MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: arquiplay77 on June 19, 2009, 05:24
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Hello:
I was asked by an Istock client to make some custom modifications on an image. Itīs a 3d render, and iīm willing to do what he is asking for, but i donīt have experience on this.
He ask me how much i will charge him. Could some of you give me an aproximation on this field, i donīt have any idea in this matter.
I have an CG architectural visualization business, so delivering custom imagery for a client is my job, but of course the prices donīt have anything in comon with microstock, so iīm a litlle lost here, because i cant charge him hundreds of dollars as i would do in my bussines.
Another thing is, how you recieve the payment, via paypal for example?, is this made apart from the micro site? etc.
Please some experienced in this field enlight me because iīm a little lost here.
Thank you
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Microstock is about producing images cheaply and selling them at low prices but high volume __ it doesn't work otherwise. Doing custom work is an entirely different matter and should be charged at the appropriate rate.
If it was me I would estimate the number of hours work involved and offer a fixed fee based on a realistic hourly rate for the skills involved. I'd want at least half the money up front too as this is a new client with no history.
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I normally ask $100 or so. Get the money first. These type of requests always flake and you never hear from them again.
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I guess it depends on how much work is involved in making the changes. I did a change of color in a stationery design (raster version of a vector) and I didn't charge anything extra (it was for an EL)
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Well, it is standard pricing by job or by hours spent to finish order...
So, Charge them your usual fee as they are your regular customers... Not as microstock buyers!
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I would charge a base rate (creative fee) plus an hourly for the job. $150-$250 plus $75/hr
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...because i cant charge him hundreds of dollars as i would do in my bussines.
Another thing is, how you recieve the payment, via paypal for example?, is this made apart from the micro site? etc.
Please some experienced in this field enlight me because iīm a little lost here.
Thank you
I don't think there is anything wrong with charging hundreds of dollars depending on the changes. If it is something really simple, I might not charge. I saved an eps file (yes, I made them send me the purchased file) as an svg for someone for free once, although if they came back the next day to do it again, I'd charge them. Personally, I really don't like to do anything for less than $50. Even if it takes me less than half an hour, I think I should make at least 50 bucks. I agree with the others about getting money upfront. I usually use Paypal invoices for that.
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Ok. It sure make sense what almost every of you say, and i will follow your advise.
Thank you
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Ok. It sure make sense what almost every of you say, and i will follow your advise.
Thank you
Honestly, don't be afraid to quote a proper fee. If the guy is at all a professional they will understand and pay you what you ask and simply charge the end user accordingly.
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I normally ask $100 or so. Get the money first. These type of requests always flake and you never hear from them again.
Correct.
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I must say that I don't feel ok to charge US$100 for a small modification in an image that I am selling for US$10 or so, unless this is a complicate modification.
In my case I only changed colors and uploaded the new image. It was a request at FP, admin got in touch with me, not the buyer, but I could have set a high price if I wanted. I think I did not charge anything exttra than the price I already had for the original, because really it did not take me more than a few minutes.
Of course it would be another story if it was some sophisticated image whose modification demanded more time. And I would not do it in sites that sell for subs - I have chills at the reports of people uploading RAW images at DT (I think) upon request to have them sold as subs.
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I normally ask $100 or so. Get the money first. These type of requests always flake and you never hear from them again.
had a couple of those and three where they want the new image uploaded so they can buy at normal price.
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I must say that I don't feel ok to charge US$100 for a small modification in an image that I am selling for US$10 or so, unless this is a complicate modification.
It's an hour of my time at least. Find the file, open it, change the shaders, run the long render, process it for meta data, etc.... I'm not here at their beck and call for cheap.
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and three where they want the new image uploaded so they can buy at normal price.
Hahaha.
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Ditto for me. I would tell him the regular commsion rate. Is he complains tell him that if he buys the image a few hundred times you will sell it to him for $1 each
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Ok. It sure make sense what almost every of you say, and i will follow your advise.
Thank you
Honestly, don't be afraid to quote a proper fee. If the guy is at all a professional they will understand and pay you what you ask and simply charge the end user accordingly.
Heīll probably do that either way...
Itīs a tuff question. Buy a ready print T-shirt in a shop for 14.95$ or 380$ for a custom printed in same store. Would you do that :-[ No! But in this case I hope so.
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Ok. It sure make sense what almost every of you say, and i will follow your advise.
Thank you
Honestly, don't be afraid to quote a proper fee. If the guy is at all a professional they will understand and pay you what you ask and simply charge the end user accordingly.
Heīll probably do that either way...
Itīs a tuff question. Buy a ready print T-shirt in a shop for 14.95$ or 380$ for a custom printed in same store. Would you do that :-[ No! But in this case I hope so.
People do just that all the time especially with photographs. You can't expect to get custom work at micro prices. Working for $10/hr is equally silly.
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If you quote a fair price based on hourly rate (anywhere between $50 to $150 per hour) and the client says no, you have lost nothing. It is not worth your time to work for any less than that. Just because the photo sold for cheap doesn't mean your time is not worth anything. Chances are the client will have no problem with the cost. He/she won't find the service any cheaper elsewhere. Unless they figure out a way to get hold of madelaide! ;)
Do it free or charge appropriately - but nothing inbetween!
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I'd second the idea of charging by hours. I have done this twice in the past, and the clients were happy to get a modified picture according to their wishes which nobody except them can use.
Additionally if the modifications are small there is almost no way to sell the modified picture via agencies - a few of them will reject the picture for being too similar to previous uploads, so there is no other way of earning money with this picture than getting paid for the time you spent on the modification.
Clients who speculate on a $1 download for a bespoke picture are not worth the effort. If they want a customized picture then they should live with a customized price.
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I have done this twice in the past, and the clients were happy to get a modified picture according to their wishes which nobody except them can use.
THAT is a different story. I think the discussion was a customized change in an existing image, not an exclusive variation. If it is an exclusive image, then I would surely not charge microstock prices. My changed version is available for anyone to buy, not just the requestor.