Have you taken some incredible photographs but you're not sure how to go about selling them? Look no further, this article aims to explain where you can sell your photos, along with how to maximize your earnings and create a stream of passive income.
Why Sell Your Photos Online?
Microstock photography used to be reserved for professional only. But now with the availability of high quality affordable cameras, many amateur photographers are able to put their own images up for sale online. So why do it? Well, for starters, there is the money. Every time someone downloads one of your images, you receive a percentage of the amount that person paid for. The great thing is that selling your photos online is in fact a passive income stream, and you can make money while you sleep! The second reason is that it's like any art – because you will be putting your images out into the worldwide web, you have no idea where or what it could be used for – which is an exciting prospect for many.
How to Sell Your Photos Online
First, you will need to sign up to one of the many online microstock photo agencies. Several of the top websites are Shutterstock and Istockphoto. Both are completely free to join, but you will need to upload some photographic ID (such as a photocopy of your passport), to prove you are who you say you are. With Istockphoto you will have to fill out a short test, but it is pretty self-explanatory.
Next, you will have to upload some of your photos for approval onto the website. Many websites require a minimum of 4MP per image, but check with the website you are applying for. Always use you favourite and best images for this as it will increase your chances of being approved. Good luck!
How Much Money Can I Make?
Probably the most asked question is "how much money will my photograph make?" The answer is – It depends! It's impossible to give a figure for how much your images will make. This is totally dependent on a lot of variables, including what photostock agency you choose to join, what type of images you are uploading, the size of your portfolio and even your keyword tagging skills.
There are however several things you can do to increase your sales:
- Find out what people are searching for. Most of the photostock websites have a special search function which allows you to take a look at the most searched terms for the last week. Quite often business images of people sell quite well.
- Tag your images correctly. People find your images based on the keywords you attach to them. Always create as many keywords as possible for each image to increase your chances of it being seen by the public.
- Build up a portfolio. Start to upload a variety of pictures to your online portfolio – it will allow you to get a better idea of what type of images sell the best, and more images often equal more money.
Alice Stewart - Alice Stewart is an experienced freelance writer who has specialized in creating unique and informative Web content since 2005. She enjoys ...
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