Pro Forum Photography
stock photography – should I become exclusive?
Should I become an “exclusive” photographer for a stock photography agency? (Exclusive meaning I only sell my images on their website and no one else’s.) I tried looking up articles/ forums about this, but I couldn’t find anything anywhere. What are the pros and cons?
Is it better to stick with one agency, making my work exclusive (giving me more money from that particular agency), or is it better to post the same stuff all over the place?
Pros – potentially more money per sale.
The agency (library) will (should) market your work better
Easier to keep track of your work i.e. who is buying and where it is being used.
Cons – smaller overall market
Potentially less overall sales per image
I am sure there are loads more pros and cons but they are of the top of my head.
The other thing to look at is whether RF or RM.
You can lodge a certain type of image with a single library and make them exclusive and other work could be with loads of libraries as non-exclusive.
For instance if you are a wildlife photographer then lodge your wildlife with a specialist agency as RM exclusive to them.
Other stuff, landscapes, flowers or whatever can then be put with others.
Just as long as you control what goes where and do not lodge the same or similar shots with other agencies that you already have with the exclusive one.
If you go with exclusive then read the t&c’s very very closely.
Travel & Landscape Photography
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