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8 Years Ago
A lawyer contacted me today wanting to "license" one of my photos for holiday greeting cards of one of my lighthouses. He wants to make 1,000 cards and asked for just the image from me. I never know what to charge, but I do always try to get some idea by going to the Getty site to see what they would charge and, and then offering them a sizable decrease from their rates . This would be a royalty free thing... as this was just to his personal clients. I asked him what is his budget. He said "I really don't know". So, I said my price would be $325. He balked and said... "Yikes"! And I never heard from him again. I really don't think that was too high. He would be taking my original file and producing it 1,000 times. That would be at a rate of $.325 per card.
What do you all think about this kind of thing? It is very difficult to come up with a price.
Reply Order
8 Years Ago
$50
Its not royalty free. Its rights managed. You are licensing for a specific number of copies for a specific purpose. One time only.
Not like the guy is selling the cards.
8 Years Ago
Low is relative to the market.
I guess you could have sold him boxes of cards but he is most likely sending them to a printer for customization.
8 Years Ago
Diana I was thinking your price was reasonable since I've made around $50 selling a digital copy of one of my files that was going to be used for about 100 wedding invitations, let alone a lawyer printing out 1000 cards.
8 Years Ago
I think it should be somewhere between the two... If he were to go on a stock photo site, he is likely to pay more than $50, but less than $200.
8 Years Ago
Here are some example license deals:
Country: Worldwide
Usage: iQ sale: Educational book, editorial print + digital use, front cover, one time use only
Industry sector: Media, design & publishing
Start: 27 October 2015
End: 27 October 2040
$ 75
Country: Worldwide
Usage: iQ sale: Magazine, Editorial print and digital use. Repeat use.
Industry sector: Media, design & publishing
Start: 12 October 2015
End: 12 October 2020
$60
Country: Worldwide
Usage: Commercial electronic, Websites, apps, social media and blogs (excludes advertising). Worldwide for 5 years.
Media: Corporate website, single design
Image Size: Any size
Start: 24 April 2015
End: 24 April 2020
$90
Usage: iQ sale: Magazine, Editorial print and digital use. 1/2 page and upwards, Any Placement.One time use only.
$122
$325 for a small business guy sending out cards to his clients is coo-coo. Better to have $50 in your pocket and insist your website is on the card.
8 Years Ago
Well.... guess I lost the sale, but I know what Getty pays me for RM's and RF's..... so I really didn't think that was too high... but guess it was. Thank you Ed for all that info. Ugh.... All I know is that if he were to purchase 1,000 greeting cards on this site from me, he would be paying a heck of a lot more than $325
8 Years Ago
You have to consider who you are dealing with. The guy isn't a national magazine or advertising agency.
8 Years Ago
WOW! I just looked at my e-mail.... He wanted to know if he can insert a pic of "his boat" into my photo for the cards... which means he is STILL interested!!! So, I suggested "fine"... and I will reduce my rate to $200.... Let's see what he says!!!!
8 Years Ago
Yep, what Abbie said. If you have a way to contact him again, I would do that. He has probably already found another image, but you never know.
I would just say I had reconsidered and, given the limited use, . . .
I agree with Edward - for this use, $50 - $75 tops. How much you would have made had he ordered 1000 cards here is irrelevant, imo - he would never have done that. He wants to do something relatively personal, to send a card that will be unlike any others that his clients, friends, family and business associates receive, and not to pay an arm and a leg. AND he didn't just save a screen print as a jpg and have them printed.
8 Years Ago
YAY!!!!!! He agreed! for $200!!! He is gonna insert his boat in my image.....
Here is the image he wants!
8 Years Ago
Now he wants you to do Photoshop work? $500
(Sometimes it better to just move on.)
....
Beautiful image. Somehow I don't think his boat pasted on it is going to look good.
What kind of person wants his clients to see how much money he has? I think if my tax attorney sent me a picture of his sports car for a Christmas card I might reconsider him.
8 Years Ago
Nah..... I told him I can't do that kind of photoshopping.... so he will have someone else do that. But you are right, Ed..... I would have charged him closer to that if I did it!
LOL...... I really don't see enough space for his boat.... but hey.... I will get paid via paypal... send him the file and be done with it!
8 Years Ago
He is going to be in for a rude awakening when he sees the photoshopping bill.
Congrats! And don't listen to me any more.
+1 for Abbie!
8 Years Ago
BTW - As far as sending the file. I would deal directly with the printer or who ever is going to do the photoshopping. Send only the size they need.
8 Years Ago
Diana, just a thought, but I'm not experienced at this. But before you send him the file, should you add your signature to the image? Just smallish, on the bottom somewhere.
8 Years Ago
If he gives it to somebody else to photo shop, then this person could easily remove a "smallish" signature, ... so what's the point really, at this stage. ... The deal is done. ... The money is on the table. ... Move on and let it go would be my approach.
8 Years Ago
Yup the trick now is to minimize the hassle factor. I did freebie shoot for a friend o' mine, gave her a thumb drive with all of the image and thought I was done. Nope next thing was questions about how to send the file to the web designer etc. etc. Finally ended up dealing directly with the web guy who could give me specifics as to what was actually needed.
BTW - you should also have a contract stipulating the agreement and the limits of the usage. i.e. one time usage.
8 Years Ago
Great save! I would have charged 300.00 myself which is my lowest licensing fee. If they really want my image, they pay. I don't worry about those that don't. But that's a sweet chunk of change!
8 Years Ago
Diana, congrats on your license sale! :)
The price $200 is good for you both, not to much and not to low. He is not your mass and regular client as I understand? He doesn't buy a lot from you to expect low pricing or promotions? I've checked the price in macros where I sell my work licenses and pricing is between 160-350$.
Just don't forget to prepare the license document with him as this is RM license...
8 Years Ago
Thank you Sharon, Arletta, Patricia and Robert! Today must be my lucky day because I made two additional sales here today!
8 Years Ago
Way to go Diana!
Kathy K. McClellan
http://keppenart.com
8 Years Ago
Thank you, Kathy! Thanks to everyone who feels happy for someone else's successes that is such a very kind thing.
!
8 Years Ago
Congrats.I thought 325 seemed reasonable .A friend of mine orders 125 Christmas card from me every year at $3.00 a piece
8 Years Ago
This lawyer lives in Norwalk, Connecticut... where this particular lighthouse is. He has a boat. He wants to import his boat into my image... (sounds sexy, lol)... but I hope he realizes that I added a texture overlay to this image... So how is this gonna look good with his boat imported if he doesn't have the texture?
8 Years Ago
Thank you Debbie Anne and Val... gosh... times are really rough for me financially, you have no idea... every sale helps!
8 Years Ago
Diana: "Thanks to everyone who feels happy for someone else's successes that is such a very kind thing. "
This is natural human behaviour, we just sometimes forget about it in our everydays gray overworked, competing and needy world. Even little child (the purest honesty) will show you that all we need are good things (no bad) to make the life better ;)
When we surround ourselves by positives, it's like we welcome more of them to our life ;) I live long enough to know that it works! ;)
8 Years Ago
It would be nice if somewhere on the card it could say "image by Diana Angstadt with a link to your website....
