Author wanting free photos for book

cdifoto wrote in post #11274055
And why would anyone listen when they do refer it?

Generally, "game knows game." Publishers know of each other. Editors know of each other. Art directors know of each other. That's the reason anonymous tear sheets don't really mean anything to them. They can pretty much sniff out what's been paid for and what hasn't.

There is a way to make it public displays work for portraits, and I do it, but just as with the case of charities, I pick them--for my own purposes--not the other way around. My displays are "free"--for public display in the specific places where my niche market goes to spend money.

Tell him to buy licensing right or threaten to kill a dog.

cdifoto wrote in post #11274055
And why would anyone listen when they do refer it?

If you think of the person who got the free pics as a paid spokesman and the person who paid for the pics to be your best friend of 20 years....who would you listen to?

When you give photos away hoping they'll refer you, what you're really doing is paying them. If you give someone the equivalent of what you plan to charge $200 for, all you did was pay someone $200 to say good things about you. People don't take it to heart when someone who is paid to say good things says good things. People do take it to heart when someone forked over their hard earned cash and said it was worth every penny spent.

I agree with this 100%. Your time and money would be better spent on marketing.

Lol@ acute exposure