Looking to publish and sell

[Cutee83]

I was wondering how I would go about publishing and selling my photos...do i need to copyright my pictures first??? If anyone has any suggestions that would be great!

[jacuff]

To publish and sell, your photos are already copyrighted. To sue for damages because somebody infringed on your copyright... you need to have them registered with the US Copyright Office.

[golfecho]

I was wondering how I would go about publishing and selling my photos...do i need to copyright my pictures first??? If anyone has any suggestions that would be great!
This forum is LOADED with answers to your questions. Try the search feature for specific questions, and click on and read most all sticky's in each of the various fourm areas. Subscribe to, and lurk on threads of interest. You will find you can get almost all questions answered (or well on the way to being answered) this way . . .

Welcome!

[sapearl]

I haven't done it myself yet - on my to do list - but there's a relatively simple and painless way to send in a disk of your images to the Copyright Office as part of the registration process. Of course, this alone does not prevent theft. How you display and offer your pictures is the best preventive medicine against possible theft. There are no guarantees though.

What kind of images do you wish to market?
Is your plan to do this solely online, email to potential clients, or matted fine art prints? - Stu

[PHS]

As was asked before, what kind of images? You have posted some very nice images of animals at the zoo, but if you look on the zoo's web site you will likely find that you can't publish any of those unless you got permission for commercial photography prior to taking them. All I'm saying is be careful to do everything correctly...get permissions and model releases and property releases if you are looking to build up a book of images to market.

[Cutee83]

oh okay...yeah I would like to print and sell either online or through potential clients in person. I am very interested in doing photography as a career but was not sure what direction yet to take it. I seem to keep going back to animals and nature...so perhaps maybe calendars, postcards, posters, etc.. would be a better idea for me. I didn't even think to get permission from the zoo before taking the pictures as I really just went to snap some practice shots....next time I will look more into it. I appreciate all the feedback!