| Want To Improve your Photo Sales? Here Are Seven | | | | Broken Dreams is strewn with bodies of creative |
| Marketing Mistakes To Avoid."Why Do I See Others | | | | people who never learned: "Find the market first, and |
| Photos Published -- | | | | then create for that market." |
| Yet Mine Are Better?"My cousin in Texas told me | | | | Most entry level stock photographers fail because |
| she wanted to get into stock photography and hoped | | | | they go after the "photos that sell", not necessarily the |
| to start selling to magazine and book publishers. When | | | | ones they love photographing.SPECIALIZE |
| I visited her a couple of years ago, she brought out an | | | | When you try to be all things to all people in the |
| album of her outdoor and travel photography. "People | | | | publishing world, the photobuyer's reaction is: "No one |
| have told me these pictures are as good as the ones | | | | can be that good!" Discover your photographic |
| they see published in magazines and books. What do | | | | strength areas, and go for them. Most entry-level |
| you think ?""Before I look at the pictures, let me see | | | | stock photographers go have the whole pie rather |
| your marketing methods," I said."My what?"If you are | | | | than the piece of the pie. |
| interested in seeing your credit line in national | | | | Become a specialist. don't photograph everything you |
| magazines and books, and you can produce excellent | | | | see. you'll burn out. Stay within a "segment" and |
| images, the following will be helpful to you.We all know | | | | become an expert in your area(s) of interest. Learn to |
| that trying to sell excellent umbrellas on a dry day is | | | | speak the language of your interest areas. You'll |
| difficult. Even the inferior ones will sell during a | | | | become a valuable resource to a certain group of |
| downpour.The engine that drives the selling process | | | | photobuyers out there. If wild horses can't pull you |
| for stock photographers is fueled by effective | | | | away from your goals, you'll succeed. You'll fail or get |
| marketing methods.Over the years, I've looked at | | | | bored if you aim for only those markets that 'pay |
| dozens of collections of superb photos gathering dust | | | | well'.FOR SOUL NOT FOR SALE |
| in a shoe box. One important element stood between | | | | Writer's rarely publish their poetry and even rarer is |
| those pictures being published and remaining in the | | | | getting paid for it. In the stock photography field, don't |
| shoe box: skillful marketing techniques.I've noticed that | | | | expect your 'artsy' pictures to sell. Consider them your |
| the photographers who succeed at selling to the book | | | | poetry. Ask yourself next time you're taking (making) a |
| and magazine industry are those that have developed | | | | picture, "Is this for sale or is it for soul?" |
| a strategy for selling, which today we call, | | | | Spend Sundays to take pictures that feed your soul, |
| marketing.We've heard of the photographer who hit | | | | take the marketable pictures during the week to feed |
| the jackpot with the sale of one photo for use on a | | | | the family.PASSING THROUGH |
| billboard or an advertising campaign. This is rare. Your | | | | Give the appearance that you are a 'permanent' |
| best bet to break into the stock photo field is the book | | | | resident. Most creative people have a tendency to |
| and magazine industry.The photography budget for a | | | | change their address once every five or six years. |
| medium-size publishing house is between $20,000 and | | | | Photobuyers have a tendency to shy away from the |
| $40,000 monthly. For a major publisher, it's twice that | | | | vagabond, the wanderers, no matter how talented |
| amount. Stock photographers who are consistent at | | | | they might be. Buying photos is a business and they |
| selling their photos have learned to identify certain | | | | want you to be businesslike in their dealings with you, |
| markets that match their own areas of interest. Once | | | | and that means being 'reachable' five days before |
| they become a "regular" at the publishing house, they | | | | deadline. Get an e-mail address and stick with |
| receive a steady stream of photo requests and | | | | it.LOOKING LIKE A BEGINNER |
| assignments.Want to improve your marketing | | | | If you appear to be 'just starting out' photobuyers will |
| methods? Here are seven marketing mistakes to | | | | pass you on by. They don't have the time to hold your |
| avoid.CREATE FIRST THEN FIND A MARKET | | | | hand or "train" you. They'd rather spend their time with |
| Number one is probably the most oft-repeated | | | | someone who is "hassle-free". You should give the |
| marketing mistake. Creative people tend to produce | | | | appearance of looking like a pro. Build a quality website. |
| their product first and then attempt to find a market | | | | Correspond on quality stationery, labels, and envelopes. |
| for it. This is a recipe for disaster. The Boulevard of | | | | |