Help with photo pricing

[J. Cobble]

I have been contacted by a motorcycle dealership that sponsors a low budget superbike racer. One of my photos of the guy got published in a magazine and the dealership wants to use the photo in a lobby display. How much do you guys charge for photo use like that? When they buy it, do I give them the file... one use....an agreement that they wont use it for other things? I need input.

Thanks

[jimtfoto]

Check out this link ...
http://photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm

[robertwgross]

You can sell them the one-time rights for one price, or you can sell them exclusive rights forever for another price. All of this needs to be spelled out in a simple one-paragraph license agreement.

If I am trying to "crack" a new customer, then I lower my prices slightly unless I think they are desperate for the photo. What you really want to develop are repeat customers.

---Bob Gross---

[IndyJeff]

Bob is pretty much right about pricing this. If they want to do just this one time lobby display thing, break it down. Let's say they want a 20x30 poster size for the show room. Now it will probably be up there for at least 1 year. So you ask for $400. That would be 91 cents a day that photo costs them for that year. If they leave it up 2 years then it will be around 46 cents a day. Cheap when you look at it this way.
Get your price in mind, ask them how long the image will display. Do the math and break it down into day rates. Make it seem so dirt cheap that they can't afford to pass it up.


You need to find out how they want to use it, figure in how much exposure it will give them and most importantly, how much they will pay. Approach them with your figure in mind and say based upon going rates for this type of use it will be $400 dollars (just using this figure for example). They say that is too much, then you negotiate but I wouldn't come down anymore than 25%. Instead of going down in price another negotiating tool might be to suggest 8 x 10 prints as handouts. They could have the rider come in one Saturday and do some autographs, center it around a big sale, a manufacturer rep day etc.

Ok I want $400 for the shot in the lobby and if you would like I will throw in rights for 8x10 handouts for just the printing costs, but I would have to have a photo credit on the handouts, which at 1000 copies would be an additional $400 for the rights. Now they think you are giving them something for free. Be sure to say this is a one time offer.

Whatever you do, don't let them tell you what you will accept from them. "I am willing to pay you$50for a poster size to hang in our shop." YOU: "Ahhh no thanks, I was thinking more along the lines of $1000, which would be more in line with advertising rates."

Whatever figure you come up with add in 25% and let them haggle you down to your price, they think they win LOL.

[J. Cobble]

Thanks alot for the help. I really appriciate it.