What Sells and What
Does Not
There is no point in taking the time and effort to shoot pictures
for sale through microstock libraries if your chosen subjects are of
limited commercial value. This is, after all, a book about making
money from microstock photography. There is a difference between
images that are of sentimental value to you and images other people
will want to buy. In this chapter, I am going to give you an overview
of what is popular and why. We’ll look in more detail at techniques
later in the book.
It may not be obvious that images that might make great prints
to hang on your wall or that bring gasps of delight from your
friends might have limited value for stock. This is a hard-nosed
business with little room for sentimentality. On the other hand,
you have to decide just how much time, trouble, and expense you
are prepared to invest to shoot subjects not readily available to
you or that do not appeal to you. Almost anything can sell if it is
good enough, but give yourself a head start by understanding the
proven sellers.
One of the enduring mysteries of stock photography is why a
particular image from a series of like images sells over and over again,
when a very similar one does not. It can leave you scratching your
head and musing over the unpredictability of it all. And it is unpredict-
able. The guidelines in this chapter are just that—only guidelines,
based on personal experience and discussions with microstock photo
library managers, owners, and photographers.
My mantra is this: simple sells. As a general principle, simple, strong
images with an obvious subject with immediate appeal sell. This holds
true for almost any subject you care to think of. Simple sells for two
reasons:
- Simple images catch the eye of the buyer. A “simple” image stands out from the
crowd, grabbing the attention. When a buyer has to choose from possibly thousands
of similar images, this can be important.