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Approaching publications with my image

I have an image taken with my Panasonic G6 that demonstrates some interesting principles of physics in relation to water. Normally, I sell a lot of my photos through microstock agencies. However, the kind of image that I have doesn't seem to be all that common. I have found some other similar images but there doesn't seem to be too many of them. As such, it would be a shame to submit mine to the microstock sites and only get $1 or 25c for a sale. So I was thinking of contacting some science magazines and companies who publish science textbooks and sell directly.

My question is – would it be better to set my own price or ask them for their "pay rate"? I believe that with regards to a publication like a magazine or a book, there's some calculation you can work out based on the image reproduction size and number of copies published and that will determine the price. Then again, publishers might prefer to choose what they want to pay me.
 

biglouis

Well-known member
A great idea but I would also caution expectations. I have sold an equal number of photos via microstock and also from direct enquiry - I've found that Flickr is a source of interest, for example, and has lead to direct approach.

The caution is that unless you've got photographs of a celebrity in a compromising position I doubt anyone will pay much more than microstock prices. The best I have ever done is for a book cover which did come in at 3 figures. But mostly when I sell direct I get two figures.

Your photography may indeed be very rare and I hope the market appreciates that - so sincere good luck with it.

LouisB
 
Thanks Louis. It sounds like you've been very successful at selling direct. Even a two figure payment would be a lot better than what I normally get in microstock!

I do have a photography book which features a similar kind of image to mine, and also have another book which features another. A google image search only came up with about 5 - 6 examples. I couldn't find any such image in the online Science Photo Library. And I haven't come across any others.

So you reckon it would be better to allow them to set the pay rate?
 
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Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Thanks Louis. It sounds like you've been very successful at selling direct. Even a two figure payment would be a lot better than what I normally get in microstock!

I do have a photography book which features a similar kind of image to mine, and also have another book which features another. A google image search only came up with about 5 - 6 examples. I couldn't find any such image in the online Science Photo Library. And I haven't come across any others.

So you reckon it would be better to allow them to set the pay rate?
What I often do when I have a photo that will probably sell in small numbers but is of high value to certain users, is to sell it as "rights managed" through Alamy. However, my earnings from Alamy compared to those from Shutterstock (Shutterstock represent around 60% of my stock earnings) are like 1 to 20 or worse. Also, some special interest photos at Shutterstock are sold as "single downloads", paying decent amounts, often $10-40 per download.

When it comes to selling directly, it's a question of the price of your hours. And selling is just the beginning. Then there's invoicing, getting the money, being responsible for every aspect of the delivery etc. So my gut feeling would be to sell it through the best microstock agencies and avoid iStock, since they sometimes give you annoying $ 0.03 commissions.
 
What I often do when I have a photo that will probably sell in small numbers but is of high value to certain users, is to sell it as "rights managed" through Alamy.
I am not a member of Alamy as yet though I have heard about them. Will probably sign up there sometime soon.

So my gut feeling would be to sell it through the best microstock agencies and avoid iStock, since they sometimes give you annoying $ 0.03 commissions.
I have been reluctant to submit this image to the microstock sites but yea if I do, there's no way I would upload it to iStockphoto. I am familiar with their ultra low rates (including $0.2c!) I would not touch them with a ten foot pole in this instance.

By the way, Ive just done a search for similar kinds of images to mine on Shutterstock and Dreamstime and I have found none there.

Edit: I guess I should reveal a bit more about my image. It demonstrates water surface tension, as well as refraction. Now there are many ways in which you can demonstrate surface tension and not surprisingly, there are many images out there that do. Though my photo shows surface tension in a very particular way which is dependant on extremely critical timing (which was total luck on my part.) To see this in real time would be impossible - it occurs too fast for our eyes to register. And I cannot find too many other examples like this.
 
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