Welcome to another instalment of Pinup Pageants 101. Now that we have learnt how to write a pinup bio, it is now time to send in your pageant submission. This process can be a bit daunting and of course, every submission process can be different that is today’s topic.

Written Submission Section:
The first bit of advice I have is read the entire submission process. It’s best to know what is needed from you, how much time you have and if you need to prepare something special. Some pageants will have a simple form to fill out which includes your pinup name, real name, date of birth, your address and email address and your bio.

If the submission process asks you to write about different topics, such as your favourite vintage car, your vintage idols etc, take your time to flesh out your answer. Stick to your pinup style when answering and have fun with your answers too. For example, if the question is asking what your favourite vintage car is and you prefer motorcycles, say that! Make the audience and judges see that you are unique and think outside the box.

Tip: proof-read your answers a few times over and even ask someone to read them for you as well. There’s nothing worse than seeing a typo or spelling error in a submission.

If your submission asks you if you have anything you’d like to tell the judges, this section can be a huge help. If you have a chance to pass on a note to the judges, use that opportunity to your advantage. For example, this is a chance to share where you got a particular dress from, what your inspiration behind your outfit was, if you’re wearing a family heirloom or a little bit of history about your family. Don’t suck up and brown nose the judges; just be yourself and share a little more.
The strongest example I have of this is during a big pageant’s talent section, the entrants were asked if they had anything to share with the judges. One pinup was playing an instrument which didn’t allow her to wear lipstick. She didn’t tell the judges that in her notes so they all thought she just simply forgot to finish her makeup! It was heartbreaking when I found out and it’s definitely become a cautionary tale.

Be honest in your answers; if you are asked during a submission what charity work you do or what do you do for your community, if you don’t do anything, be honest. Don’t feel the need to lie and make up stories for what the judges want to hear; instead just give an honest answer as it makes you seem more of a real person.

When sending in your submission, make sure you read and follow all instructions. If you are required to email your submission and answer certain questions, do exactly that! Make sure everything is sent in one entry or else you run the risk of your entry not being complete. If your entry is an electronic form, eg. via Google or Survey Monkey, take your time going through and answer each section correctly. If you can save the entry and come back to it before submitting, that can help with you processing your answers.

Do not send an email the next day asking to change your answers or your photos. Many pageants don’t have time for that which is why its important to take your time with the submission.
Give yourself enough time to complete the entry. If you have a week to send in your submission, do not complete the application on the final evening as you run the risk of not answering questions well and not being able to properly edit your work.
Make sure you submit on time. Most likely, late entires will be rejected.

Submission photos:
It’s super common for pinup pageants to ask for some kind of photo as part of your submission. This can be really daunting as you have no idea what to send or perhaps you are new and don’t have any professional photos. It’s ok, we will get through this together.
If you are a new pinup you have a few options; I’d recommend finding a good photographer and booking in a session with them. Ask to see how many outfits you are allowed (this helps show your personality) and also ask for head shots, full body shots and torso length photos. You can use these photos to send as part of your submission.

You can also just grab your camera or your phone, go out into the garden or a park and ask a friend to take a few snaps. There’s nothing wrong with this and of course, it’s really budget friendly. I’d say make sure the lighting is good, your clothes are bright and clean and you don’t over edit yourself. Avoid selfies as they can come across as being not very professional and make sure the image is sharp and we can clearly see you.
Read what kind of photos are necessary; some pageants ask for a full body, a head shot and a ‘you’ shot so make sure you choose your best photos. They don’t have to be over edited but as long as you love them, I’m sure those receiving your submission will too.

If there are no requirements for the photos; if you only have one option, I would opt for a good torso length shot of a striking head shot. I find these stand out the best, show who you are but also leave a little mystery. You don’t want to look tiny in the photo and leave people disconnected.
Always see if your submission photo will be part of the judging. If it is, really make sure you are happy with your photo and ask yourself, “does this photo represent who I am?”.

Tips: to speed up the photo process, have a folder on your computer for submission purposes. Catagorise your folder into section for you head shots, full body shots, personality shots and torso length shots. You can also have a ‘misc’ folder for anything else you’d like to keep that you think would be great for a submission.

If you don’t get accepted in your pageant of choice, it’s ok to ask for feedback. Some pageants are happy to say what you could improve on but some are simply too busy with too many entrants. It’s ok to try again with a different pageants or the same pageant the next time it’s run. Don’t lose hope, just regroup and plan ahead.

This post is part of a Pinup Pageant Guide mini-series. Feel free to find more posts from this series here:

-Writing a Pinup Bio
-Sending in Pinup Pageant Applications
–How to Plan a Routine
-Planning your Pageant Outfits
-Planning your Pageant Hair and Makeup
-Using Props on Stage
-Posing on Stage
-What to do on Stage
-What to Pack for Pinup Pageant Day
-Pageant Etiquette

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way.