Microstock Photography Forum - General > Selling Stock Direct
Approaching publications directly with my image
dragonblade:
I'm considering contacting some magazines and book publishers with an image of mine that has some scientific interest. Obviously, I would like to receive payment for the publication of this image. However, I do know there's always the chance that your image may end up getting published for free. For example, there is an Australian science magazine that accepts content without payment. And once I submitted an article and photo of mine to a newspaper and I was under the assumption that I would get paid (if the work got published.) I never got a reply from the paper but they did publish my work without payment.
As such, I'm a little reluctant about submitting my image upon my first / initial contact with the publication. So what would be the best approach here? Give a description of the photograph (and explain what makes it special) in the initial e-mail and state that I would be happy to negotiate on a price when I send the image? Or alternatively, send a low resolution image complete with watermark in the first e-mail, negotiate a price and then send the full res image later on? Or should I simply send the full res image straight away and say I'm happy to negotiate a price?
By the way, there was a very small magazine that I used to submit articles and photos to a number of years ago. They only paid for the articles (and a very small amount too.)
namussi:
I used to be a magazine editor. (Not science, I admit. B2B)
Do some market research. Does the magazine you intend to submit your pic to actually publish pix by themselves without articles to go with them?
If not, then don't bother.
Editors are usually interested in articles first, and pictures second.
They look for pix to illustrate articles. Of course, you might be lucky ... your picture might fit an article that the editor has commissioned.
But that's not very likely.
So try thinking about an article to go with your image. That way, the editor is likely to be much more interested. But be careful: increasingly magazines assume that by paying you they get copyright of the image.
NEVER assume that the publication is going to pay for unsolicited content. Definitely don't send a full resolution picture.
If your image is so extraordinary, why put it on a Rights Managed website like Alamy?
That way you can sell it again and again.
dragonblade:
--- Quote from: namussi on May 15, 2017, 01:48 ---Do some market research. Does the magazine you intend to submit your pic to actually publish pix by themselves without articles to go with them?
--- End quote ---
From what Ive observed, science magazines generally have articles accompanying the photographs.
--- Quote from: namussi on May 15, 2017, 01:48 ---Editors are usually interested in articles first, and pictures second.
--- End quote ---
Yea that was my assumption. In most cases with the science magazines Ive looked at, the photos merely illustrate the articles. In such cases, the images are indeed secondary. However, a number of times Ive also noticed instances where the photo is the main feature and the article is basically written about the photo.
--- Quote from: namussi on May 15, 2017, 01:48 ---They look for pix to illustrate articles. Of course, you might be lucky ... your picture might fit an article that the editor has commissioned.
--- End quote ---
Yea I had the plan to submit this image on it's own to a bunch of science magazines (minus an article) in the hope that it might be relevant to an article they are putting together in the near future. I know my chances are pretty slim.
Actually, I have written a very brief article about the science that goes on in my photograph but there's a reason why I won't submit it to the majority of science magazines. Because both the image (and the article) demonstrate an aspect of physics that is very basic science - more like stuff that school students would learn. Incidentally, the type of image that I have doesn't seem to be very common - I haven't seen too many other images that demonstrate the same principle in quite the same way (certainly none in SS, DT or the Science Photo Library stock agencies.) Though regardless of that, it is still very basic science.
Ive been reading through various articles in random science magazines and it seems pretty clear that they are not interested in basic or general science. They seem to prefer articles that focus on some new breakthrough or an exciting development in science or technology. So I was hoping that there could be a chance that my image (even though it demonstrates basic science) might somehow be related to the kinds of topics that tend to cover (again very slim chance of that happening, I admit.)
I think more realistically, it would be better to submit the image and article to science magazines that are targeted specifically towards kids and young people. The kinds of publications that have articles along the lines of 'how things work.' In other words - basic / general science. Though there doesn't seem to be many such magazines in circulation.
Alternatively, would textbooks be more interested in images without accompanying text?
--- Quote from: namussi on May 15, 2017, 01:48 ---But be careful: increasingly magazines assume that by paying you they get copyright of the image.
--- End quote ---
Oh yea I'm very wary of that. I would be specific in stating that this image would be for one time use or rights managed etc.
--- Quote from: namussi on May 15, 2017, 01:48 ---If your image is so extraordinary, why put it on a Rights Managed website like Alamy?
That way you can sell it again and again.
--- End quote ---
I thought I'd give the direct approach a go first. If I'm not successful, I'll put it on Alamy.
Justanotherphotographer:
To be honest the amount of time you've spent thinking about what to do with that image has probably negated your profit from it. You would have been better off putting it up as RM on alamy and if it doesn't sell after a year or two stick it in micro.
Sean Locke Photography:
So, no specialist agency was interested in taking this one image then?
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