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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: stockastic on January 11, 2012, 10:12

Title: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: stockastic on January 11, 2012, 10:12
Something new for me - I received, through DT,  a request to buy the exclusive rights to a photo.  I'd consider it, but it's a photo that sells well and might continue to sell for years.   I have no idea what a reasonable price would be, but I'm thinking a few hundred.    Am I right?
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: michealo on January 11, 2012, 10:19
Something new for me - I received, through DT,  a request to buy the exclusive rights to a photo.  I'd consider it, but it's a photo that sells well and might continue to sell for years.   I have no idea what a reasonable price would be, but I'm thinking a few hundred.    Am I right?

Take the money now if you can.
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on January 11, 2012, 10:27
Is this one of their limited term deals (1 year or 3) or an outright sale of copyright? Depending on what it makes you everywhere (not just at DT) I'd say more than a few hundred. I'd also look at the content and whether you're likely to have any troubles for selling similars (as an example, my home and garden is a prop/set in many images; making a similar, even inadvertently wouldn't be hard).
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: stockastic on January 11, 2012, 10:33
The email from DT says "Only the lifetime Sell the Rights license can be enabled".   

Naturally I have a few that are 'similar', but not nearly identical; same props, different compositions.  I guess I could ask DT for their opinion on the 'similars'.   

I also got a simultaneous request for web rights for the image; I assume it's the same buyer, so they may not decide to buy the exclusive.   

With regard to price, well, DT will take 50% so I'm thinking I'd just shoot for the moon and ask $1K.
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: click_click on January 11, 2012, 12:12
... With regard to price, well, DT will take 50% so I'm thinking I'd just shoot for the moon and ask $1K.
If it's a good seller, $500 would be an absolute minimum. I'd charge $2000 ($1000 for me).

In most cases the buyers are scared by the high prices but you have to establish for yourself what your stuff is worth.
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: stockastic on January 11, 2012, 12:29
To me it seems dumb that there's no opportunity to bargain.   Typical of microstock -  the simplistic business model leaves money on the table. 
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: chromaco on January 11, 2012, 12:52
I had this issue come up last month. I chose the recommended price. Later on the buyer came back saying he could only afford X amount. This particular image was a pretty low seller so I accepted. Anyway, there seems to be some room for negotiation. Also there was a rep from DT that was overseeing the process. Seems like they are fairly on top of those types of purchases.
Hope that helps.
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: Pixart on January 11, 2012, 13:11
This won't exactly help, but I thought this blog post was well said - he's referring to image theft/free with credit, but I'll post it to remind you not to undervalue your work.

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/01/10/this-photograph-is-not-free/ (http://www.petapixel.com/2012/01/10/this-photograph-is-not-free/)
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: stockastic on January 11, 2012, 13:20
Thanks all.  Good to hear that there is a bargaining channel through DT.    

I like this image, it took some work to create it, and it sells.  So I'll price it accordingly.   And I think I'll say 'no' to web licensing.
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: click_click on January 11, 2012, 13:26
...   And I think I'll say 'no' to web licensing.
Our bread and butter is to license our images. To say "no" to a certain type of licensing is your/our prerogative but I would try hard to license an image and get some $$$.

I don't have all the details, why you don't want to license it for web use so I can't go further than that.
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: emeebe on January 11, 2012, 13:36
I had one of these earlier in the week as well. Dreamstime had set the price at $600 and I changed it to $450... no sale. :(
Title: Re: request to sell exclusive rights
Post by: stockastic on January 11, 2012, 13:38
...   And I think I'll say 'no' to web licensing.
Our bread and butter is to license our images. To say "no" to a certain type of licensing is your/our prerogative but I would try hard to license an image and get some $$$.

I don't have all the details, why you don't want to license it for web use so I can't go further than that.

Web rights only gets me a few dollars.   Assuming the same customer sent both requests,  I'll say 'no' to web in hopes he decides to buy the rights.  And I wasn't reading the table right - I see that the buyer can choose a 1 or 3-year license.  So I think I'll price the full rights at $2K.  Watch me screw this up.  :-)