Something wierd, need some advice!

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

01/05/2004 04:49:32 PM · #1

This guy from swedan sen me this email;
Hi!
I saw your picture "here comes the sun" on //www.deviantart.com/view/4287990/ and I thought it to be wonderful. I was wondering if I could use this picture in a book I'm currently publishing for a girl that I'm dating. I unfortunately can't pay you any royalties and since I use a print-on-demand publisher where I have to pay for my own copy of the book, I can't even give you a free copy. I'm only doing this for the girl I'm dating, but the book will be available to buy via cafepress if your interested I owning one. The book will also get an ISBN# since it's free to get one here in Sweden, but it will only be sold on the internetsite and the only people who will know about it are probably the poemauthors and their friends and family. The book will cost about $15-$20 and will be a perfectly bound book. The book is unfortunately printed in greytones and are printed on 50lb opaque cream paper so it wont show of your picture perfectly but I hope you still will let me use the picture.

You will of course keep the copyright of your picture, you will only give me the right to publish it in this book.

You will be mentioned in a reference page at the end of the book where you can have your name, the pictures name, email, homepage mentioned if you want. If you are interested just reply to this mail and tell me if you want your name and all that mention and what it should be.

Sorry about my English, it's not my best language.

Best regards Marcus Johansson" on deviantart.com and I thought it to be wonderful. I was wondering if I could use this picture in a book I'm currently publishing for a girl that I'm dating. I unfortunately can't pay you any royalties and since I use a print-on-demand publisher where I have to pay for my own copy of the book, I can't even give you a free copy. I'm only doing this for the girl I'm dating, but the book will be available to buy via cafepress if your interested I owning one. The book will also get an ISBN# since it's free to get one here in Sweden, but it will only be sold on the internetsite and the only people who will know about it are probably the poemauthors and their friends and family. The book will cost about $15-$20 and will be a perfectly bound book. The book is unfortunately printed in greytones and are printed on 50lb opaque cream paper so it wont show of your picture perfectly but I hope you still will let me use the picture.

You will of course keep the copyright of your picture, you will only give me the right to publish it in this book.

You will be mentioned in a reference page at the end of the book where you can have your name, the pictures name, email, homepage mentioned if you want. If you are interested just reply to this mail and tell me if you want your name and all that mention and what it should be.

Sorry about my English, it's not my best language.

Best regards Marcus Johansson"

What should I do? Does this sound wierd & sketchy or what?

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

01/05/2004 04:52:54 PM · #2

He just sounds like a nice guy to me :)

Maverick

Nikon D200

Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di for Nikon

01/05/2004 04:53:22 PM · #3

Sounds a little strange to me. Without royalties or any other compensation, what is the incentive to the photographer to allow use of the image?

GinaRothfels

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 8mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital ED Fisheye PRO Lens

01/05/2004 04:55:46 PM · #4

It sounds pretty weird to me too. I wonder how many copies of the book he is hoping to sell this way.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/05/2004 05:01:05 PM · #5

Originally posted by Gina Rothfels:

It sounds pretty weird to me too. I wonder how many copies of the book he is hoping to sell this way.

I think he says ther will be one copy but then he says that I could get a copy. I dunno.

MikeO

Fujifilm x100

01/05/2004 05:05:46 PM · #6

This does sound a bit odd, one time he is saying there will be only one copy for his girlfriend and that he cannot give you a copy and then he is saying the book will be for sale! Maybe its due to his bad English - you could ask him to explain it in Swedish and then maybe get it translated by one of our Swedish members?

Hoogie

Nikon D50

01/05/2004 05:05:56 PM · #7

Its a scam ,they email lots of people and those that say they will buy the book get thier picture in it.

had a similar email sent to me as well

Message edited by author 2004-01-05 17:06:41.

kaycee

Olympus C-750UZ

01/05/2004 05:06:28 PM · #8

Cafepress is an online biz that I've used in the past for other items. They sell T-shirts and other promotional items and have recently advertised books and music cd's among their offerings - you supply the content and they compile it for you. I think it's fairly costly. Sounds like this guy just found your image and truly likes it and would like to include it in an anthology. You can check out cafepress at //www.cafepress.com

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

01/05/2004 05:07:54 PM · #9

One way to handle this would be to agree on a fixed royalty per unit produced, similar to a mechanical license for music.

For example, If I cover a Bob Dylan song, he'd het about eight cents for each copy of the CD I make. If copies are to be made "on-demand," as in this case, the publisher usually arranges for a pre-payment to cover the first N copies, typically about 400.

Or you can make it so the royalties accumulate for a set period (quarter, year) or up to a certain amount ($25) before they have to cut you a check.

I'd be tempted to give him a good deal, but don't just give the photo away. Have a contract, even if it only involves credit and not monetary compensation.

If you are going to try and sell photos, I suggest a visit to Nolo Press for the latest in self-help law books.

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

01/05/2004 05:08:31 PM · #10

Originally posted by Hoogie:

Its a scam ,they email lots of people and those that say they will buy the book get thier picture in it.

had a similar email sent to me as well

Does the name spund familiar? It does to me but I can;t place it.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

01/05/2004 05:17:08 PM · #11

Since the guy said he's not gonna pay you, you can either take it or leave it... its up to you :)

cshep

Nikon Coolpix 5700

01/05/2004 06:17:56 PM · #12

I have a friend that sells through Cafepress. This guy is being honest in saying that he will not get a free copy of the book for himself. Cafepress prints on demand (one book at a time when it is ordered). If the guy wants a copy of his own book (or in this case his girlfriend's) then he has to buy one.

Canon EOS-20D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

01/05/2004 06:22:37 PM · #13

If he is truly only getting the one copy for his girlfriend and then allowing you a copy but no one else, then maybe it'd be okay but if he was making a profit from selling it on cafepress, that'd be kind of sketchy. I don't know how you'd guarantee it though.

peecee

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/05/2004 06:23:54 PM · #14

I would avoid it, seen it before. You will be lucky if you ever see the book !

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

01/05/2004 10:09:21 PM · #15

Thanks everyone for you advice! I think I'm gonna pass on this one. I wanna help this guy out but feel kinda suspect about it.

Pedro

Nikon D200

01/05/2004 10:17:07 PM · #16

Originally posted by Rooster:

Thanks everyone for you advice! I think I'm gonna pass on this one. I wanna help this guy out but feel kinda suspect about it.

good choice. If i went to DPC Prints and asked you for a copy of one of your pictures for free, would you give it to me? what about if i was only going to give it to my girlfriend? i think not.

Value your work.

Pedro