Selling your photos to magazines – how to?

[BRT]

Hi guys,
For example you have made studio photos of a luxury telecommunication device that a company is planning to launch sometime in late September… how would you submit this photos to a magazines? Which magazines, do you believe, might be more interested? What do you think might be an adequate price to ask?

Thanks!
James :cheers:

 

[reg]

Is there any particular reason why the company would not simply get the photos made of the product then give them to the magazine for FREE, since after all it's promotion for the product...?

 

[BRT]

You see, the company can pay the magazine for advertising, also the company can make a Press Release and give the photos for free... As well as it can "leak" the photos of their product and get not only a better media coverage, but some money, too.

That way why to give for FREE, if its possible to sell? :mrgreen:

 

[KD5NRH]

For example you have made studio photos of a luxury telecommunication device that a company is planning to launch sometime in late September…

Luxury telecommunications device?

Luxury is not having to answer the frickin' phone.

 

[BRT]

Luxury telecommunications device?

Luxury is not having to answer the frickin' phone.

Didn't really understand that one.

 

[KD5NRH]

Didn't really understand that one.

Lots of people use cell phones to look important, without realizing that really important people don't have to be on an electronic leash 24x7.

 

[reg]

That way why to give for FREE, if its possible to sell? :mrgreen:

Because that's simply not how it works!

You can't just take pictures of some random company's phone (why would you even have THE ACTUAL PHONE if a photo hadn't even been released yet) and then try to SELL IT to a magazine when the company will give it away all day long, you realize that companies generally PAY for advertising right? So if they can give it away it's better for them and there's no way in hell some magazine is gonna pay for the photos.

 

[notelliot]

are you looking to promote yourself as a photographer, or promote the telecommunications device?

if you're trying to promote yourself, no one will pay you for it. "here, showcase my portfolio.. and pay me (do my laundry, pay my phone bill and unload the dishwasher, too please)." rhetorical demands.

if you're trying to promote the product, the magazine isn't who you go to for a paycheck. the owner of the product is. if you've already done the shots, chances are you've been compensated for your work, so the money tree isn't going to blossom any longer.

as it's been stated, that's just not how this market functions. your vision of the way it does seems to be pretty muddled - you might want to research it a little better.

sorry if that seems harsh, just wanted to be clear.

 

[craig]

I am assuming that it is ok with your client to resell the photos. If not check with them before proceeding. You will have to do the research as far as which mags to contact. Maybe search gadget or electronic review magazines. Get creative the more mags you contact the better the chances. Do not get discouraged. Publications are forever looking for editorial content. It is all in how you approach them. As far as price goes you are generally accepting what they are paying. Which varies between $25 and $3,000.

Love & Bass

 

[zeroskillz]

Here's how it works from the Magazines Art Directors point of view:

I need a shot of a product.
I contact the product manufacturer and request PR images of the product, because I don't want to spend money on a shoot if I don't have to.
70% of the time, the manufacturer has decent photos to use for free.

The rest of the time, I either feature something else, or pay to have it shot. How much the shot is worth to me depends on how big the photo is going to run.

To answer your question though, send promotional materials to the Art Director of the magazines you're interested in. Be sure to include samples of your best stuff--it's a pretty competitive field. The benefit is that once you're in, and have developed a relationship with the art director, they'll come back to you again and again. have a portfolio/book ready to take in and show off.

Look up the Custom Publishing Council on the web, that'll give you some local publishers who work on multiple titles.

HTH, and good luck
-Ted

 

[Alleh Lindquist]

If you have photos of something before it is launched your best bet would be to sell it through a stock site. You well get the most potential sales for it that way (not a micro stock site like istock). Even if the client paid for the photos you should have a licensing agreement and unless they paid a crap load for unlimited usage and rights then they only have rights to exactly what they paid for.

 

[skieur]

Lots of people use cell phones to look important, without realizing that really important people don't have to be on an electronic leash 24x7.

Yup, I am one of the few without a cell phone.

skieur

 

[skieur]

You really need to know the particular magazine and know everything there is know about the particular art director. A Masters degree in Art and Design will tell you a lot about what the art director is looking for. So will business and marketting experience but little art background.

skieur

 

[marcuz29]

yup. Being able to know what particular magazine would really help. Just keep on looking for a good magazine company.