I just received the following message and I'm not sure what to make of it. Any opinions? How much should I ask? Do I need any kind of legal contract? This came out of nowhere, and I have absolutely no experience with this.
"We'd like to buy one of your photos for a book - minimum 2700x2700 pixels. The book is for US distribution at first, but might expand internationally
The first run is 500 books (for free distribution/marketing) and the second run is 1000-5000 (but we're not sure yet).
The image would not be for the cover and we might do some
distortion/cropping to the image depending on the needs for that page."
Well this sounds very intriguing. Did you receive an email notification? Did it come from 365? I have no idea as to price but guess you can name your own. Good luck and very well done. Wonder which image they want.
@lucypics Thank you! It came through another photography website, but they provided me with sufficient contact information so it looks legit although you never know. The photo is this one.
I would not know much, but make sure you are credited in the book as the photographer, this is more important that the money ( well at first anyway) best of luck, congratulations and the shot is fab.
A credit has no real value except to the photographer's ego. This is doubly the case in print -- nobody will go to the trouble of typing your name into a search engine from a book.
I recently had photos published in UK newspapers with a combined average daily readership of 3.5 million people, and received approximately 200 additional visits to my website. That's a rate of approximately 0.005%.
This is effectively a stock photography sale, so a sensible price for a photo of this resolution would be in the region of $300-$400 US when purchased from a high-end stock photography site. If I was purchasing a photo directly from an individual I would expect to pay slightly less than this, as you will not offer the same safeguards and protections that a stock photography company does, but that's something you can negotiate. Remember that if you were selling this via a stock photography company, you would receive a fraction of the sale price.
Bear in mind that as they are talking about a small distribution run of a free book, they may not be willing to pay that kind of money. It's up to you how much you value your work as to what you let it go for -- only you can decide.
By all means ask for a credit as well, but don't expect that this is going to result in any noticeable benefit to you -- just ask yourself how often you go to the trouble of looking up the photographer of a credited photo in a book, even if it's on the cover.
@swilde This isn't a photography book (or at least, there's no suggestion it is). This is something that's being given away free of charge that just happens to have this photo in it. Are you honestly saying that every time you see a photograph with a name next to it, even if it's in a marketing leaflet, piece of junk mail, etc., you look it up?
Or another question -- go to your bookshelf, take down a (non-photography) book which has a photo on the cover. Then look to see if you can find out who the photographer was -- it's usually written on the back or before the table of contents. Had you looked them up previously? Had you done that for every book you own?
If the answer to those questions is honestly yes, then I don't think you need me to tell you how unusual you are ;)
congratulations, lisabell. that's great opportunity. alexis has a pretty good input on the matter. when you negotiate, you might also want to think about retaining ownership of the photograph, copyright and all, and that the payment would be solely for use in that free book. @abirkill alexis, what's your take on this?
Well done Lisa, I would be asking them what they think is an acceptable offer and have a figure in your head too so then you have the basis for negotiation. That said, it all depends what motivates you, the hard cash or the kudos of publication.
It is a lovely shot.... this might be the pessimist in me, but I am waiting to see if they ask you for money to put it in the book... specially since the book is free... reminds me of when I did poetry and used to get emails saying they wanted to put it in a book, than several emails later asked for money. I hope in your case the outcome is better.
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I recently had photos published in UK newspapers with a combined average daily readership of 3.5 million people, and received approximately 200 additional visits to my website. That's a rate of approximately 0.005%.
This is effectively a stock photography sale, so a sensible price for a photo of this resolution would be in the region of $300-$400 US when purchased from a high-end stock photography site. If I was purchasing a photo directly from an individual I would expect to pay slightly less than this, as you will not offer the same safeguards and protections that a stock photography company does, but that's something you can negotiate. Remember that if you were selling this via a stock photography company, you would receive a fraction of the sale price.
Bear in mind that as they are talking about a small distribution run of a free book, they may not be willing to pay that kind of money. It's up to you how much you value your work as to what you let it go for -- only you can decide.
By all means ask for a credit as well, but don't expect that this is going to result in any noticeable benefit to you -- just ask yourself how often you go to the trouble of looking up the photographer of a credited photo in a book, even if it's on the cover.
Or another question -- go to your bookshelf, take down a (non-photography) book which has a photo on the cover. Then look to see if you can find out who the photographer was -- it's usually written on the back or before the table of contents. Had you looked them up previously? Had you done that for every book you own?
If the answer to those questions is honestly yes, then I don't think you need me to tell you how unusual you are ;)
@swilde There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a nerd. Nerds are cool in their own right! :)