overdrive tranny (expensive & aftermarket), but CANNOT have any other drivability concessions (cheap & practical).

3. Email the magazines with pics. Tell them it was done by some big-name customizer.

4. When they show up, tell them it will get driven a ton but it hasn't happened yet because the car just got finished half an hour ago.

5. List it on Ebay two years later for $150k with 38 miles on the odometer and the basic adjustments still not sorted out yet.

[Carl @ Chassisworks]

If you have an all black or Mercedes silver Camaro with a T-56 and an LS then it's really easy...

Realistically, sometimes it is as easy as asking. PT.com member Russell Wells sent a high quality pic to PHR and they threw it in the letters section. Then they had a photographer in the area who shot the car. http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/1405_1969_pontiac_gto_back_on_top/ We featured the car on our Facebook page HERE at about the same time. I wrote the copy but really it was just Russell's words, some details, and a bunch of pics.

Several cars we have hosted have ended up in digital magazines such as BangShift or StreetLegalTV.

If you live in the boonies you have a much lower change of getting your car shot. If you pay for the photography your odds are slightly better. One of the magazines had an article on this recently but I can't find it. However, this is an older PHR article that is BETTER than whatever I read the other day. http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0506phr_get_your_car_phr/ Oh, and here's an older one that has some pertinent info: http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_9812_how_to_get_your_car_in_car_craft/


Buy advertising in the magazine, then it is easy.

Quoted for truth! But then they want free parts too.

[Che70velle]

I have a truck that has been featured in both Truckin' and Sport Truck mags. They both did multi page features, and the trick for me was getting the truck noticed. It was built for indoor ISCA competition, and did well in the southeast tour, but we also entered the truck in every big outdoor show in the southeast. The key for me was exposure. It won big awards, and a lot of people took notice. The truck is a trailer queen, and has been driven 4 miles since completed in 97'. I was "pro touring", when pro touring wasn't cool.