Selling image for print
 

I was contacted by an art company who has a client that would like to put some of my images in their business facility. They want 1 or 2 digitals with rights to make 100 16x20 prints. I have a pricing book but this doesn't exactly fit.... I guess you could call these stock images, and they really aren't anything special. I'm not interested in providing prints, just the digital file.

This is really out of the blue. I don't have a business, they just found my pics somehow. I want to put something on paper for them to sign saying they have non-exclusive rights to make prints for their facility only, not to sell them or use in mass-distribution.

Any suggestions on what to charge? The closest match in my book is "Stock Prices - Miscellaneous Display prints" for one-time, nonexclusive. It says $500. Seems high for these circumstances.

I don't want to be one of those amateurs out there giving something away and ruining it for everyone else.

$500 for non-exclusive rights to print 100 16x20s doesnt seem high to me. I would have thought it was moderately priced.

Two images for $1000 would be low average.
Never price your work according to what YOU would be able to pay for it.

For this price they are getting a great deal and I bet they will know it.

I was looking for the nice way to say that. Very eloquent, Capt Tom!

Suzy

I just did a quick look on FotoQuote Pro which deals with stock images, and for a "corporate poster" which is what this sounds like, a 100 print run at 16x20 has a range of $448 to $897 with the average being $598.

Also did one for Prints.Wall Decor.Building Lobbies which for 1 16x20 was a range of $747 to $1494 with the average being $996. For Client/Public areas, the pricing is roughly $100 less for each number.

Hope that helps give you some idea.

David

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I guess the reason $500 seems high to me (it's even on the low end of the feedback here) is that these images don't seem that great to me.

What if they end up being unhappy? Not sure what would happen then. I guess I need to provide a proof first, so they get an idea, but it's unusable?

It sounds like they are looking at a web image ? How big is the original file ?

Congratulations but why would they pay so much for the files if they can't sell them or why would they want to print files at 16 x 20 if not for sale? Just curious?

RAW from 20D.

The images are for decoration in a business. They are "local interest" images. And I don't know that they would pay so much for them.

Come on Suzy. Quote them a price and let them decide. Why would you try to guess whether they like them enough to pay what you want. If they come back and say "too much" then think about it some more and make a counter offer.

If you want to be in business, be in business, otherwise just give them the images.

I agree with Tom, give them a price or ask them to give you a reasonable offer and if you don't feel it is reasonable you can always counter offer.

The images were taken at Texas A&M. Since campus is open to anyone to walk around, there are no legal issues with this, right? No logos are visible. I can't imagine that anything on A&M property is copyrighted, not even the Century Tree.

Images on the walls of a business create atmosphere. Atmosphere that makes a statement to their customers and translates into sales for them. Even if they are decorating with them, don't sell yourself short on the value that your images have.

One plan that often works and has been mentioned on TPF, is to pick three of the prices that are an option for this sale.

• The lowest price you will accept. (Not losing money and hopefully reasonable profit)
• The price you'd be thrilled to get (The highest)
• A price somewhere between the two to negotiate the sale. (Near 1/2 of the two other figures)

You are already doing your research on the $$$. Do a little on the company. Are they a small business or big (Fortune 500)? Did they seek you out? (No aquaintances in the company).

Being only a mere 100 prints, restricting them too severely might decrease the company's chances of finding success with them. If they find some type of marketing for 100 prints, they will most certainly be back for more, I would think.

Look at it as a window of opportunity and send your images away with as many options for success that you can place in your licensing and/or contract.

Good luck.

Quote them a price, but with limited reproduction rights. Only let them use the image in their material for one year.

How would you feel if you sold the images and they used them in their brochures for the next 20 years and all you got was $500?

If they want to use the image again a year from now, then they will need to pay you another $500.