MetaChat - How Much Should I Charge?

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24 August 2006

How Much Should I Charge? →[More:]

Not for sex! Get your mind out of the gutters! Damn.

I know this has been asked before at AskMe, but I'd like to hear what the bunnies have to say. Someone involved in designing CD covers just emailed me and asked if he could buy one of my photographs for the cover of a CD he's working on, and 6 more photographs to go in the little booklet that gets tucked inside. How the heck would I know how much to ask? He told me to give him a price. I told him to tell me what he would pay me. I haven't heard back yet, but is there a list somewhere I could refer to, or is it always different depending upon circumstances? He's in France, by the way, and the band is French, if that makes a difference.

post by: iconomy at: 17:31 | 10 comments

My suggestion would be to look at a few stock photography websites and see what they charge, then come as close to that as you feel comfortable.

Don't low-ball. If it's too much, he'll let you know.

posted by mudpuppie 24 August | 17:34

I'm a graphic designer, and my take is this: something is only worth what someone will pay for it. Don't get greedy, but don't give it away, either... stock photo websites vary widely as to what they charge (from $50 to $5,000-ish...) My clients usually won't pay much more than $150 for a pic, and they are medium-sized to larger companies... a band might be pretty strapped for cash(?) If that's the case, and if you want your photos to be on a CD cover & insert, then settle for a price that you can feel ok about and ask for photo credits on the final printed materials & maybe an acknowledgement to boot... hey, you get a little notoriety, right?

posted by recovering iowan 24 August | 18:03

How easily can your photos be substituted for by another similar photo?

If it's a photo of a dog sleeping, he can find many similar substitutes.

If it's a photo of a dog doing brain surgery on Osama bin Laden on the moon while in the background Neil Armstrong golfs and naked Vietnamese girl Kim Phúc runs past burning with napalm, it's harder to find a substitute and you can charge accordingly more.

posted by orthogonality 24 August | 18:11

Great advice, thanks all! recovering iowan, I honestly and truly like the idea of bragging rights much more than the idea of getting paid for the photographs, it's true. I admit it.

ortho - uh how did you know it was my photo of a dog doing brain surgery on Osama bin Laden on the moon while in the background Neil Armstrong golfs and naked Vietnamese girl Kim Phúc runs past burning with napalm? Have you been peeking at my photostream? Actually it *is* a pretty unique (yes I know that the word unique needs no qualifiers, but it is PRETTY unique) photograph, but nothing earth-shattering.

posted by iconomy 24 August | 18:18

He's my dog.

posted by orthogonality 24 August | 18:21

I think you should just trade him for a copy of the CD and a credit in the booklet.

posted by cmonkey 24 August | 18:30

I'll trade him for free airline tickets.

posted by orthogonality 24 August | 18:35

I'd charge $150 for the front image, an additional $200 for the interior set. That's the equivalent of them selling 35 CDs at concerts, so it's reasonable without being super cheap.

I agree that you should ask for photo credit in the booklet.

posted by me3dia 24 August | 18:59

Sleeping anvil watchdog
≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by PlanetKyoto 24 August | 21:12

What's the band/label? Might affect your price.

I was once approached by Matador Records to include one of my pix in the Guided by Voices box set. They offered to pay me... one boxed set and credit/url. I jumped at the chance... and then couldn't find the original at a good resolution before they went to press. :(

posted by dobbs 24 August | 21:57

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