| Web
The Web is the easiest place to get your photos
published. Digital photos are usually already in the correct
format (JPEG) for the Internet, and they're easy to transmit
to a client (by email or FTP site).
Web sites use relatively low-resolution images,
which means you don't need an expensive, high-megapixel camera,
and you don't have to worry about unauthorized usage in other
media (since printed media requires higher-resolution images
than typically found on the Web).
Real estate agents, tourist/convention-and-visitor
bureaus, and companies in the tourism industry are often looking
for good travel photos. You could make a nice Web page displaying
your photos, and contact Web sites that include similar (but,
of course, inferior!) photos.
Postcards
Postcards are the lowest-cost printed products.
You can make your own quite cheaply, which means low-risk
and easy market entry for self-publishers. There are many
online printers for postcards, including Modern Postcard.
You could make samples on your own inkjet printer, take them
to local stores, and ask for feedback.
It's difficult to sell your photos to postcard
publishers. They usually have a few photographers that they
already work with. Find a similar postcard and the publisher's
address, or at least name and perhaps a Web site, should be
listed on the back. Send some samples to the publisher and
see what they say.
Notecards
Another easy and cheap way to start your own
photography publishing business is with notecards. You can
paste standard prints to folded white card, add an envelope,
and hey-presto you have a notecard. There's an increasing
number of digital printers that can make professional-looking
notecards for you.
With a few samples in hand, you can visit
local giftshops and bookstores to see if they will enter into
a trial. You could offer the cards on a "no-obligation
consignment" basis, where you give them the cards and
return a month or two later and charge them only for the cards
that sold.
Galleries and Art Shows
If you're into fine art, try galleries and
art shows. Make high-quality prints of your work, frame them,
and display them for sale to the public. For galleries, look
in the yellow pages, or meander down the local art district.
For art shows, look in the local newspaper for street fairs
and events. You can usually rent a stall to display your prints.
This approach requires some upfront money
and time, to print and frame the pictures, and to be present
at the gallery or booth. But you get to set your own price
for your work and perhaps gain a reputation as a local artist.
Magazines
Magazines are a good way to see your picture
in print. There are a many magazines covering a wide variety
of subjects, and they need pictures for each edition.
Look for photography competitions. My first published photo
appeared in National Geographic Traveler magazine, winning
a photo competition in the Jan 1997 edition. I think I received
$100 for that.
Magazines are really looking for stories,
so try packaging your photos with a pre-written article. Think
of some interesting and unique angle about your trip or the
subject of your photos. Write in the style of the targeted
magazine, with a similar word count.
You can re-purpose the same article for different
magazines, that's what a lot of freelance writers do. Check
the magazine's Web site for submission guidelines and address.
I wrote some articles for Shutterbug magazine and Postcards
magazine, which paid $1 a word.
Magazines often have fixed pay rates, so there's
no negotiation. Articles are commissioned and paid by word
count. A typical article may be 300 words or 600 words. Photography
rates depend upon the size printed, so a full page pays more
than a half page, and the cover shot pays the most.
Why selling
my photo on-line? | How
to Sell Your Art | How
Can I Sell My Photo As A Postcard? |
How To Sell
Your Photos | Where
To Sell Your Photos | How
To Sell Your Photo To A Magazine |
How
To Put Your Photos On The Web | Photos
You Can't Sell
|
