UK Newspaper scheme - Opt in or out?

[Arno]

I received a mail from Alamy reminding me that I'm opted out from the UK Newspaper scheme.

What do you experts think? Is it worth opting in? Or is it better to leave it out?

[AlexH]

Good question, I've had the same email as I'm currently opted out. I could be a tad off the pace on my understanding but I seem to remember I opted not to be in the scheme originally as I didn't like the idea of the bulk plans the publishers were offered resulting in very diluted sale values. Maybe those who are in can shed some light on their experience? The recent email seems to imply if you're out newspapers can't see your images but I take that with a large pinch of salt as I certainly have UK editorial newspaper sales in my sales history, and my feeling would be for generally better amounts than I'd get if sold through the scheme. I could be wrong though?

[spacecadet]

What prices are you getting for, say, Mail, Guardian, Star, Mirror?

[wiskerke]

Maybe per PM?

 

wim

 

Edit: Forgot that doesn't seem to work anymore.

[spacecadet]

Quite right, Wim.

OP, AlexH- I'd be happy to answer a PM on scheme prices versus standard prices so as to avoid quoting prices on the forum.

[wiskerke]

Happy to see that PM does work again.

Have already just used it.

Weekend glitch probably.

 

wim

[AlexH]

Does the newspaper scheme allow users to to re-use the same image multiple times once they've taken it through the scheme?

[AlexH]

2 minutes ago, AlexH said:

Does the newspaper scheme allow users to to re-use the same image multiple times once they've taken it through the scheme?

 

Did a tiny bit of leg work and found the answer myself  . . .

 

"RM (including RM - E) images remain as rights managed and can only be used once for the following uses by a newspaper: Print only, web only, web and print combined 
"

[spacecadet]

1 hour ago, AlexH said:

Good question, I've had the same email as I'm currently opted out. I could be a tad off the pace on my understanding but I seem to remember I opted not to be in the scheme originally as I didn't like the idea of the bulk plans the publishers were offered resulting in very diluted sale values. Maybe those who are in can shed some light on their experience? The recent email seems to imply if you're out newspapers can't see your images but I take that with a large pinch of salt as I certainly have UK editorial newspaper sales in my sales history, and my feeling would be for generally better amounts than I'd get if sold through the scheme. I could be wrong though?

PM sent.

Of course we don't know for sure which papers are in and which out, but one can have some pretty good guesses.

Scheme subscribers don't see opted-out images. They'd have to go to the general collection. The question is, do they bother? Alexh thinks they do.

[AlexH]

Thanks Spacecadet for your insight. I claim no particular wisdom on this but one or two of my shots seem to find their way to the pic editors desk on a semi regular basis and I've never been in the scheme. I think I'm staying out for now, but it's a personal decision and I'm by no way implying being in the scheme isn't a good idea for others. I could well be blasting off a footfull of toes . .. . .

[AlexH]

OK, so Spacecadet thought this might provide a useful starting point for some comparison. . .

 

Looking at my last year on the sales summary page, United Kingdom, editorial, newspaper uses accounted for;

 

16% of the volume of my sales and 24% of my total sales $.

 

Anyone IN the scheme have figures to compare?

 

 

 

 

[spacecadet]

Mine are the other way round, more or less.

[wiskerke]

Rolling year:

34 = 9.4% of the volume of my sales and 2.6% of my total sales $.

 

wim

 

edit: sorry, forgot: IN

[John Mitchell]

Obviously much depends on where you live. After resisting the scheme for years, I decided to experiment and opted in last year. Only one UK newspaper sale so far.

 

Frankly, that one sale was a bit of a surprise. The image was used to illustrate a Guardian online piece on Montreal.

[Reciprocity Images]

I had been previously opted OUT until Jul 7 last year when I opted in as a test. I decided I would give it one year to gauge results... So it's now just about one week short of a year opted-in:

 

07/07/2016-YTD (Opted in) : 8 sales, avg. ≈ $13

Three years previous July 2013-July 2016 (Opted Out): 2-3 sales/year Highest $123, lowest $39

2015-2016 avg. ≈ $68

2014-2015 avg. ≈ $57

2013-2014 avg. ≈ $68

 

So in summary, newspaper scheme means: >volume, but <prices. Each of the three previous years (opted out), volume was lower, but I netted roughly the same (or more) $ from just one or two newspaper sales, as I did from my six newspaper scheme sales in the last twelve months... In my case, volume does not make up for lower prices, and newspaper sales are not a very large part of my bottom line in either case. YMMV.

Conclusion: Will be opting OUT again.

 

-Jason

 

Edit: Updated numbers. Two more (very low) newspaper scheme sales just dropped in.

[Reciprocity Images]

Meant to add: Above post is referring to sales listed as “United Kingdom ; Usage: Editorial ;  Media: Newspaper”

 

Sales listed as “United Kingdom ; Usage: Editorial ;  Media: Editorial website” don’t seem to be affected by NP scheme; they are painfully low across the board (with one or two exceptions) all the way back to 2010.

[AlexH]

Thanks for that Jason, good insight.