MircoV Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Hello folks, I am talking now from the perspective of a free time submitter and not as a professional. In the past distribution was not active at agencies. You could send to 5 agencies without any overlap. However in those days there is almost no agency that doesn’t distribute. Everybody is distributing to everyone what makes the chance big that you have your images multiple times on a agency. This all makes me think why I should make the effort to submit to other agencies when many of them are in the distribution list of Alamy. Since I don’t have much time and have a contracted full time job I think it makes for me more sense to submit only to Alamy and take the extra time to shoot more photos by traveling more instead of sitting behind the computer to manage all my images on different agencies. I understand I loose a percentage of provision if I don’t submit directly to other agencies but on the other hand I have no hassle of jumping to different websites and also avoid double images. I understand that for many it is a risk of putting all eggs in only one basket but like I said I am not a professional and would like to work as efficient as possible while winning more time for creating more images. There as disadvantages but I think the advantages are: Less administration and more time for taking photos. (For me as a free time hobbiest a good opener). Submit to one agency and have them on the same time on many others without extra work. Chasing infringements will be more easy. The great thing about Alamy is that you can continue submitting only to Alamy and still be open to submit to other agencies if you really are stucked at home and nothing to photograph on the moment. Again I understand that many will say that I am crazy and take risk but my question goes to the people that also submit exclusive to Alamy. I saw across the internet that there are many of them. Who also is a exclusive submitter and how is your experience? Thanks already. Mirco Vacca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Carlsson Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I've left Getty House contract behind and is now more or less Alamy exclusive as well as my own website. I also want to spend less time dealing with different libraries, more time shooting. I've always like Alamy as "people" and the freedom in terms of what material you can upload. I don't mind achieving a lower RPI doing it this way - I just want to "feel good" about it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arletta Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I would be glad to sell here exclusively (less work for me, better infringement chasing) but unfortunately Alamy is lowering pricing (to attract clients?) and the sad truth us that I am able to sell for more in other places (none of the kings). So, for now I'm not going to stuck here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The situation of adding or changing agencies every so often reminds me of when I was once in Buenos Aires, Argentina during one of their financial meltdowns. People were walking up and down the main street, the Florida, moving their money from bank to bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 What I have on GI is only on GI (I'm not on iStock), and what I have on Alamy is only on Alamy. I stick with just these two. And on both I switched to mainly iPhone as of February, 2014 submitting via IPhone Apps. So quick and easy! Combined, I'm averaging one sale a day since December, 2014 and it doesn't take a large collection. I like Alamy's 50% rate. Also, can't beat Alamy's Live News staff for excellent customer service. GI = 500 on sale (85% IPhone) Stockimo/Stockimo News = 600 on sale (100% IPhone) Alamy Stock/Alamy Live News = 1,700 on sale (100% real camera) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Brook Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I have been submitting to one main agency since 2002 and haven't found anywhere else that can beat them for combined book and commercial sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Yarvin Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Micro, I'm getting a strange feeling from your question. There is no reason besides revenue to upload images to agencies and the world of business and taxes, when you do something to generate revenue, you're in business. I know that this isn't a quirk of Polish tax law; people from all over the world submit images to stock agencies and then deny up and down that they're a business. In your case though it seems even more questionable. You have more images online with Alamy than many of us who are unquestionably professional and you are openly discussing what would elsewhere be called "business strategy." Wouldn't your local tax man call this a business? Shouldn't you? What I don't know is if it's worthwhile to come to terms with this. Is it something to think about? I say yes, but maybe not. How do you feel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Micro, I'm getting a strange feeling from your question. There is no reason besides revenue to upload images to agencies and the world of business and taxes, when you do something to generate revenue, you're in business. I know that this isn't a quirk of Polish tax law; people from all over the world submit images to stock agencies and then deny up and down that they're a business. In your case though it seems even more questionable. You have more images online with Alamy than many of us who are unquestionably professional and you are openly discussing what would elsewhere be called "business strategy." Wouldn't your local tax man call this a business? Shouldn't you? What I don't know is if it's worthwhile to come to terms with this. Is it something to think about? I say yes, but maybe not. How do you feel? I'm not getting that feeling. Mirco is simply trying to find out about the merits of exclusive and non-exclusive. I wonder if he is simply using the term 'professional' to mean full-time. Not the same as 'not a business'. Perhaps there's a difference in language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The trick is to submit to different "networks". Cheers, Philippe That certainly makes the most sense these days, but how do you figure out which agencies' networks overlap and which ones don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arletta Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Wow, Brian, I'm surprised to find your well knowledge of PL tax law! How do you know it? Indeed, it may be taken as business, but doesn't have to... I mean in our law there's soooo much space for self interpretation between accountacts (tax man). I tried many of them when offered photo services with my business firm, asked the same questions and got completely different answers about the stock photography income and business as freelancer Actually most of them had NO idea how to treat it! Even if you write a letter to the tax office and order an answer on paper, you can expect different answers. I mean this letter should be your "life belt" in case of audit control (firm or individual), but it can't be when you have opposite answers from each tax man There's more - even our finance minister couldn't make up his mind until this year (and still not sure if it won't change again next months)! However it's interesting how the case looks like in other countries - do people open their business firms or not - to sell licenses through stock... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Yarvin Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Areletta, I am often mistaken for Polish and in my old home of New Jersey, there was a Polish food shop that yelled at me in Polish and told me in English that I should be ashamed of myself for hiding my obvious Polishness. I am more Polish than I think! Do I know more than I know? Am I asking the wrong right question? I still believe that what Micro has should really be thought of as a business. And if I'm completely wrong, I'll consider moving to Poland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Brook Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 The trick is to submit to different "networks". Cheers, Philippe That certainly makes the most sense these days, but how do you figure out which agencies' networks overlap and which ones don't? Aggregators, if they are any good, will be content exclusive, so you have nothing to worry about. If they are not, then you might get some aggravation, but not a lot of aggregation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Brook Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 In answer to the OP's question: for anyone who really depends on income from licensing images, it is unrealistic to imagine that you can achieve sufficient returns from one agency - bar one or two commercial ones. If you don't depend on the income, then surely the photography comes first, and selling it is secondary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I am not getting into the debate about "Business", I am not a Businessman, I am a photographer. About exclusivity, I have images with a small number of mostly non competing agencies or libraries, with very few (less than 100) that on available on more than one library. For the last decade I have bet heavily on Alamy and I am happy with that bet, both myself and Alamy has profited. I like knowing where any client licensed one of my images and if I find one of my images being used without being licensed or being used outside of the license that was paid for I can legally go after that person, group or company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 The trick is to submit to different "networks". Cheers, Philippe That certainly makes the most sense these days, but how do you figure out which agencies' networks overlap and which ones don't? Aggregators, if they are any good, will be content exclusive, so you have nothing to worry about. If they are not, then you might get some aggrevation, but not a lot of aggregation. I've had quite a bit of experience with "aggravators." Fortunately, Alamy hasn't been one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdh Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Micro, I'm getting a strange feeling from your question. There is no reason besides revenue to upload images to agencies and the world of business and taxes, when you do something to generate revenue, you're in business. I know that this isn't a quirk of Polish tax law; people from all over the world submit images to stock agencies and then deny up and down that they're a business. In your case though it seems even more questionable. You have more images online with Alamy than many of us who are unquestionably professional and you are openly discussing what would elsewhere be called "business strategy." Wouldn't your local tax man call this a business? Shouldn't you? What I don't know is if it's worthwhile to come to terms with this. Is it something to think about? I say yes, but maybe not. How do you feel? Yes, maybe generating revenue, but this needs to be offset by the cost one had taking the pictures. I only started three weeks ago trying to sell my pictures and only exclusively on Alamy for the time being - as others, I do not want to be bothered with maintaining multiple datasets. Currently I doubt it will ever become a business, given the cost I had compared to the turnover (the latter equalling exactly US$ 0.00) the taxman would argue this is a hobby, that I try to set off my normal income. Still I need to track both, cost and income, to make the case to the taxman that it is not a taxable business as it is generating a great loss (at the moment - but he ho, I had my first zoom today which boosted my CTR to nearly 2%). If the turnover to income ratio ever changes, yes it will be a business in the taxmans view and I will have to declare it as a business, taxwise - despite it really is a hobby for me. NB: I am in Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MircoV Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Brian Yarvin, Thanks for your tip and trying to help me. Arletta could help me already since she lifes also in Poland. About exclusive submitting..... i am not talking about to delete all my other accounts. This would be not smart. My sight is about going further with new images only on Alamy instead of jumping to the other Agency adapting to the different upload processes and doing the administration. I would prefer to use that time to get out and be busy with photography. Alamy has a big distribution network and potential. I don't need more since it is not my main job. It is not my meaning to get a yes or no from you. I am only curious who also submits exclusively to Alamy and what is their experience. Mirco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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