MicrostockGroup

It's a (relatively) easy start in Microstock. Shoot, upload and earn.

At some point many of us get more serious and want to make a living with our images/videos. What venues, products, marketing strategies are you using to get your stuff sold?

How about a list of ways to (re-)use our images in order to rake in more $$$.

Let's start with:

- Zazzle, Cafepress, redbubble (which require lots of self marketing) - hard to achieve but it does work.

I think it would be useful to many of us as we can't think of everything. Ideally it would be nice to hear the ways that actually generate some money.

Sean, I knew you'd keep that from us

Anyway, I see that this must be too much of a secret although no one appears to have a problem critiquing other photographers' images which would also lead to tougher competition...

what I'd prefer to hear is the agencies marketing strategies.

I didn't say they would tell me.

Though it appears to me quite a few of them don't have any strategy.

what strategy? there's no such thing.

Hi Click Click,

 I am looking at Micro motion this year. Starting a new stock agency and increasing my Macro RM output. I think all of my RF will go to Micro this year and I have not out weighed the possibility of going exclusive with Istock. So things I wouldn't have considered a year ago have got to be revisited as the market changes.
 Still plan on high end RM motion and stills and also looking to go back to commercial work if we have the time. Building the Stock Agency has taken up most of my time this year but we got a bunch of motion done so we can watch the sales this year.
 Possibly a new commercial web site to promote us for commercial jobs that cover both motion and stills for the client.

Hope this helps,
Jonathan

Sean,

Motion is wide open for me as an Exclusive at Istock.

Jonathan

Sorry, that wasn't clear in your post.  Prepare for frustration!

Well if you're used to 6 months than IS video should be fast by those standards.

 Hi All,

 This is a bit of topic but we were talking about how tough it can be in this business. Every photographer that had images with Brand X that was purchased by Getty in the Jupiter take over received a letter from Getty yesterday. It said " We have realized a mistake in our book keeping and you have been receiving 30-40% from your Brand X photos since we took over their control. We were supposed to be paying you 20% so your next check from Getty will subtract the difference in the accounting error.
 If you do not get a check this month that is because you owe us more than we owe you. As soon as you have paid back the debt we will continue with your commissions at the standard 20%, Thank you "
 What about that, their mistake and we get to pay for it. I realize we did get more than we were supposed to but it was their mistake. I think the damage should be shared by both parties but Getty is not going to do that. Welcome to the lovely world of Macro.

Best,
Jonathan

I took a hit on that one too...ruined a relatively decent sales report!

but at least the money you make there far surpasses even the most you can make in micro, right?

and going back to Mr. Ross's comment on sharing the damage.
i am not sure if this is business protocol.  eg. if the bank machine had a glitch and deposited 1,000, 000 quid to your account.  are you supposed to be entitled to keep 50% of it?
it wasn't your mistake that you woke up and found you're a millionaire. so you hurriedly went out to get your Ferrari. now , the bank comes back and said it was a glitch.
and you shake your head and exclaim, "oh shoot, i thought that was an inheritance from my dying uncle!"
 

btw, this "damage-share" would never wash with the taxman either. i had once a re-assessment on the 4th year. not even sure if they even charged me interest on the "over-refundement".

P.S.
apologies to click_click for the OT.

sure Jonathan, I can relate to all this.
And in most situations, we would have already reallocated the money we made to other things, right?
I always put back what I make in photography to more photographic assets,etc...
so I too would be screaming my head off if something like that happens.
Like , "whattttt? all that money have already be spent on upgrading my studio, new lights, props,etc..  And we would have already taken all those into consideration in budgeting for the coming fiscal year".

I think in that sense, the taxman is a bit more negotiable. As many times a visit to their office would get you to be able to spread the payback . But you are right, communication could have been a little more tete a tete.

Yes, in that sense, some business ppl should go back to school to learn a little more about PR or just plain communication in bona fide, so as not to leave a bad taste in the mouth, so to speak.