Author Topic: New eBook: How to get started with Stock Photography (Read 46921 times)

Difydave · « **Reply #25 on:** April 07, 2016, 11:38 »

Quote from: hjalmeida on April 07, 2016, 10:49

Humm!! I guess someone read my book "How to make $1000 selling books teaching how to make money with stock photography"

Can I volunteer to write the foreword concerning the inadvisability of turning a hobby into a profession?
I'll only want 70% of the profits. . . .

(Edited for spelling!

[size=78%])[/size]

PixelBytes · « **Reply #26 on:** April 07, 2016, 22:20 »

Here's how to make great money in stock photography. First, build a time machine. If you want to make the real big bucks in RM, set it for the 1980s or 90s. If you want to make big money in microstock, set it for 2006 and upload to Istock and Shutterstock.

If you skip the first step, forget about it, and don't waste your money on books selling you false hopes.

steheap · « **Reply #27 on:** April 08, 2016, 10:28 »

Quote

Humm!! I guess someone read my book "How to make $1000 selling books teaching how to make money with stock photography"

You know what they say - those who can, do, those who can't, teach! I have probably made more from the sale of my book than from most of the smaller stock sites combined!

Steve
PS - only 4 days before the price goes back up!

cathyslife · « **Reply #28 on:** April 08, 2016, 12:51 »

Quote from: steheap on April 08, 2016, 10:28

Quote
Humm!! I guess someone read my book "How to make $1000 selling books teaching how to make money with stock photography"

You know what they say - those who can, do, those who can't, teach! I have probably made more from the sale of my book than from most of the smaller stock sites combined!

Steve
PS - only 4 days before the price goes back up!

Nobody ever reads post #16.

steheap · « **Reply #29 on:** April 08, 2016, 13:34 »

Sorry, Cathy - I didn't read that. I guess I could say that great minds think alike?

Steve

cathyslife · « **Reply #30 on:** April 08, 2016, 15:30 »

Quote from: steheap on April 08, 2016, 13:34

Sorry, Cathy - I didn't read that. I guess I could say that great minds think alike?

Steve

No worries. "I guess I could say that great minds think alike?" Indeed!

PhotoWorkout · « **Reply #31 on:** April 23, 2016, 07:13 »

Quote from: amabu on April 03, 2016, 01:41

Quote from: PhotoWorkout on April 02, 2016, 23:03

Thanks for the suggestions and advice given in this forum! Microstock Group members have been very helpful to craft this little guide book.

Then it should be free for MSG members, shouldn´t it?

We made the eBook FREE until 27th April 2016 (only on Amazon) >> https://photoworkout.com/club/1k-stock-photography/ [nofollow]

dbvirago · « **Reply #32 on:** April 23, 2016, 18:15 »

Thanks for the free download. A quick flip through shows a well organized and written book. Good luck with it

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #33 on:** April 24, 2016, 05:38 »

Quote from: PixelBytes on April 07, 2016, 22:20

Here's how to make great money in stock photography. First, build a time machine. If you want to make the real big bucks in RM, set it for the 1980s or 90s. If you want to make big money in microstock, set it for 2006 and upload to Istock and Shutterstock.

If you skip the first step, forget about it, and don't waste your money on books selling you false hopes.

Darn it, you beat me to it! Though I would say March 2004 was the time to start. After getting approved on April 1, by April 23 I was getting sales at iStock every single day with around 50 or 60 images online. I continued to get at least one sale there every single day for the next seven or eight years (and often 30 or 40/day).
Now, I'm lucky to get four sales a week there (ignoring the PP and subs).

Brasilnut · « **Reply #34 on:** January 22, 2017, 05:18 »

There is a lot of crap out there, so to put together a premium product that newbies find useful is admirable in my opinion. The market moves quickly (while earnings drop) but there appears to be no shortage of people who want to get into photography but are a bit clueless.

As for "why write when you can shoot" argument and "those that can't do teach", I don't agree.

I'm painstakingly putting together a comprehensive eBook for newbies/intermediates (not a get rich quick scheme) now that it's winter and i'm shooting less. I must say that from the researching and drafting I am learning a lot, so in a way I am learning to teach. Plus I enjoy writing even if I am halfway through drafting a snooze fest chapter on releases.

For me it won't be so much about making money from the sales but to raise my profile as both a photographer and author. Also something to give to prospective clients.

If anybody is interested in having a look at my latest draft, I would appreciate comments.

Thanks

Brasilnut
www.arotenberg.photoshelter.com

niktol · « **Reply #35 on:** January 22, 2017, 06:36 »

You peeps forgot about the similars.
"How to make the first $500" for $3.99
"How to make the first $2000" for $12.99
and "How to make the first $5000" for $19.99

Until of course someone starts selling a comprehensive book on "How to write books on how to make the first $1000" for $6.99 and then we are all screwed.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #36 on:** January 22, 2017, 12:47 »

in my first days of photography, carrying a view camera wanting to be ansel adams, i bought this book "how to make a million taking photographs with a 35mm" or something like that.
till this day, i still haven't made a millions even as a commercial photographer, and finally a stock photographer.
but i have a strange feeling, those who did earn a million, either wrote books like that,
or like lise g of istock, never read one of those books.

stockastic · « **Reply #37 on:** January 22, 2017, 15:53 »

My eBook will be titled "How To Get Out of Microstock". It will have the details of closing your account, and getting that last payout, at all the sites that sell subscriptions or take more than 50% of the sale price. The last chapter will be suggestions of other things you can do with your time that will benefit you far more than producing photos for 30 cents a sale and hoping for a miracle.

cascoly · « **Reply #38 on:** January 22, 2017, 18:04 »

the sad fact is that sleazy ebooks sell (no reference to any of the MS related books mentioned here -- I haven't read any of them)

for example:
http://cascoly-images.com/pix/book-web-copy-sells/

lots of ethically challenged suggestions (eg, plagiarize others), poor logic, oversimplification, etc

unfortunately it gets 4-5 stars on goodreads, amazon et al

Brasilnut · « **Reply #39 on:** January 23, 2017, 10:14 »

Quote

lots of ethically challenged suggestions (eg, plagiarize others), poor logic, oversimplification, etc

I agree.

In my case, I want to put something out there that I'll be proud. It must be original and add value, hence why it's taking so long and I'm ripping my hairs out trying to draft the * thing

. Will be worth it in the end though.

I'll include a chapter on transitioning out of Microstock and making money elsewhere in photography, as it seems to be a common theme on this forum.

stockastic · « **Reply #40 on:** January 23, 2017, 11:06 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on January 23, 2017, 10:14

I'll include a chapter on transitioning out of Microstock and making money elsewhere in photography, as it seems to be a common theme on this forum.

I could imagine a chapter on the business model - i.e. "Is It Worth Doing"? Compare the payments at different agencies, the impact of the subscription model, differences in percentages, will you actually "make it up on volume" etc. And what does the future hold? People obviously come to very different conclusions on this issue, but there are plenty of objective facts to present.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #41 on:** January 23, 2017, 11:24 »

Quote

I could imagine a chapter on the business model - i.e. "Is It Worth Doing"? Compare the payments at different agencies, the impact of the subscription model, differences in percentages, will you actually "make it up on volume" etc. And what does the future hold? People obviously come to very different conclusions on this issue, but there are plenty of objective facts to present.

Some great ideas there. I have drafted such a chapter (more or less), although it's still quite unpolished.

Would you care to take a look and give me your opinion?

steheap · « **Reply #42 on:** January 23, 2017, 11:47 »

Hi Brasilnut

Bear in mind that you really should plan to keep it up to date (which can be quite a chore). I try to do a new edition of my book about every 12 - 18 months normally and include the latest sites, what is working, what isn't etc. I also finally decided to focus just on Amazon and took the order form off my own website so I could submit it to the Kindle lending library - still waiting to see exactly how much that pays, but it is getting page views.

I can tell you though, that it doesn't earn anything like as much as actually selling photos. I was the "best seller" in professional photography books for a while and still only sell one or two a day on average. So don't plan to retire on this!

Steve

cascoly · « **Reply #43 on:** January 23, 2017, 13:29 »

http://cascoly-images.com/pix/make-money-digital-photography/

has a table comparing various outlets (ms, self hosted, etc) and the costs assoc'd with them -- feel free to incorporate anything there you might find useful

stockastic · « **Reply #44 on:** January 23, 2017, 13:50 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on January 23, 2017, 11:24

Would you care to take a look and give me your opinion?

I'm not the right guy. You want someone who's currently shooting for microstock, and is at least somewhat serious about it. I stopped doing it over a year ago and today I just have a few hundred photos sitting at Alamy and GL. Basically I decided it wasn't worth doing, and the big 'agencies' weren't businesses I wanted to support. You should find someone with a more positive outlook.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #45 on:** January 23, 2017, 14:28 »

Quote

Bear in mind that you really should plan to keep it up to date (which can be quite a chore). I try to do a new edition of my book about every 12 - 18 months normally and include the latest sites, what is working, what isn't etc. I also finally decided to focus just on Amazon and took the order form off my own website so I could submit it to the Kindle lending library - still waiting to see exactly how much that pays, but it is getting page views.

I can tell you though, that it doesn't earn anything like as much as actually selling photos. I was the "best seller" in professional photography books for a while and still only sell one or two a day on average. So don't plan to retire on this!

I didn't intend to hijack your thread. I have no regrets since we are contributing to a positive discussion and you are getting more links to your page.

That's a good point about not earning too much with this gig and I'll keep my expectations low. As for the the new editions, it makes sense as this industry moves fast and with drones and mobile phones, etc.

Wish I had a drone though!

Quote

I'm not the right guy. You want someone who's currently shooting for microstock, and is at least somewhat serious about it. I stopped doing it over a year ago and today I just have a few hundred photos sitting at Alamy and GL. Basically I decided it wasn't worth doing, and the big 'agencies' weren't businesses I wanted to support. You should find someone with a more positive outlook.

I think in many ways you'd be the perfect person to comment since you would portray an accurate image of this tough industry, even if it was a year ago. I do respect that you rather not. Hope you are having more success outside of Microstock.

steheap · « **Reply #46 on:** January 23, 2017, 14:31 »

Quote

I didn't intend to hijack your thread. I have no regrets since we are contributing to a positive discussion and you are getting more links to your page.

I don't think it was my thread - so no worries there! Good luck with the book!

Steve

Brasilnut · « **Reply #47 on:** January 24, 2017, 06:09 »

Quote

I don't think it was my thread - so no worries there! Good luck with the book!

Steve

Ah, that's right! You too, good luck with your sales and shooting

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Author Topic: New eBook: How to get started with Stock Photography (Read 46921 times)

Difydave

PixelBytes

steheap

cathyslife

steheap

cathyslife

PhotoWorkout

dbvirago

BaldricksTrousers

Brasilnut

niktol

etudiante_rapide

stockastic

cascoly

Brasilnut

stockastic

Brasilnut

steheap

cascoly

stockastic

Brasilnut

steheap

Brasilnut

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