Label your photos and slides before you mail them away. They may get separated from your other materials and never find their way back to you.  Competitions and juried shows often provide instructions for labeling. If you do not have specific instructions, these guidelines will be generally acceptable.

  Label the back of photos . Use white, self-adhesive labels, large enough to type your information clearly and fully. (Don’t write directly on the back of the photo because impressions will be visible on the front.)

  Provide a brief description of the article, your address and phone information and your copyright statement in this format: © 2001 Jane Doe.

  Use a plain white label with the directional arrow drawn on it if it needs orientation. If necessary, include the number of the photo on this label. Put a protective cover over the photos before mailing. (A plain oaktag file folder, cut to size, provides protection; if the photos are large, you may want heavier cardboard.)

  Slides should contain the same information as your photos . On the front of the slide include your title or description, size and copyright information, including the year. (The front is the side where the image appears correctly as you view it with the naked eye.) Place a directional arrow indicating the top on the side of the image, and your identifying number, if necessary. Label the back of the slide with your name, address, and phone number.

  Place your slides in a slide sheet in correctly numbered order. Some applications provide a carrier for you to use.

  Photocopied images should also be labeled. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope (S.A.S.E.) if you would like your slides or photos returned. Make sure there’s enough postage on the envelope and include a request for their return.

  Sometimes slides are not returned for several months, so you will need several sets. Make sure you have duplicates of everything you send out, because you may not get them back. Sometimes they are used for publicity, and sometimes they are lost. Sometimes they are returned scratched or with coffee stains. Never send out original slides; use your originals to make duplicates.  

  Keep a list of shows to which you've applied and sent slides .  When your slides are returned, mark them off the list.  Slides represent your work and are an investment in time and money, so give them a little extra care and label them properly to improve your chances of getting them back. If used for publicity, labels ensure that the newspapers or magazine will give you proper credit.