VI
WHERE TO SELL
Once upon a time a publisher had a remarkable inspiration. He would publish a perfect book. He went about the task with painful care. Months were consumed in the making of a book which would be perfect from every viewpoint. After the publisher had corrected every typographical error, had made every possible improvement, and was unable to detect even one flaw in it, he made proof-copies of it and sent them to men on the faculties of universities, to leading printers, to book-making experts, to authorities in English, and to leaders in every other branch of work from which it was possible to view critically the making of the book. He asked them to examine the proofs minutely and to tell him of any flaw, however small, that they might find. Each one of the critics returned his proof with the statement that he had not found the slightest imperfection. Thereupon the beaming bookmaker published his perfect book and offered a large sum to any one who could find a single flaw in it. And many months passed.
Then, one day, he received a letter that pointed out an error in the book. Another letter followed; then another; and at the end of a year, he had received a half dozen letters, each pointing out a different mistake—and each was very noticeably a mistake. And that is the story of the perfect book.
It is with that book in mind that I have decided not to give here the usual list of buyers of photographs. Such a list may be complete and correct when compiled; but by the time it could be put into print and published, lo! some of the magazines would have suspended publication, other new ones would have sprung up, other buyers would have changed their requirements; so that after a year, the entire list would be useless.
I do not add even a list of non-buyers who were once buyers, for the reason that some of them may become buyers again at any moment. Consequently, in my opinion, to place a list of photograph-buyers in this article would be to waste much space, and with the possibility of inconveniencing any photographers who might attempt to use the list after a year or so of its publication.
Furthermore, there are magazines and other books issued yearly which are devoted almost exclusively to listing markets for manuscripts and photographs; these are in a position to make changes, additions and withdrawals with each subsequent issue, and so to keep the lists up-to-date and of value.
One such book is, "Where and How to Sell Manuscripts." This book classifies photographic markets separately; and also lists elsewhere many buyers of photographs. In addition, lists are given of newspapers, postcard-and-calendar-makers, and lists of magazines devoted to the household, agriculture, gardening, juveniles, sports, outdoors, the drama, music, art, the trades, etc., all of which magazines use photographs. The book is published by the Home Correspondence School, Myrick Building, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Another such book, which is very similar and which contains such lists, is "1001 Places to Sell Manuscripts," published by James Knapp Reeve, at Franklin, Ohio. These are the only two market-books which are enabled to keep their lists up-to-date and correct.
Writer-craft magazines, which maintain literary-market news-columns, list markets for photographs; these supplement the market-books.
The Editor, published weekly at Book Hill, Highland Falls, New York, publishes perhaps more market-notes than any other.
The Writer's Digest, 15-27 West Sixth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a monthly writer-craft magazine which conducts a very good department of market-notes.
The Writer's Monthlyis the name of another magazine that lists such markets. It is published monthly. Its market-news, upon publication, is rather older I have found, than that printed inThe Editor. The longer time necessary to print the magazine may account for that. This magazine is published by the Home Correspondence School, Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Student Writer, 1835 Champa Street, Denver, Colorado, published monthly, maintains an excellent market-list. Their notes are many, varied, and reliable.
Photographic magazines sometimes list markets for photographs, although not frequently.
American Photography, 428 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, sometimes publishes market-notices in its "The Market-Place" department, but they are scanty.
Photo-Era Magazinelists, when available, market-notes. Book-publishers wishing prints of special character have used this magazine as an advertising-medium.
Besides the magazines noted, other writer-craft and photographic publications may publish market-notes from time to time.
It is by no means necessary to buy both books and to subscribe for all the magazines; but if you can do so without financial discomfort, it cannot be otherwise than to your advantage. By all means, obtain one of the market-books and subscribe for one of the writer-craft magazines; and if you can add a photographic publication, so much the better. Even a market-book alone is a great aid; indeed, it is a necessity. Obtain one or both and you will be amazed at the number of times each can say, "Open Sesame" without stuttering.
The best salesman in the world could not induce a sane blacksmith to put in a stock of groceries. If the salesman has groceries to sell, he goes to a grocer and talks. Similarly, a photographer cannot hope to sell the most remarkable photograph in the world, unless he sends it to the right market.
Each magazine has its own particular needs; but the needs of different ones overlap so far, and are sometimes so similar, that a print offered to one and rejected by it may be very desirable to another; this applies toclassesof magazines as well asindividualpublications. As an instance:Popular Mechanics, orIllustrated World, although requiring unusual photographs, rarely buy photographs of human freaks—but nevertheless theSaturday Blade(Chicago) uses just that sort of thing.
A few blocks from here stands the largest writing-tablet factory in the world: a photograph of it would not be acceptable to the rotogravure-sections nor toPopular Mechanics,Illustrated World, nor toPopular Science; yet such a photograph would be useful to an architectural magazine, a stationers' publication, or a local newspaper. When a photograph may be viewed from several industrial angles, as well as from a new-achievement or from a human-interest standpoint, the more likely are markets to open for it.The press-photographer should not stop until he has tried every possible market.
After one or two rejections, the photographer is apt to form the opinion that editors are prejudiced against his work because he is a beginner; but nothing could be further from the fact. One national magazine says; "Should we return what you submit, do not be discouraged. Sooner or later, if you study our needs carefully, you will succeed in finding what we are after." The same thing is true of every other magazine. There is not one of them but is eager to buy your wares if you offer them the kind of goods they want.
A rejection is not a rebuke. It is a challenge. It means that your "nose for news" has failed you—has played you false; or that you have tried to sell groceries to a blacksmith. Rest assured that no editor will willfully refuse to accept, pay for and print any photograph which possesses enough merit to warrant acceptance. The editor holds his chair only so long as he produces the kind and quality of magazine its owners want him to produce; and he can do that only by co-operation with contributors. Without contributors he is at sea in a tub. The editor is the best friend the press-photographer can have.
It matters not how much "pull" you have with an editor, or how near a relative you are, or how good a friend, you can't sell a photograph to him unless you "deliver the goods."
Elliot Walker observes: "The way to sell is to give editors what they want and in the way they want it." If you do that you can't fail if you try.
Nor will any editor reject your photographs because of his personal feelings. "The magazine-editor, in the first place, keeps his personal feelings tied up; in the second place, he would be foolish, indeed, to allow them to influence his decisions; and, in the third place, the editor 'ain't got no' personal feelings when it comes to buying material for his magazine."
There is only one course to pursue—send the photograph to every possible market for it in its special line; then see if it can be viewed from another magazine-angle, and try every magazine of that trend; then repeat and repeat and ship it away again and again.Don't stop until it has been returned from every market with the slightest possibility of buying it.Then sit up nights to discover another shipping-point for it. Keep on to the bitter end; but if your "nose" is working and you keep on steadily, the end will come rather suddenly, and it will not be bitter.
VII
A SURVEY OF MARKETS
What follows is no attempt to list and classify existing markets, but to offer a generalized survey of magazine needs by class. While the success of the small-town press-photographer is not in proportion to his city's size, the magazines which find their ways to him month after month do not disclose the whole field of markets to him. He needs something more—something to reveal to him the broad needs of magazines. This chapter has as its mission the summarizing of the needs of magazines of every class.
Thus, photographs taken all over the world, showing the beauty and commerce of the old and new eras, are eagerly sought by several magazines.Travel, 7 West Sixteenth Street, New York, wants photographs of out-of-the-way places, unusual methods of producing world necessities, and photographs of general travel interest.
The same may be said of theNational Geographic Magazine, though the photographs and articles used by this publication are so specialized and exhaustive that it is rarely a free-lance writer can supply their needs—for they maintain their own staff of writers and explorers. However, if you are able to catch vivid photographs of wide travel interest, here is a most excellent market.
If you are interested in picturing homes,Country Life,Garden MagazineandHouse Beautifulare waiting for your prints. These magazines are very artistic and use only the best work; but they are interested in unusual gardens, beautiful lawns, landscaping, interior decorating. A house remodelled from a common building to an unusual or striking residence will find ready sale to them if photographs of the "before and after" variety are offered. Nature, sport, and building in the country are the specialty ofCountry Life, Garden City, New York;Garden Magazineis interested in nothing but gardens and ornamental horticulture, preferably of the personal experience trend. Same address asCountry Life.House Beautiful, 3 Park Street, Boston, wants photographs of unusual types of interior decorating and landscape architecture. What a wealth of material a well-kept, modern home contains! Owners should readily give consent to photograph if the photographer explains his purpose.
Arts and Decoration, 470 Fourth Avenue, New York, also uses garden and house material, but runs also to the arts. Photographs of architecture, interior decorating, etc., here find another market.
So it is with the broad field of country-life magazines generally, as an example. House furnishing and "before and after" remodelling pictures are easily obtained and easily sold if well done.
Every class of magazines uses photographs: Literary magazines, Women's, Farm journals, Juvenile, Religious, Outdoor, Photographic, Theatrical, Musical, Art, and Trade publications. The following notes generalize the needs of each of these fields.
General Magazines
This excludes most fiction magazines; those which do use photographic illustrations buy the work of professional studios already established and perhaps specializing in that type of illustrating. The beginner may develop into one of these illustrators—many magazines use them, asLove Stories,Cosmopolitanfor special articles,National Pictorial Monthly, etc.,—but these markets are not open to the free-lance photographer.
Current History, Times Building, New York, New York, is an example of a news-magazine which uses timely photographs of wide interest.
The Literary Digestis of similar nature, but this second magazine does not buy photographs from the open market.
The Curtis Publishing Company occasionally uses photographs of a scenic or artistic nature as fillers. These magazines compriseThe Saturday Evening Post,The Ladies' Home Journal,The Country Gentleman. These are always available, and a glance through several numbers of each will disclose the type of photograph wanted.
Grit, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, uses many photographs, and short articles written around them. This publication wants common, human-interest subjects treated carefully.
The needs ofThe Illustrated World,Popular MechanicsandPopular Sciencehave been made very clear in previous portions of this book.
The Scientific Americanalways wants photographs of new inventions of wide interest, accompanied by brief articles. Address 233 Broadway, New York, New York.
Physical Culture, 119 West 40th Street, New York, New York, always wants photographs of persons having splendid physical development. A glance through this magazine will disclose the types of poses desired. Straight front, back, etc., views are never used; action in the picture is essential.
Women's Magazines
These magazines use generally pictures of home improvements, remodelling of residences, flower gardens of unusual variety, and use short illustrated articles on house-building, interior decoration, rugs, gardens, domestic science, etc. The magazines listed below are only a few of the many which use photographs and illustrated articles of interest to women.
The Ladies' Home Journal, Philadelphia, Pa.; theWoman's Home Companion, New York; theDelineator, New York, andGood Housekeeping, New York, are all generally fiction magazines with a homey flavor which do not offer a good market for separate photographs or short illustrated articles, although they are in the market for suitable material of this sort, in a limited way. Others are:
American Cookery, 221 Columbia Ave., Boston.
Better Times, 70 Fifth Ave., New York.
Canadian Home Journal, 71 Richmond St., West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Farm and Home, Springfield, Mass.
Mother's Magazine, 180 No. Wabash Ave., Chicago.
New England Homestead, Springfield, Mass.
Vogue, 19 West 44th St., New York, uses exclusive photographs of society in New York, Newport, etc.; photographs of handsome homes of well-known society people, beautiful and unusual gardens, etc.
Woman's Weekly, 431 So. Dearborn St., Chicago, uses short articles of home interest, illustrated.
Farm Journals
The needs of farm journals are specific. They form an important division of published magazines, and a large one which uses a great amount of material. Articles on farm improvements, etc., are always used, and photographs also. A conjunction of the two, in an illustrated article, forms a much more marketable commodity. The farm work is composed of many divisions—agriculture, bee culture, botany, breeding, cheese-making, etc. The following are a representative few of the agricultural markets which are always buying material:
American Agriculturist, 315 Fourth Ave., New York.
American Bee Journal, Hamilton, Ill.
American Botanist, Joliet, Ill.
American Breeder, 225 West 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.
American Farming, 537 So. Dearborn St., Chicago.
American Forestry, 1410 H St., Washington, D.C.
American Fruit Grower, State Lake Bldg., Chicago.
American Poultry Journal, 542 So. Dearborn St., Chicago.
American Seedsman, Chicago, Ill.
Bean-Bag, Syndicate Trust Bldg., St. Louis, Mo., is devoted to the bean industry.
Canadian Countryman, 154 Simcoe St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada; material of Canadian interest.
Country Gentleman, Independence Square, Philadelphia.
Dairy Farmer, Waterloo, Iowa.
Farm and Fireside, 381 Fourth Ave., New York.
Farm Journal, Philadelphia, Pa.
The Horse World, 1028-30 Marine Bldg., Buffalo, New York.
Jewish Farmer, 174 Second Ave., New York.
Kennel Advocate, 636 Market St., Sierra Madre, Cal.
The Milk Magazine, Waterloo, Iowa.
National Alfalfa Journal, Otis Building, Chicago.
Orchard and Farm, 1111 So. Broadway, Los Angeles, Cal.
Potato Magazine, Room 605, 139 No. Clark St., Chicago.
Power Farming, St. Joseph, Mich.
Rabbitcraft and Small Stock Journal, Lamoni, Iowa.
Southern Agriculturist, Nashville, Tenn.
Wallace's Farmer, Des Moines, Iowa.
Juvenile Publications
Almost every magazine uses juvenile material, and there are many that specialize in it. The following markets use the well-known type of photograph and illustrated article which are of interest—travel, how-to-make-it, etc. A great field is open here to picturized activities of boys.
The American Boy, 142 Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, Mich.
Boy's Magazine, Scarsdale, N.Y.
Classmate, 420 Plum St., Cincinnati, Ohio.
Forward, Witherspoon Bldg., Philadelphia.
Girl's World, 1701 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
Junior Christian Endeavor World, 31 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, Mass.
Kind Words, Nashville, Tenn.
Open Road, 248 Boylston St., Boston.
St. Nicholas Magazine, 353 Fourth Ave., New York.
Youth's Companion, 881 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Mass.
Religious Papers
Religious publications are not given to printing many photographs, although there is a market of appreciable size here. This field is a difficult one to generalize upon, but the following may be taken as such a list:
Adult Student, Nashville, Tenn.
American Messenger, 101 Park Avenue, New York, New York.
Christian Advocate, 810 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn.
Christian Endeavor World, 31 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, Mass., uses photographic covers.
David C. Cook Company, Elgin, Illinois, publishes about forty magazines, which use a great amount of photographs and illustrated material.
Epworth Herald, 740 Rush St., Chicago.
Front Rank, 2710 Pine St., St. Louis, Mo.
Lookout, Cincinnati, Ohio, uses photographs for covers.
The Missionary, Apostolic Mission House, Brookland, Washington, D.C.
Sunday School World, 1816 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
The Watchword, Otterbein Press, Dayton, Ohio.
Outdoor Magazines
Here is a group of magazines which is deeply interested in unusual fishing-trips, hunts, and such excursions—it wants material on the animals in water or air or on land, that its readers may bag them the more easily; it desires material on bird-dogs, on outdoor devices and tricks, on tennis, motoring, baseball, cats, dogs, golf, horses, yachting, and on every phase of outdoor and sport life. Photographs of men prominent in each line are wanted; prints of hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, sailing, and everything connected with the big outdoors. Here is a large and remunerative market for open-air photographs and sport prints.
Aerial Age, 280 Madison Ave., New York, wants material on aviation.
All Outdoors,Outing,Forest and Stream,Field and Stream, etc., want the wide variety of outdoor material that appeals to any sort of sportsman. These magazines circulate widely, and a study of them will disclose their needs.
Dogs are the subjects of such magazines asAmerican Beagle, 639 West Federal St., Youngstown, Ohio;Dogdom, Battle Creek, Michigan;Dog Fancier, Battle Creek, Michigan;Dog World, 1333 So. California Ave., Chicago.
Material about cats is welcomed by such asCat Review, 196 Centre St., Orange, New Jersey.
Fishing material appeals to the general run of outdoor magazines, includingAmerican Angler, 1400 Broadway, New York.
Tennis appeals toAmerican Lawn Tennis, 120 Broadway, New York, and theTennis Review, California Bldg., Los Angeles, Cal.
Golf material is used byAmerican Golfer, 49 Liberty St., New York, andGolfer's Magazine, 1355 Monadnock Block, Chicago.
Motoring appeals to a long list of such publications as:
American Motorist, Riggs Building, Washington, D.C.
Mileage, 4415 No. Racine Ave., Chicago.
Motor, 119 West 40th St., New York.
Motordom, 110 State St., Chicago.
Motor Life, 239 West 39th St., New York.
Speed, 809 Shipley St., Wilmington, Del.
Then there are a variety of different subdivisions of this class, the mere names of which are sufficient to disclose the great variety of material they use:
American Checkers, 1846 So. 40th Ave., Chicago.
American Chess Bulletin, 150 Nassau St., New York.
American Cricketer, Morris Building, Philadelphia.
Baseball Magazine, 70 Fifth Ave., New York.
Billiards Magazine, 35 So. Dearborn St., Chicago.
Bird Lore, 29 West 32d St., New York.
Bowler's Journal, 836 Exchange Ave., Chicago.
The Horse World, 1028-30 Marine Bank Bldg., Buffalo, New York.
Spur, 389 Fifth Ave., New York—raising prize winners.
Yachting, 141 West 36th St., New York.
Photographic Magazines
These magazines pay more attention to the photograph itself than to what it pictures. Here is a market for artistic prints, for prints showing new working methods, and such material interesting to photographers. Artistic taste and technical accuracy are instrumental in getting you into these magazines.
American Photography, 428 Newbury Street, Boston.
The Camera, 210 No. 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
Camera Craft, Claus Spreckels Bldg., San Francisco, Cal.
Photo-Era Magazine, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
Theatrical Magazines
Theatrical magazines embrace the following representative few who desire prints of current news in the show world, new theatres, interviews with actors and actresses and photographs of them, etc.
The Drama, 306 Riggs Bldg., Washington, D.C.
Theatre Arts Magazine, 7 East 42d St., Detroit, Mich.
Theatre Magazine, 6 East 39th St., New York.
Musical Journals
Photographs of bands, orchestras, leaders, band-stands that are unique, artists, composers, etc., are used by this class.
Musical Courier, 437 Fifth Ave., New York, New York.
Musical Enterprise, Camden, N.J.
Trade Papers
These include magazines published and devoted to every trade imaginable. One magazine will be cited for each division of trade, the title of which is self-explanatory, and which uses photographs in its particular field:
Advertising:Advertising and Selling, 471 Fifth Avenue, New York.
Architectural:American Builder, 1827 Prairie Ave., Chicago.
Automobile:American Garage and Auto Dealer, 116 So. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
Baking and Confectionery:Baker's Helper, 327 So. La Salle St., Chicago.Western Confectioner, Underwood Bldg., San Francisco.
Cement, etc.:Concrete, 314 New Telegraph Bldg., Detroit, Mich.
Drug, Oil, Paint, etc.:Druggists' Circular, 100 William St., New York.Painters' Magazine, same address.
Dry Goods:Dry Goods Reporter, 215 So. Market St., Chicago, Ill.
Electric:Journal of Electricity, Crossley Bldg., San Francisco.
Engineering:Everyday Engineering Magazine, 2 West 45th St., New York.
Financial:Financial World, 29 Broadway, New York.
Fraternal: See particular paper referring to particular fraternity or lodge in list given in Market Book.
Furniture:Furniture News, Wainwright Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.
Grain:Grain Dealers' Journal, 315 S. La Salle St., Chicago.
Grocery:National Grocer, 208 So. La Salle St., Chicago.
Hardware:Good Hardware, 211 So. Dithridge St., Pittsburgh.
History:Hispanic American Historical Review, 1422 Irving St., N.E., Washington, D.C.
House Organs: Some two thousand of these are listed in the market books named.
Jewelry:Jewelers' Circular, 11 John St., New York.
Labor: See particular division desired by consulting Market Book.
Law:Casualty Review, 222 East Ohio St., Indianapolis, Ind.
Lumber:Lumber, Wright Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.
Medical: See division desired, as Dental, Hospital, etc., in Market Book.
Military:American Legion Weekly, 627 West 43d St., New York.
Municipal:American City, 87 Nassau St., New York.
Printing:The Inland Printer, Inland Printing Co., 632 Sherman St., Chicago.
Railroad:The Railroad Red Book, 2019 Stout St., Denver, Colo.
Shoes:Boot and Shoe Recorder, 207 South St., Boston.
This survey gives a general idea of the wide market open to photographs which fall within each magazine's requirements. No attempt has been made to give the needs of magazines, or to present what is usually called "a list of markets." We have been concerned here with generalizing the market—pointing out to the reader who never sees most of the magazines named that they really exist and buy photographs. The purchase of a Market Book is necessary if one desires seriously to make his way selling photographs to publications.
"Study the magazine" is the bromide flung always in the teeth of the beginner. But what if one can't obtain copies of the magazines which print material which the reader may easily find? Then he has only to request from the editor a sample copy of the magazine, using the address gleaned from the Market Book—and he then has the best information as to what that particular magazine wants. And at a cost of only two cents per copy.
VIII
SHIPPING THE PRODUCT TO MARKET
When a print is to be offered to a local newspaper, the photographer starts out, sometimes, as soon as one hour after making the exposure, with the print in his hand, and, arriving at the desk of the city-editor, he allows him to examine it. In such a case, mailing the print would delay it; perhaps delay it until its interest has cooled, and so make it worthless. But when submitting prints to magazines one should always invoke the aid of Uncle Sam's mail-service, no matter if the editor lives just next door and the publication-office is but a block distant.
The shipping of your prints to their markets merits special consideration. If the photograph, after being wrapped, can be bent easily, it is apt to arrive at the editor's desk in a cracked and crumpled condition. Then the editor could not buy it if he wished. And, when it is returned, its maker finds it to be so mutilated that it is useless to try to market it elsewhere. Proper protection of photographs when shipping them is an aid to both editor and contributor.
Photographs which are 4 × 5 inches in size can be sent safely in a No. 11 envelope of heavy manila paper if a sheet of cardboard is placed in the envelope too. The cardboard prevents the breaking of corners, the bending, and the cracking of the print. For a return-envelope—never omit to enclose an envelope addressed to yourself and adequately stamped for the return of the print if it is unavailable—for a return envelope, a No. 10 manila envelope is the best.
Prints which are 4 × 5 inches or larger should be sent in larger envelopes—in clasp-envelopes. These envelopes can be obtained at stationers' in sizes suitable for almost any photograph. The envelope should be about an inch larger each way than the print. The print, as well as a piece of cardboard—which should be somewhat larger than the print—can be sent safely in the clasp-envelope container.On no occasion forget to enclose a return-envelope, which should be self-addressed and stamped.The return-envelope may be of the same size as the outer one; and, if it is folded, it may be easily inserted. The envelopes mentioned, I have found by experience, are the best containers that can be used for photographs that are to be mailed.
Never roll a print and insert it in a mailing-tube. If there is anything an editor doesnotwant you to do, it is that. Prints so sent never lose the violent curve they acquire in transit, and then they are no more amenable to reason than a temperamental mule. Prints should always be sentflat—never rolled or folded, nor in any other condition except perfectlyflat.
The envelope should be addressed to "The Editor" of the particular magazine selected. Do not address it to the editor by name, for it might arrive at a time when he is on his vacation, and so it will follow him all over the country and perhaps become lost. There should be no enclosure other than the photograph; except, when it is necessary, a sheet carrying an explanation or a short article to be printed with the picture. Do not write a letter to the editor unless the photograph is timely and should have an immediate decision. The professional news-photographer submits his work without letters, and with no identification except his name on the back of each print—and it isn't what's on the back, but what's on the front, that counts.
Photographs properly require only third-class postage rates. The addition of a caption to the print, or any other written matter included with it, automatically raises the rate to first-class. Even if nothing but the photograph alone is sent, I advise the use of first-class service for several reasons: the print is then carried more quickly; it is handled more carefully; and the sender may seal the container, which he is unable to do with third-class matter. Always, then, send your photographs by first-class mail.
Editors do not maintain special funds for the purpose of paying for postage-due stamps. That is, if a package of photographs arrives at the editor's desk with the postage not fully prepaid, the payment by the editor of the postage due does not make his attitude kindly toward the work itself. There are a good many editors who will not accept contributions from the postoffice which have postage-due stamps attached because of the neglect of the sender to fully prepay the postage. There are a great many more editors who will not return photographs unless a stamped and self-addressed envelope is enclosed with the offering. The attitude is entirely justified, for the supplying of postage to careless contributors in such cases would cost a magazine hundreds of dollars every year.
Never send your photographs by registered mail unless their value is extraordinary; and never send them by special-delivery mail unless the prints are addressed to a newspaper and possess burning-hot news interest. To send photographs of average quality by either registered or special-delivery mail is a trick of the novice struggling for recognition. Use ordinary first-class service and the editor will feel more kindly toward you than if he is made to stop his work and sign a mail-receipt.
Not all photographs are accepted by the very first editor who sees them. Very often it is the fifth, or the tenth, or even the twentieth editor who buys them. So if a print comes back, immediately send it out again and again and again.Don't stop, for the very next time you might sell it.If it's a good print, there is an editor somewhere waiting for it.
IX
THE PRICES PAID
The most remarkable news-photographs ever made—they were exposed at the South Pole—brought $3,000 fromLeslie's(now no longer published) for "First Rights," and $1,000 more from International Feature Service for "Second Rights." Some photographers have realized hundreds of dollars from lucky shots; an extraordinary photograph may bring from $25 to $100; but the average price paid is $3.00; and, indeed, there are some editors who unblushingly offer as little as ten or twenty-five cents for prints; and some who find it impossible, unwise, or unnecessary to pay for prints at all.
Although the average price paid is not astounding, it is a good return on the cost of making; also, the abundant opportunities for salable prints compensate for what each cheque lacks. A photographer who is wide-awake and moving ought not to find it difficult to sell at least ten prints each week, if not more, when one considers the large number of available subjects and the multitude of magazines.
Newspapers pay for prints according to their breadth of circulation. A widely-read daily will pay more for photographs than one of small circulation. Very often, newspaper-editors prefer that the press-photographer send a bill for his services. If you are asked to do that, do not hesitate to charge a price you think is entirely just; but don't grasp the opportunity to profiteer. Better, discover the price asked by the newspaper's favorite commercial-photographer, and mark down your price accordingly. That is business; it isn't taking an unfair advantage.
Whatever the price that is paid, don't object if you think it is too low; accept the payment and seek a more remunerative market next time. This applies to magazines as well as to newspapers.
The prices paid by magazines vary likewise, but none of any reputation pays less than one dollar per print. There are many factors which decide the size of the cheque which the press-photographer receives. The first is the circulation of the publication, for its financial reserve depends on the number of buyers. The size of the print in some instances decides the price paid. Thus, one magazine pays $1.00 for prints of one size and $2.00 for larger ones. However, there are not many magazines who pay according to the size of print.
Sometimes, retouching must be applied to a print in order to make it suitable for reproduction; and, as the service of a retoucher is expensive, something is deducted from the photographer's cheque to pay for the work.Popular Scienceis a magazine of that policy. The photographer can avoid such deductions from his cheques by supplying photographs of such quality that they will need no retouching.
If a photograph is offered for the exclusive use of one magazine it may bring a higher price than if it were non-exclusive. Thus,Collier'spays $3.00 for non-exclusive prints and $5.00 for exclusive ones. Some few magazines rarely accept any print that is not exclusive; indeed, non-exclusiveness may be a reason for rejection. Calendar-makers and postcard-makers, of course, buy only exclusive rights. A publisher is always more favorably inclined toward an exclusive than toward a non-exclusive print; and, very often, the added favor means added dollars to the payment.
The use to which a print is put is also a deciding factor in payment. A print bought for use as a cover-illustration will bring home a bigger cheque than if it were used merely as one of many illustrations. Too,Illustrated Worldpays $3.00 and more for prints used in its pictorial section, but $2.00 for those used in its mechanical department. Other magazines do not make this distinction.
After all, the price paid depends wholly on the usefulness and quality of the print. If, sometimes, as in the case of theLadies' Home Journal, the payment is made with a view to the photographer's reputation, it is only because news-photographers of experience produce prints of a higher average quality than beginners do. But, if a beginner "delivers the goods," the editor is just as glad to pay to him the large cheque as he is to pay it to any one else.
A few examples of prices paid will be of interest.Collier'spays $3.00 for non-exclusive prints and $5.00 for exclusive prints, and from $25.00 to $100.00 a page for layouts (spreads).Illustrated Worldpays $3.00 for each print.Popular Mechanicspays $3.00 and up, and $25.00 a page for layouts.Popular Sciencereimburses at the rate of $3.00 for each photograph, and sometimes more. TheSaturday Bladepays $2.00 for each. The Thompson Art Company pays from $1.00 to $5.00. Underwood and Underwood pay from $3.00 and up, according to the value of the print. The Woodman and Teirman Printing Company pays at rates varying from $5.00 to $50.00.
"But when is payment made?" you ask. The answer is, "Either upon acceptance or upon publication."
By far, most magazines pay according to the more desirable plan—upon acceptance. As soon as such a magazine decides that a photograph is useful to it, it mails a cheque to the sender. Sometimes, a receipt is sent with the cheque, which the recipient must sign and return; but, more often, the cheque itself is the receipt. Payment upon acceptance is by far the more desirable method, for with it the worker is paid as soon as his work is done; there is no waiting for weeks and months for payment, as in the case of pay-on-publication magazines.
There are a few magazines who wait until the photograph actually appears in the pages of the publication before payment is made. In such cases, the photographer has no recourse but to wait until the editor is ready to print his contribution whenever it may be.
In the case of pay-on-publication magazines, notice is usually sent that the photograph has been accepted for publication and that it will be paid for as soon as it is published. Sometimes, no notice is given at all of publication or acceptance; and in that case the photographer must scan each issue of the magazine in order to find his contribution when it appears, or he must wait until the cheque arrives that denotes publication. Either method is uncertain; but there is nothing to do but to endure it. Some publications even wait for some time after publication before making payment, as in the case of theKansas City Star, which pays on the fifteenth of the month following publication, and theSaturday Bladewhich also mails all cheques the month following publication. This is a discouraging policy; but as the cheque always arrives in the end, there is little to be said in condemnation of it; the photographer is obliged to make the best of it.
The contributor should always keep a record of prints accepted and to be paid for on publication. Otherwise, by an oversight, a cheque for published material may never come, and the photographer may never miss it. Too, a cheque may arrive unexpectedly from a forgotten source and cause an attack of heart-failure.
The beginner does not achieve mountain-top prices except by a lucky shot now and then. Prices increase with your experience and your reputation.
The photographer who develops his "nose for news" until it can scent a salable photograph in every conceivable situation is the photographer who has the large cheques forced upon him.
The sky-high cheques come to the camerist who, night and day, through sunshine and storm, earthquake and cyclone, is always "hot on the trail" of the salable photograph that is tucked away somewhere, where only a keen scent and a large amount of perseverance can lead him; and when he arrives, the subject will be singing truthfully, "Shoot me and the wor-rld is tha-hine." There are enough of these subjects to shame the biggest choir on earth by their "singing." However, the photographer must know good music when he hears it.