Help! Someone is requesting my photos for a book

[invisible]

Hi,

Today I found an email in my inbox (from someone I didn't know) that included the following:

As a writer, I recently completed a collection of poems, each page focusing on the wonders and trials of growing up in a Canadian prairie town.

My dream has been to submit my manuscript to publishers collaborated with passionate imagery of black and white photographs. After visiting your website, I saw several photos that would enhance the meaning of my words. However, the complete manuscript consists of fifty poems, and some additional pictures would have to be taken.

My suggestion to you is: Could I meet with you and arrange photo per picture? You could either shoot the entirety of pictures, or I could submit a sample of your work along with the manuscript...

Although this person hasn't had a book published yet, she sent me an extensive résumé detailing magazines, newspapers and other publications that have published her poems and stories.

How would you approach this?

What kind of releases (if any) should I tell her she would need to sign if the book is eventually published? I'm thinking one for her, and I guess one for the publishing company... What should these releases cover?

How would you charge for these images? Would you invoice her or the publishing company instead? A fee per book printed? Per book sold? Flat fee?

I just take photographs for fun, so I'm completely lost, so any help would be much appreciated.

 

[DRoberts]

First off I would make agreement to be the sole photo contributor.
Secondly, An agreement that states the photos can only be used for that book. Of course there are a few that will be extended to marketing and sales.
Idealy if you think the book will go places and there is a good chance lasting sales then go for a % cut of total sales.
If you think it will be a short term local thing then charge per picture.
As far as a contract...details of compensation, who the compensation will come from, the time frame for compensation are top priority. All rights of the photos are retained by you with maybe a few exceptions for marketing purposes.

 

[Imaginis]

How would you charge for these images?

1) Charge for the images you already have.
2) Charge for the images you will have to take.
3) Charge for the license agreement for her/them to use your images for publication and (possible) advertising. Include an option to extend said license agreement.

 

[modlife]

1) Charge for the images you already have.
2) Charge for the images you will have to take.
3) Charge for the license agreement for her/them to use your images for publication and (possible) advertising. Include an option to extend said license agreement.

I agree. I have a "general editorial" fee of $90/image that states my name must be noted below the picture. I also recommend that you include a "proofing" clause that states your approval is needed before final publication. The poem might be about "terrible photographers" and your name could end up being attached. (not that it's likely). Just cover your bases and you'll be good.

If you haven't been published before and think this could lead to something, negotiate a similar back-end deal that would allow the fee to be waived provided you receive a percentage of future revenues.

Hope this helps

-Josh

 

[invisible]

Thanks very much, guys. All the info provided is very useful and much appreciated.

For those who care, someone on another forum gave me this link (self explanatory). I can't possible know how accurate the data used is, but I'm going to use it as reference for this and future similar situations.

 

[Imaginis]

Thanks very much, guys. All the info provided is very useful and much appreciated.

For those who care, someone on another forum gave me this link (self explanatory). I can't possible know how accurate the data used is, but I'm going to use it as reference for this and future similar situations.

The data is not very accurate and I would not even use it as a reference as you would inadvertently sell yourself short. Each project requires a price and license agreement within yours and the client's scope.

Example: The site states a price between $200 and $375 for editorial spot use in a newspaper. There is a difference though if they want a portrait of Obama during inauguration from a certain angle where you were the sole photographer or if the just want a picture from a local corporate event that had several photographers present. The going rate for such a local event is below $100 while the rate for the Obama picture would be significantly higher than their stated maximum. If you ask for more than the $100 for the local event, they will very likely go with another photographer. If you charge $375 for the Obama picture, you sell yourself short. The economic principle of supply and demand applies here as well as different requirements for different clients and different jobs.

I did a job for an embassy once where there were two photographers (me hired by the embassy and another one just trying to get pictures to sell to newspapers). While the other guy was just trying to get pictures of the "important people", I was standing in the crowd and shooting emotions. A reporter from the newspaper then contacted both of us asking for pictures. In the end, the newspaper wanted an emotional picture of the crowd which the other photogrpher did not have. They ended up paying four times their regular rate for the shot they wanted.