EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 4

CO L LE GE CO RNER eBay.com The auction site eBay is often overlooked as a sales venue for photographers. However, students can sell their prints, and if they can turn their pictures into unique artwork, they might just ﬁnd a market for their images. Many people don’t like the commissions that eBay charges, but there aren’t that many opportunities for budding photographers to get their work out there and eBay has millions of visitors. For students with their own websites, eBay is an effective way of promoting them. The site allows people to set up an “About Me” page, and users on eBay are allowed to add a link to their own websites; it’s always a good idea to put a business card along with a web link when packing an order. As well as eBay, there are many specialist art sites where images can be sold. Try DeviantArt or similar sites. Print on Demand Another excellent way of making money from photography is print on demand. Images can be added to books and sold through Amazon, or choose a site that allows pictures to be printed on T-shirts, dairies, journals and calendars. Many of the print-on-demand stores will allow users to set up their own stores and sell their products for a commission. The toughest part with these sites is actually getting people to ﬁnd the products, but with an effective advertising strategy and a large enough range of images, it is possible to make extra income from print on demand. Cafepress and Zazzle are two of the best known sites. Payments on Cafepress are made once the seller has made US$25 and commissions earned can be paid to a PayPal account. Stock Photos Stock photography sites have soared in popularity over recent years; however, getting pictures accepted can prove pretty difﬁcult as their standards are much higher these days. It is also possible to buy products direct and re-sell them. To maximise the proﬁts from this, buy when Cafepress are offering large discounts; sellers will also earn commissions on products that they buy themselves. Stock photo sites pay a commission for every photo sold; once the seller has accrued enough royalties, he or she will be entitled to payment. Each site has a different payment level, but it is usually set at US$50 or more. The site will often ask new users to submit some sample photos. If they are considered good enough, the pictures will be made available for download; if they are not, then the photographer will usually be offered advice on how to improve the pictures. For the best chance of getting pictures accepted, follow all the guidelines; get some advice from the forums, as other contributors can often spot an issue with a picture that the photographer hasn’t noticed; and make sure that the picture has a commercial value. Now, click away! To increase sales, select good keywords and pick a niche to specialise in. easyuni Guide 2014 Issue 4 49

EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 Issue 4 | Page 51