Magazine rates

A local airline magazine wants to publish a couple of my whale shark photos. I asked them if there is a separate rate for underwater photos but I was told the rate is the same — S$50 per photo. Is that a fair price? I know the rates will likely vary across countries, but is it standard practice to lump underwater and topside shots together? Thanks a lot.

Swordfish

Manila

A local airline magazine wants to publish a couple of my whale shark photos. I asked them if there is a separate rate for underwater photos but I was told the rate is the same — S$50 per photo. Is that a fair price? I know the rates will likely vary across countries, but is it standard practice to lump underwater and topside shots together? Thanks a lot.

 

Swordfish

Manila

Your an artist and a supplier of artwork. Set the price at which you feel comfortable with and give them a take it or leave it offer.

I'd suggest you take into account the costs involved in taking the photograph and then add on an artists commission depending on the quality and uniqueness of the work.

At a minimum, consider the cost of a tank of air, any dive charter costs or personal costs of getting to the dive site and a depreciation amount built into your scuba/snorkelling equipment and photography gear.

An airline is using this image for commercial gain and would have hundreds or thousands of dollars set aside for marketing. Dont sell yourself short. S$50 is not worth it in my opinion.

All photographers should endeavour to set a pricing structure for there images, depending on the distribution, number of copies, format and usage of an image. This should then be presented to prospective buyers as a set rate for the use of their work.

As nature photographers, we should also consider setting an environmental tarriff that commercial organistions might pay to conservational agencies in the area in which the photograph was taken.

Rule one - always negotiate.

Rule two - check what rights they want - multiple use = more $$ than single use. Do they need web rights, for example? Negotiate upwards if more use is needed. More use = more benefit to the client. Unless the fee is very very good refuse all rights contracts.

Rule three - Remember your work has $$$ value. Do not fall for the 'great exposure give you a credit' argument and beware of those who promise 'jam tomorrow'. Set a fee which you won't drop below.

Rule four - be prepared to say no and walk away if negotiations are going nowhere. If they are serious about your images they will come back.

A fees guide might help:-

The London Freelance Fees Guide might be useful.

A fees guide might help:-

 

The London Freelance Fees Guide might be useful.

I think this is the link you meant to send:

http://www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/i...bsect=Magazines

I think this is the link you meant to send:

 

http://www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/i...bsect=Magazines

It is indeed. Thanks for the correction........

I am always intrigued that magazines will pay more for words than for photographs.

Photographs involve capital investment, transport, hardware, and luck whereas most things that are written can be researched on the Internet without getting up out of a chair.

It must be because editors understand what work in involved in writing but pictures just exist!

Plus, pictures are regularly given away by their proud owners.

Sad, but it seems to be the way it is.

We live in a world where you get paid more for making the tools than using the tools.

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28189

Use the various pricing engines from Alamy or Getty to get an idea of what to charge. You also have to be realistic. If it's for a small airline in PI with only local distribution, the circulation may not be great. I know a couple of publishers in PI and they don't pay much. They also have contributors who just want to say they have been published. Which is why many pros moan about the digital age.

Unless your photo is very unique, your "bargainability" may be limited. However, you must bargain nonetheless. Good luck!

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28189

 

Use the various pricing engines from Alamy or Getty to get an idea of what to charge. You also have to be realistic. If it's for a small airline in PI with only local distribution, the circulation may not be great. I know a couple of publishers in PI and they don't pay much. They also have contributors who just want to say they have been published. Which is why many pros moan about the digital age.

Unless your photo is very unique, your "bargainability" may be limited. However, you must bargain nonetheless. Good luck!

I think we're somewhat in the transition period to the digital age still. Its intriguing that people have a fascination with getting their work published in print media still, when you can self-publish on the web and reach a much wider audience, (with direct viewer feedback to boot).

They say a photo speaks a thousand words, but maybe thats only really good photos. Photos that only speak a couple of hundred perhaps need a write up to contextualise them, and they are the photos that many print media organisations want for next to nothing. (maybe because they are paying so much to the writers and editors!)

I think we're somewhat in the transition period to the digital age still. Its intriguing that people have a fascination with getting their work published in print media still, when you can self-publish on the web and reach a much wider audience, (with direct viewer feedback to boot).

Maybe we are still seeing the transition.....but in the last 12 months its my experience that magazines that wanted/expected online use for no extra payment have started to pay for electronic rights. Free use was generally refused - it set a market rate that I was unwilling to see my work published for - and much of my work remains unpublished in electronic format, either by a client or self-published on the likes of Flickr, or indeed even my own site.

Why? Viewer feedback, whilst very nice, does not pay the bills and if the rest of the world can see my work on the web for free where is the incentive to buy a printed (with paid-for publishing rights) edition? And by publishing it online, how can I offer a magazine a unique selling point?

I fully realise that this way of thinking is pretty much out of line with the rest of the world. I'm not saying I'm right, just that giving away electronic rights - either to a publisher or self-publishing - just didn't seem a good idea when publishers started to get their websites (with paid-for ads) up and running. The fact that repro rights are now trickling in just may confirm that view - at least in my world.

I would also suggest a higher price. It just doesnt seem enough. If it is a local PI airline, PAL or CebuPac, you have a great incling that it will be included in their magazine to promote a new route, (legaszpi?) and surely the guys in Donsol, or where ever are also benefitting from these shots.

That being said, if this is a first commercial sell for you, maybe the positive feeling of having your shots in their magazine is worth the lowered price?

PM me if they do use them, i would love to see them!

Olly

It all started because the intention of those that invented the Internet was that it should freely share information. So it's free. It's very hard to generate cash from a medium with editorial that's free (unless you get advertisers to pay to add their biased content). We are hoist on our own petard!

Believe me, the magazines do not pay much for words either. Depending upon the word count of the article, the pay remains very low. I used to write for Asian Diver Magazine until I got fed up with their round table of ever changing editors and if I got $250 for an article which would finally be sent to me months after it was published, it was a lot. Since they only did bank transfers I would get stuck with the transfer fee so I never really ever got paid properly. Last year, after their 4th or 5th editor took over I just told them to forget about it and I moved on.

Steve

Thank you for all the replies. I've been a journalist for 13 years (news writing) and my photos have been published before but only in publications owned by the company where I used to work. I started freelancing only recently. I ended up turning them down. Thanks again.