Those Microstock Photo Portals - Should I Submit To Them?
Typical microstock sites are bigstockphoto and fotolia. Such microstock sites sell, outright, the usage of your images - for whatever and in perpetuity - for as little as $1 to you per photo.This is a horrible deal for editorial photographers, and it"s my opinion that all photographers should stay as far as humanly possible away from these people.
Generic Be Gone
The reality is that Micro is here and that it will not go away. If you shoot generic images of the quality that can easily be found at the microstock agencies, chances are better than good that you have already seen a huge drop in your income from stock sales of such images over the last five years.
The answer is to specialize. Find a niche that appeals to your passions. Offer specific distinct content, not the general subjects easily found at the micro-agencies. Surpass them in quality, creativity, and know-how about the subjects you photograph. Add value to your images by becoming an expert in your select fields.
If you think it"s ok to specialize a little bit and shoot generic stock for the micros the rest of the time, I feel you are doing yourself, as well as your fellow stock shooters, a huge dis-service. Why would you want to feed an industry that has absolutely no regard for your well-being as a photographer? Even a little? To me, it makes no sense.
If you specialize and offer something not easily found in the microstock arenas, you have nothing to worry about. No need to re-invent the wheel. There is nothing wrong with learning - or re-learning - from others. If you don"t have a copy, well, I suggest you pick up a copy, of the 5th edition of "Sell and Re-Sell Your Photos" and read it. Really read it.
And re-read it. It was written several years ago, so you"ll find the technical and Internet information is not up-to-the-times, but the meat of the book - the marketing system - is everlasting.
If you specialize and get the word out about it, you"ll find buyers coming to you because they have done their research and know you have a deep selection of photos in their interest (publishing theme) area. As long as you offer outstanding customer service, you"ll discover photobuyers who may last you a lifetime.
Say goodbye to microstock agencies and say hello to customers who are, at this moment, waiting for you and your work.