If you want to sell stock images it is vital to understand the different types of licensing for your photos.
Basically we are talking about the difference between Royalty Free (RF) and Rights Managed (RM) - often also called Licenced. They both have their benefits and drawbacks.
Royalty Free images will not be exclusive and are often sold by size - which means you will obtain a higher price the larger the image. However, the buyer can use the photo again and again for a certain period - if not for ever.
Rights Managed images are sold for a certain purpose - and will sell again if the buyer needs to publish it again.
It is, of course, necessary to distinguish between micro stock and macro stock. In recent years the micro stock agencies have destroyed the price level for images seen from the photographer's viewpoint. Images are often sold for a few dimes with very little earnings for the photographer unless the amount of images is constantly increasing. Micro stock always sell images as Royalty Free.
A Royalty Free image at a macro site will not sell as often as from a micro site, but the price will be much higher (has been even higher a few years ago - the micro stock market is influencing this price level). Seen over a period the photographer will often earn more from the macro sites - but this may be opposite for the most plain and iconised images which will only sell as micro stock.
Selling the same Royalty Free images from both macro and micro sites is generally not a good idea.
Selling the same photo as Royalty Free and also as Rights Managed is an absolute no-no.....
These links from f.57.com and thephotographybiz.com are informative on these matters - and the viewpoint is selling from a macro site, of course:
Stock photo licensing
Understanding licensing types: Royalty Free Image Licences
Understanding licensing types - Rights Managed Image Licences
Selling on Alamy: Royalty Free or Licenced?
Can you sell an image as RF and RM at the same time?
Basically we are talking about the difference between Royalty Free (RF) and Rights Managed (RM) - often also called Licenced. They both have their benefits and drawbacks.
Royalty Free images will not be exclusive and are often sold by size - which means you will obtain a higher price the larger the image. However, the buyer can use the photo again and again for a certain period - if not for ever.
Rights Managed images are sold for a certain purpose - and will sell again if the buyer needs to publish it again.
It is, of course, necessary to distinguish between micro stock and macro stock. In recent years the micro stock agencies have destroyed the price level for images seen from the photographer's viewpoint. Images are often sold for a few dimes with very little earnings for the photographer unless the amount of images is constantly increasing. Micro stock always sell images as Royalty Free.
A Royalty Free image at a macro site will not sell as often as from a micro site, but the price will be much higher (has been even higher a few years ago - the micro stock market is influencing this price level). Seen over a period the photographer will often earn more from the macro sites - but this may be opposite for the most plain and iconised images which will only sell as micro stock.
Selling the same Royalty Free images from both macro and micro sites is generally not a good idea.
Selling the same photo as Royalty Free and also as Rights Managed is an absolute no-no.....
These links from f.57.com and thephotographybiz.com are informative on these matters - and the viewpoint is selling from a macro site, of course:
Stock photo licensing
Understanding licensing types: Royalty Free Image Licences
Understanding licensing types - Rights Managed Image Licences
Selling on Alamy: Royalty Free or Licenced?
Can you sell an image as RF and RM at the same time?
