Selling on Fine Art America

[Faustvasea]

Hi. I was wondering, those who are premium membership with FAA, is it worth it ? I know it's only 30$ a year, but will you make that back ? I have around 3k files which will fit into art wall.

Thanks

[pancaketom]

My understanding is that it is worth it if you can drive traffic to your content on FAA. I just uploaded the 25 or whatever it is free images and have only had one sale in ~10 - 15 years. I think if you can't direct traffic there or have in demand content it is probably not worth the effort and cost.

Others may have a different take.

[Big Money]

Yes, with 3,000 images that would fit well on on FFA it's well worth the $30 a year. I am below average on artsy images (mostly do background crap) and I've made a few sales that have paid for 20 years worth of membership.  I do agree if you can direct folks to your images on FAA that would be the ticket! I don't but I know others that do and they make much more money per year then me.

[zeljkok]

My experience is similar:  25 free images held for 5+ yrs with only one single digit sale.   I closed my account;  not worth IMHO

[Faustvasea]

I have my own website where I can sell prints and stuff. But thought that FAA does everything for you and you just sell
. Otherwise I could try advert my own portfolio to sell prints.

[PigsInSpace]

My images are more microstock but I did upload a ton of landscapes there. Unfortunately they sell about as well as landscapes do on microstock. I made $24 last year and $33 the year before. I paid for an account for two years but then my credit card number changed so they couldn�t bill me again. They block you from uploading new images but don�t take down any of your old photos, so I�ll make another $25 this year.

[Faustvasea]

My images are more microstock but I did upload a ton of landscapes there. Unfortunately they sell about as well as landscapes do on microstock. I made $24 last year and $33 the year before. I paid for an account for two years but then my credit card number changed so they couldn�t bill me again. They block you from uploading new images but don�t take down any of your old photos, so I�ll make another $25 this year.

Seems that isn't worth the time investing.

[xbrchx]

I have some 10k files there which earns about 500-1k a year.
But their upload system is pain in the ass, really slow (one by one photo) and always something crushing.

[Faustvasea]

I have some 10k files there which earns about 500-1k a year.
But their upload system is pain in the ass, really slow (one by one photo) and always something crushing.

Can I have a look at your store?

So is it worth the hassle or no ?

[cascoly]

yes, you need a decent sized portfolio and do the work - just waiting for sales won't get you anywhere

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steve-estvanik

we have a group of artists on FAA who cross-promote each others work and discuss working within FAA

https://fineartamerica.com/groups/the-hashtag-team.html?tab=overview

[Faustvasea]

yes, you need a decent sized portfolio and do the work - just waiting for sales won't get you anywhere

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steve-estvanik

we have a group of artists on FAA who cross-promote each others work and discuss working within FAA

https://fineartamerica.com/groups/the-hashtag-team.html?tab=overview

If that means to pay to advertise, I see no point. Better advert your own website. That's what I thought, that FAA stated they do everything, including advertising for you. And you only get the commission. At the moment I have around 2.6k on photo4me. Never sold anything, but not bothered because I don't have to pay any fees.

[Zero Talent]

As of today, I have almost 550 photos on FAA, and I have made over $12k there since I started in ~2014.
I do not advertise, promote or cross-promote anything, I don't interact with comments and likes.
My last FAA sale was two days ago (see below). The advertisement mentioned is not mine (this is what the FAA does, hence the deep discount).

[Faustvasea]

As of today, I have almost 550 photos on FAA, and I have made over $12k there since I started in ~2014.
I do not advertise, promote or cross-promote anything, I don't interact with comments and likes.
My last FAA sale was two days ago (see below). The advertisement mentioned is not mine (this is what the FAA does, hence the deep discount).

Is that $12k profit or sales? As I know FAA will take a lot of commissions.

[cascoly]

yes, you need a decent sized portfolio and do the work - just waiting for sales won't get you anywhere

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steve-estvanik

we have a group of artists on FAA who cross-promote each others work and discuss working within FAA

https://fineartamerica.com/groups/the-hashtag-team.html?tab=overview

If that means to pay to advertise, I see no point. Better advert your own website. That's what I thought, that FAA stated they do everything, including advertising for you. And you only get the commission. At the moment I have around 2.6k on photo4me. Never sold anything, but not bothered because I don't have to pay any fees.

choice is yours - pay nothing and earn nothing or subscribe & make some money  beyond what you pay - FAA gets noticed while individual sites rarely do

[cascoly]

As of today, I have almost 550 photos on FAA, and I have made over $12k there since I started in ~2014.
I do not advertise, promote or cross-promote anything, I don't interact with comments and likes.
My last FAA sale was two days ago (see below). The advertisement mentioned is not mine (this is what the FAA does, hence the deep discount).

Is that $12k profit or sales? As I know FAA will take a lot of commissions.

you don't know - FAA takes no commission - they set a basic price for a product and you add the amount you want to get when it sells

[Zero Talent]

As of today, I have almost 550 photos on FAA, and I have made over $12k there since I started in ~2014.
I do not advertise, promote or cross-promote anything, I don't interact with comments and likes.
My last FAA sale was two days ago (see below). The advertisement mentioned is not mine (this is what the FAA does, hence the deep discount).

Is that $12k profit or sales? As I know FAA will take a lot of commissions.

Profit.

[wordplanet]

My experience is similar to those who suggest you pay the $30 and upload what you have, don't limit yourself to just 25 images. I make the $30 back easily in January of each year, and I set my prices high enough to make a healthy profit, this year clearing roughly 10 times the cost of membership with a single large print sale at the beginning of the year, which isn't unusual. Products don't earn much but I sell those there too since, like microstock, they add up, but it's the prints where I make my profit.

I've got a little over 900 images there which you can check out if you'd like. https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/marianne-campolongo/shop

I sell mostly travel related images, a lot of lighthouses, and landscape and nature, and occasionally black and white photos. I have a core group of images that sell frequently but you never know what will do best year to year.

I've done best when I was active on social media and was part of a group similar to what Steve describes cross-promoting with other artists there, mostly on twitter. I haven't been very active on social media nor on FAA groups the past few years and sales have slowed a bit, but they are still strong even without my doing anything. I expect them to do even better if I can find the time to get back into social media again later this year when I'm less busy. But I've been on there since 2010, and I assume my repeat sellers get a boost in searches. If you're new, you'll need to do some promoting on your own I'd assume.

Uploads are slow but you can save your prices which speeds things up. I have a few different tiers of prices and try to upload similarly priced ones at the same time. I haven't added anything new in a while, since I don't have much chance to shoot fine art in winter, but like stock, uploading regularly can help boost sales. With a big portfolio to add, you'll have plenty to feed the beast.

[Lizard]

For someone who is just starting it is going to be near impossible to reach decent spots in the search engine on any term that is likely to get sales. Shooting at low competition keywords might be the way but prints don't sell as nearly as stock photos so you might to wait for years for a sale even with larger portfolios. If you take a look at recent sales you might get the idea what sells there...florals, famous portraits, movie posters and a lot of thing from the...lets call it the gray space concerning trademarks.

It literally for people with huge portfolios shooting in the dark or people that build themself as a brand and bring their own traffic and than sales push those artworks higher in the search engine, which btw rarely changes and highly favorites images by SALES. No fresh stuff, no chance for new stuff etc.

Free tip...first 10 keywords carry way more weight but its literally build with stuff that sold more so if you want to push out the current images you must beat their sales...and good luck with that.

   

[Lizard]

I've done best when I was active on social media and was part of a group similar to what Steve describes cross-promoting with other artists there, mostly on twitter. I haven't been very active on social media nor on FAA groups the past few years and sales have slowed a bit, but they are still strong even without my doing anything. I expect them to do even better if I can find the time to get back into social media again later this year when I'm less busy. But I've been on there since 2010, and I assume my repeat sellers get a boost in searches. If you're new, you'll need to do some promoting on your own I'd assume.

Yap, and as most of their traffic comes from google promotion that includes backlinks is also a way to try but for people that would like to start today heavy promotion is the only way it might work

[Faustvasea]

I might give it a try. I have around 3k files which will suit for FAA, but also will require a lot of time to upload them images, as I've seen, I can upload only 5 images at the time. But I don't really want to spend money to advertise the FAA.

[stoker2014]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

[Faustvasea]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

Mate, that�s why it�s opened on off topic subforum, what�s your problem here ? Just move on. *.

[Zero Talent]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

Mate, that�s why it�s opened on off topic subforum, what�s your problem here ? Just move on. *.

With your permission, I could move this thread from the "Off-Topic" to the "Print on Demand" subforum, since it is obviously on-topic.

[Faustvasea]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

Mate, that�s why it�s opened on off topic subforum, what�s your problem here ? Just move on. *.

With your permission, I could move this thread from the "Off-Topic" to the "Print on Demand" subforum, since it is obviously on-topic.

Yes please . Go ahead, I haven�t seen that. Own 2 forums myself.

[cobalt]

very interesting discussion. I keep paying the 30 dollars but never upload. Must change that.

I will probably start an extra twitter and insta account for FAA promotion

[Faustvasea]

very interesting discussion. I keep paying the 30 dollars but never upload. Must change that.

I will probably start an extra twitter and insta account for FAA promotion

I use Facebook to promote my own website for prints, never sold anything. I also have TikTok with shop and Instagram, I think it�s very hard nowadays to sell something, without a name out there.

[stoker2014]

With your permission, I could move this thread from the "Off-Topic" to the "Print on Demand" subforum, since it is obviously on-topic.

Zero Talent, are you also a moderator here on the forum? 

[stoker2014]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

Mate, that�s why it�s opened on off topic subforum, what�s your problem here ? Just move on. *.

My question was not about the microstockgroup.com site, but about the Fine Art America site.
I do not have problems. I do not upload to the Fine Art America site. But looking at what is sold there, I see it is not a stock photograph.

[Faustvasea]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

Mate, that�s why it�s opened on off topic subforum, what�s your problem here ? Just move on. *.

My question was not about the microstockgroup.com site, but about the Fine Art America site.
I do not have problems. I do not upload to the Fine Art America site. But looking at what is sold there, I see it is not a stock photograph.

It is not, but since there is off topic subforum, and I know how forums works, I can ask others about that too.

[Zero Talent]

I understand this site is for selling art photography. This site is not for selling stock photography.

Mate, that�s why it�s opened on off topic subforum, what�s your problem here ? Just move on. *.

My question was not about the microstockgroup.com site, but about the Fine Art America site.
I do not have problems. I do not upload to the Fine Art America site. But looking at what is sold there, I see it is not a stock photograph.

It is not, but since there is off topic subforum, and I know how forums works, I can ask others about that too.

All my FineArt America photos are also available on my microstock sites.

[stoker2014]

I provide links to stock photos. Will they be sold on the Fine Art America website?

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/top-view-delicious-roasted-cauliflower-mashed-2258701457
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/friends-sharing-food-dining-table-2348626851
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fast-food-unhealthy-eating-concept-close-288575585
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/succulent-thick-juicy-portions-grilled-fillet-138421859
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-young-latin-woman-pleasant-smile-2151833739
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/confident-rich-eastern-indian-business-man-2200214153
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/successful-business-people-giving-each-other-2237853093
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/team-diverse-partners-mature-latin-business-2346448085
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-middle-aged-business-man-ceo-2306186897

[steheap]

I missed this discussion, but could add a bit now. I decided, about 3 or 4 years ago, to try to build a separate income stream besides stock photos and so built up my FAA portfolio and also joined Pictorem as well. I've written various articles on my blog about my experiences, but I have managed to build something of a new stream. This is the graph of fine art stuff compared to stock photo income:


But it does need effort. Stock is an upload and leave business model. Print on demand is an upload and promote/market model. More satisfying to think that people like your work enough to hang it on their wall!

I've also just created an Etsy store to sell physical prints and will use FAA and Pictorem to fulfil them. I wrote about that here: https://backyardsilver.com/selling-physical-prints-in-an-etsy-shop/

I've also written a book about how to get started with selling your fine art photos online if anyone is interested!

Steve

[Faustvasea]

I missed this discussion, but could add a bit now. I decided, about 3 or 4 years ago, to try to build a separate income stream besides stock photos and so built up my FAA portfolio and also joined Pictorem as well. I've written various articles on my blog about my experiences, but I have managed to build something of a new stream. This is the graph of fine art stuff compared to stock photo income:


But it does need effort. Stock is an upload and leave business model. Print on demand is an upload and promote/market model. More satisfying to think that people like your work enough to hang it on their wall!

I've also just created an Etsy store to sell physical prints and will use FAA and Pictorem to fulfil them. I wrote about that here: https://backyardsilver.com/selling-physical-prints-in-an-etsy-shop/

I've also written a book about how to get started with selling your fine art photos online if anyone is interested!

Steve

Thanks a lot for your reply. Well, FAA stated that they will do advertising for you as well, after I have watched their video. I am happy to pay $30 a year, if I can make extra income apart from stock photography.

I only started last year, so still learning about new streams of income.

I have own website where people can buy prints, and I would rather promote that , than someone's else website.

So you'd say FAA, is worth uploading ?

[cobalt]

Thank you for sharing Steve!

Will upload more to faa and we will see what happens.

[steheap]

Yes, FAA do advertising for you on Google, and if you search for a piece of wall art of a particular location, you will often see some FAA images that match that search. I occasionally have seen sales that way. I also have a website aimed at potential buyers but I do not use it as a place to host lots of images. I can't imagine anyone going to my website to browse through hundreds or thousands of potential images. So self-hosting a portfolio is a waste of time in my view. Instead, I have created one website for potential buyers, which is not linked in any way to my blog about stock photography and making money from photos.

I use this website to write articles about places I have photographed and I tell the story of the place and illustrate it with my best images. I add a link to the Print on Demand site under each of these photos so that if someone likes the photo and is interested in buying it, they can click through and see the options for framing and sizing etc. So all my social media efforts are often linked to promoting this website and articles and I have found that if you search for something like "Coopers Rock Snow" on Google, my article about a recent visit (last month) to a local beauty spot comes up in the top position and I hope someone will visit that and enjoy the photographs. It would be very hard to do that with a portfolio of photos I believe.

I've written articles about some cruises and I publicize them on Facebook groups about that cruise line and I get lots of views and great comments about the photographs that way. It seems a good way to build an audience and get visibility to my work.

Its at https://www.backyardimage.com/ if you are interested.

So, to answer the question - FAA is worth it if you are willing to put the effort into marketing.

Steve

[steheap]

I would also consider using Pictorem as well as (or instead of) FAA. They have free shipping to the USA and Canada, have a much easier and faster upload process and I have found them to be very helpful. I did a review of them back in 2022:

https://backyardsilver.com/pictorem-a-place-to-sell-your-art/

And I recently compared their underlying costs of various sizes of prints against FAA costs that showed that they were often cheaper for similar sized prints. Gives you a bit more opportunity to increase your margins perhaps!

https://backyardsilver.com/manufacturing-costs-between-pictorem-and-fine-art-america/

Steve

[Zero Talent]

Steve, I'm not sure if you're aware, but you're the Cord Cutters poster boy!
I often see your photo on my Facebook stream!
 

[Faustvasea]

I would also consider using Pictorem as well as (or instead of) FAA. They have free shipping to the USA and Canada, have a much easier and faster upload process and I have found them to be very helpful. I did a review of them back in 2022:

https://backyardsilver.com/pictorem-a-place-to-sell-your-art/

And I recently compared their underlying costs of various sizes of prints against FAA costs that showed that they were often cheaper for similar sized prints. Gives you a bit more opportunity to increase your margins perhaps!

https://backyardsilver.com/manufacturing-costs-between-pictorem-and-fine-art-america/

Steve

Thanks Steve. How about Etsy, I have a store , but is suspended as I have owe them �13 . How do you link product with Etsy ?

Regarding FAA, can I bulk upload as a premium membership ?

[steheap]

I'm not sure I know what you mean about linking product on Etsy. This is one of my products - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1686435258/alaska-sunset-metal-print-alaska - just a normal link? If you mean, how do you list a product, I have written an article about it: https://backyardsilver.com/selling-physical-prints-in-an-etsy-shop/

FAA uploads are the same regardless of whether you pay or not. Slow and time consuming!

Steve

[Faustvasea]

I'm not sure I know what you mean about linking product on Etsy. This is one of my products - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1686435258/alaska-sunset-metal-print-alaska - just a normal link? If you mean, how do you list a product, I have written an article about it: https://backyardsilver.com/selling-physical-prints-in-an-etsy-shop/

FAA uploads are the same regardless of whether you pay or not. Slow and time consuming!

Steve

Thanks, the question was, how do you get these product images on your Etsy store?

[PigsInSpace]

I provide links to stock photos. Will they be sold on the Fine Art America website?

These are more stock images. Find Art America is looking more for things that someone might get printed on a T-shirt, or framed and put on a wall, or put on a coffee mug.

[Zero Talent]

I provide links to stock photos. Will they be sold on the Fine Art America website?

These are more stock images. Find Art America is looking more for things that someone might get printed on a T-shirt, or framed and put on a wall, or put on a coffee mug.

What's wrong with hanging a random middle-aged guy with a fake smile and a tablet in his hand on your living room wall?

[stoker2014]

I provide links to stock photos. Will they be sold on the Fine Art America website?

These are more stock images. Find Art America is looking more for things that someone might get printed on a T-shirt, or framed and put on a wall, or put on a coffee mug.

That's what I'm talking about. The Art America website is not intended for the sale of stock images.

[cobalt]

There is a loz of content that works for both. Beautiful landscapes, holiday and tracel destinations and probably pretty people with a sense of fashion and style.

Flowers, food for the kitchen, sensual images for the bedroom.

The main challenge will be to get followers.

So a website and blog, insta for promotion will be usefu�.

[stoker2014]

There is a loz of content that works for both. Beautiful landscapes, holiday and tracel destinations and probably pretty people with a sense of fashion and style.

Flowers, food for the kitchen, sensual images for the bedroom.

The main challenge will be to get followers.

So a website and blog, insta for promotion will be usefu�.

On the shutterstock website, photos are sorted by their popularity. Can you choose from popular stock photos to sell on Art America? 

[cobalt]

maybe you can use it as inspiration, i don�t know.

just ask yourself - would it look good on my wall?

but faa takes a lot of fan art , marylin monroe, elvis, superhero characters. have a look around, there is a lot you cab do that is not possible for agencies.

so far I have not been able to find my files in a search

[steheap]

Steve, I'm not sure if you're aware, but you're the Cord Cutters poster boy!
I often see your photo on my Facebook stream!
 

Yes, that one does seem to be popular. Only earned about $300 though so not a great best seller!

[Uncle Pete]

I would also consider using Pictorem as well as (or instead of) FAA. They have free shipping to the USA and Canada, have a much easier and faster upload process and I have found them to be very helpful. I did a review of them back in 2022:

https://backyardsilver.com/pictorem-a-place-to-sell-your-art/

And I recently compared their underlying costs of various sizes of prints against FAA costs that showed that they were often cheaper for similar sized prints. Gives you a bit more opportunity to increase your margins perhaps!

https://backyardsilver.com/manufacturing-costs-between-pictorem-and-fine-art-america/

Steve

Thanks for the lead on Pictorem Steve.

I don't see anyone mentioning the pay package at FAA also includes Pixels, which includes a website link, and there are shopping cart widgets.  Some items that are POD on Pixels are not available on FAA. Maybe that's not important, but that's added products.

And the free website link is nice:  http://peteklinger.com/faacart.html

[Zero Talent]

There is a loz of content that works for both. Beautiful landscapes, holiday and tracel destinations and probably pretty people with a sense of fashion and style.

Flowers, food for the kitchen, sensual images for the bedroom.

The main challenge will be to get followers.

So a website and blog, insta for promotion will be usefu�.

On the shutterstock website, photos are sorted by their popularity. Can you choose from popular stock photos to sell on Art America? 

I'm not sure what your problem is.
It's not only FAA succesfully selling stock photos as prints, Art.com even has a Shutterstock collection:

https://www.art.com/gallery/id--b855849/shutterstock-collection-posters.htm

You may even find your own stock photos there, if your work is good enough to be curated by Art.com.

[stockart]

As of today, I have almost 550 photos on FAA, and I have made over $12k there since I started in ~2014.
I do not advertise, promote or cross-promote anything, I don't interact with comments and likes.
My last FAA sale was two days ago (see below). The advertisement mentioned is not mine (this is what the FAA does, hence the deep discount).

Is that $12k profit or sales? As I know FAA will take a lot of commissions.

you don't know - FAA takes no commission - they set a basic price for a product and you add the amount you want to get when it sells

True

[tiero]

I would also consider using Pictorem as well as (or instead of) FAA. They have free shipping to the USA and Canada, have a much easier and faster upload process and I have found them to be very helpful. I did a review of them back in 2022:

https://backyardsilver.com/pictorem-a-place-to-sell-your-art/

And I recently compared their underlying costs of various sizes of prints against FAA costs that showed that they were often cheaper for similar sized prints. Gives you a bit more opportunity to increase your margins perhaps!

https://backyardsilver.com/manufacturing-costs-between-pictorem-and-fine-art-america/

Steve

Do you have any suggestions on how to set the cost of commissions? I would neither like to be too low and lose profits nor too high and not sell at all.