It’s a dream come true when people can make extra money with the interests that they truly enjoy doing. This article is about how ordinary people can do just that with digital photography and illustrations or graphics they’ve designed.
There are many avenues that people can research to make money selling their digital photos and illustrations, but today we’ll look at one of those channels, that being microstock.
What is microstock?
Microstock most commonly is agencies where people can upload their digital photos and illustrations for the purpose of selling to publishers, editors, marketing and advertising experts and the like. Basically a meeting point between the two, a matchmaker if you will.
Each company varies in their terms of agreement and payments, but in general your work is sold as royalty free, meaning a buyer pays for the right to use your digital photos or illustrations one time and can use that many times over in their work. The companies have different pricing structures for the buyers according to their intended usage. For instance if a image or graphic will be used in a magazine or book with a large print run they will need to purchase an Extended License of type where the supplier of said photo or illustration is paid a higher commission.
In general, the fee paid for royalty free work is quite low per usage, but where they expect contributors to really make the money is volume. It’s selling an image for a one time deal at a higher price versus selling the same image for a lower price many times over.
What is nice with microstock is that once an image is approved and online you can be paid for that work over an over again indefinitely creating a true residual income, and you’re not having to do the selling work but can focus on the creativity of the work itself which is something artsy type people gravitate towards anyways.
It’s not as easy as some would make it seem however, probably in large part to the strict increased standards of work they accept. A point and shoot camera won’t do, a person really needs to be working on an SLR digital camera. However, they have forums, teaching technique tips and much available to help improve skills and learn the ropes.
There are literally hundreds of microstock agencies out there, but the biggest and most active ones are the following:
- Shutterstock
- Big Stock
- 123RF
- Dreamstime
- Can Stock
A person can sign up with all of the sites they desire to work with, their work doesn’t have to be exclusively with one, and unless that is the agreement you choose to work with.
One baffling and at times frustrating aspect however is the large inconsistency between agencies of what work they accept or reject and on their reasons for rejecting work. The same image or illustration may be accepted and selling great at one agency and then another won’t even accept that same work. But, it’s also a reason why it’s important to sign up with several agencies and not put all your eggs into one basket.
A person won’t get rich quick selling their digital photos and illustrations with microstock, but with time and hard work doing something you love, you can create a very nice supplemental income.
Valerie Garner - Hi, I'm Valerie a midlife lady who loves to learn new things, photography, reading, writing, and drinking coffee with friends. I've ...
