Sockxpert.com - Stock Images. Yours?

[remi]

Sometimes I use such websites like Stockxpert.com or fotolia.com to buy photos for 1-2 Euros per image. That's bad enough, isn't it? Because from the side of the artist it's a shame to get 1 EUR (or sometimes only 50% from it) for a drawing which costs hours and hours to finish.

Yes, I know these "success stories" out there, which says that artist are able to sell more images than ever through such 1 EUR websites. But who wrote these "success stories"? And how much images do you have to sell, in order to get a adequate payment? Professional customers are willing to pay 1000-1500 EUR for a illustration and not 1 EUR...

Remi

[pauland]

I've bought a few images from istockphoto.com. Although the artist may not get much per image, there's always a chance to have the image sold many times over.

[gwpriester]

Remi

You still own the image and the copyrights. So you are not selling the image, you are renting it.

Gary

[raynerj1]

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but if you rent it, lease it whatever it is no longer an "Original" and thus the value is immediately less...

[geminiguy]

I really like this idea.... Thanks Priester!!!! The way I see it folks is this.... That image is not making any $$$ sittin on your pc or here.... so "anything" is better than nothing??!! just my opinion
I think it would motivate to make even more to submit once the reality sets in on the potential $$ Not that it would be a sole source of income but... once you get a few extra bucks in your pocket through this.... (lets face it, a buck is a buck these days) it may just give some of us even more motivation to create
I like the opportunity.

John, you could place items here, and get some $$ from people ordering "prints".... I would think that once someone bought the original, you could make it not available??
This would also direct more and more people to your work.... hence.... more potential purchasers!!!! SOmeone may order the "print" and then decide they want to contact yo to buy the original.

[remi]

The low price is the problem. They don't accept simple drawings/images for their service, it must be a really good image instead. And a good image needs a lot of time and experience. If a customer would ask me, if he could use (license) this "valuable" image for his website for 1-3 EUR, I wouldn't agree with such a request. If 50 customers would ask the same, so the result is 50-150 EUR, I would say "no", again. So, how much customers have to be interested in my image, before I say "ok"? It depends on the "value" of the image. But on the other side: If the image isn't worth a higher price, because it's a poor image, then you wouldn't find 50 customer who are willing to pay license fees for this image. And if the image is so good, that a lot of customers want it, the price must be 150 EUR per license or more (that's the price, you'll pay for images from other image databases and not 1-3 EUR).

Remi

[Steve-oh]

Hi guys!

My name is Steve Kapsinow, and I'm in charge of community development over at Stockxpert. I've worked with Chris Dickman for a few years now, and I'm happy to see a thread over here on contributing Xara-based work to Stockxpert. Thanks, Gary!

I'm glad some of you are interested in giving it a shot.

To answer a couple of questions. Yes. You can remove the work at any time. So, if you sell the original, you can remove it from our site. Although you cannot ask the people who have already downloaded it to "give it back."

geminiguy is right. Contributors do use microstock sites as a way to market their work. We recently published an interview with a stockxpert contributor who intead of selling the exclusive rights to one of him images, worked with the customer to make original work.

http://www.graphics.com/modules.php?...icle&artid=564

Riches are not guaranteed to everyone, but the potential to earn decent money exists. It's just another avenue to distribute and market your work.

Let me know if you have any more questions or comments. I'd be happy to discuss further.

Thanks!
-Steve

[raynerj1]

Thanks Steve for the inside info...

Paul... I don't even put my good shots on my own site... Most of my good ones have never even been printed yet. I want to value to be as high as I can get it. A cambells soup can label can be considered art, but not there are not many fools out there that will pay for the label itself... Too much market saturation ruins the value.

Most folks see a pretty pic and just download it and print it. I wonder how many copies of SaraX there are printed out?

I might just submit a pic or two... but nothing large enough to print...