| Author | Thread |
|
|
03/25/2003 04:27:49 PM · #1 |
I've got a problem.
I put some of my favorite photos up on DPChallengePrints. I estimated that at least 1% of the people would like one of my photos enough to buy it. So based on the fact that there are around 6 Billion people in the word and that 1% would buy one of my prints at a per print profit to me of $14.45, I should gross about $867 Million dollars.
Once I realized that I was bound to rich beyond my wildest dreams I did what any normal person would do, I told off my boss, quit my job and bought a mansion on a hill in Malibu.
Now the problem, I have yet to sell a print.
Help!
Seriously, how many people have sold a print so far?
|
|
|
|
03/25/2003 04:28:49 PM · #2 |
I have sold a grand total of zero...
but i haven't told my boss off yet :)
|
|
|
|
03/25/2003 07:00:42 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by rcrawford:
I've got a problem. |
The harsh reality is that selling prints is difficult. Selling many prints is even more difficult. Selling enough prints to make a living? Nigh on impossible.
Fact of the matter; Imagine someone posting a really good photograph here on DPChallenge. Would you buy it? I probably wouldn't - I would try and see if I could recreate the same photograph, and then have that printed and framed. Partially for the challenge of it, and partially because of the money I'd save.
The point is; Selling photographs to photographers (especially amateur photographs to amateur photographers) can be immensely difficult.
I know of several photographers far better than myself who have yet to sell prints of their work over on DeviantArt...
When all that is said: Please, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, prove me wrong.
HJ
(ed twice for spelling mistakes. Dizzy fingers today.)
Message edited by author 2003-03-25 19:02:47. |
|
|
|
03/25/2003 07:17:34 PM · #4 |
I have a few photos on my wishlist, and will probably eventually buy one or two, but the reality is I can't afford gallery prices right now, expecially when I get to see all your work for free already. And, ultimately, we can't get rich selling prints to each other...
Under our current pricing system I've decided to price the smallest prints very cheaply, and trying to charge a more "reasonable" price for the enlargements. I'm hoping that way members are more likely splurge a couple of bucks on impulse so they can see how it looks in print. Who knows, if someone likes the "almost-free sample" they might return and buy an enlargement too.
The whole key now is traffic and advertising...manufacturing, overhead, distribution and billing are being handled for us. Please see the other thread to offer up more marketing ideas. |
|
|
|
03/25/2003 07:22:38 PM · #5 |
GeneralE and SharQ's comments both underscore the reason I started this thread last night. We are very interested in getting the site 'out there'!
Drew |
|
|
|
03/25/2003 07:26:10 PM · #6 |
I think that possibly one target audience of DPCprints are friends and family or those who submit to DPChallenge. Perhaps some of the challenges should be geared towards topics which are particularly sellable.
I guess a classic example would be "Family Portrait". If the shot is a good one then people are likely to buy it, yet there is still some freedom for those without ready access to a family... Go to a dog pound and photograph the dogs (offer a print to those running the pound), find a group of birds sitting together on a power line, even plants in the garden maybe.
Add to that the fact that you might onsell some of your other work to your family whilst they are purchasing the portrait. As long as things are priced cheaply.
What do people think - does this sound reasonable?
|
|
|
|
03/25/2003 07:27:23 PM · #7 |
| PS - rcrawford, I'm still chuckling :) |
|
|
|
03/25/2003 07:42:16 PM · #8 |
I think this is something that will simply take some time, and as the sister site continues to gain recognition in the search engines and continues to build a large library, more prints will sell. This just isn't something that happens overnight.
As a curiosity I built my own place to sell prints a couple months back. I run a site called "Learn Pittsburghese", and figured that since a lot of people who have moved away from Pittsburgh are looking at that site, it would be a good fit to sell Pittsburgh photos from it.
I have sold a handful of shots at that site, but I never expect it to put me on easy street by any stretch. But some people do buy 'em (a LOT of people look at them).
Like the marriage of my sites was a logical one, so too is the DPC and DPCPrints sites.
I think one of the keys for us to consider is the target market. Who is the target market in the first place? I would think that the target market is people who want to buy prints to hang either at home or the office.
The way the site is set up now, in my opinion, it really isn't set up to cater to people who need stock photography. I think that the site would need to allow for the photos to be downloaded at full resolution in order for the site to be geared toward stock photography. Then there are licensing/copyright issues involved, I imagine... in other words, is there a different price for someone who wants to publish it in a cook book, compared to someone who wants to use if for a billboard...?
Anyway, I can see that I'm just blithering off the top of my head, but I guess my conclusion is that the photos are mainly geared toward "things that would hang on somebody's wall" at the moment... at that I strongly believe that this site will work, but it will take time. |
|
|
|
03/25/2003 09:09:18 PM · #9 |
One thing that may work for this site are challenges sponsored by folks who need photos about a certain subject or topic. I'd like to sponsor one myself and get images for my online web courses in theatre. Prizes could be given to the top photos.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/20/2025 12:56:22 AM EDT.
