I've been contacted by a publisher - help!

[agrumpycow]

I received an email today from a publisher who saw my photo on the geograph website and who wants to include it in a walking guide they're publishing.

The email said:
Dear Claire,

Duncan Petersen Publishing are currently putting together a walking guide for London and the South East. We really like your photo of the Goring Gap ([[[1290101]]]) and are thinking of incorporating it into a walk through the area.
Do you have a large, high resolution (300 dpi) version we could use? I would be extremely grateful if you could contact me on d..........@zen.co.uk.
We would be delighted to send you a copy of the guide as part of a fee if required. You retain copyright of the image, and are of course included in the photography credits at the front of the guide.
I look forward to hearing from you,

Now I would very much like one of my photos to be published but
a - do I charge? If so how much? Money doesn't bother me too much but would I be a mug if I didn't ask for something? I have no idea about these things!
b - is there anything else I should know before agreeing?

All help gratefully received, I've not a clue about any of this!

[big bill]

Hello Claire ,dont know much about it but I am sure you should ask for something how much I`m not sure ,it all depends on the size of reprint and distribution of the guide,I thiink there was a thread on this somewere tried looking but cannot find at moment ,I think either Lancashire Lad or Eeyore had some good advice on this .
I`m sure getting a credit and £50.00 is quite reasonable depends on distribution I think then again if you ask to much you could loose out on getting your work published which could then lead onto other work being used ,its upto you in the end I think.
Best of luck on this one well done on getting this lead in the first place though

[TeresaW]

I don't know much about the going rates for publishing photographs, but if you nip along to your library and dig out the latest Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, there is some very useful help in there, especially with regard to selling the copyright to your photos.

I'm sending you a message with a link, which might provide some answers for you too.

[eeyore]

As its for a comercial concern i'd be inclined to charge a fee (probably arround 50 notes) but you do need to be prepared to negotiate and at the end of the day how much you can charge will depend on how rare the image is and if they have other options - and also how badly you want the sale.

for a charity or not for profit organisation i'd probably waive the fee and just ask for a credit

in either case i'd be sure to specify that its a licence for non exclusive use only - ie that you can still sell and use the image elsewhere if you want - If they want exclusive rights (which they probably wont - that tends to only come up with postcard and calendar companies) that commands a much higher price.

[Johnny Redgate]

Had a photo of our sheep published in the small book Know More Sheep but was happy with the credit and reference to our flock. However, my recent change in employment circumstances would probably make me at least ask about a fee if the opportunity ever arose again. I'd agree with the others I suppose. 50 notes would have seemed about right for me.

[pressld2]

That's great Claire - well done!

I agree with what others have posted and would think £50 a reasonable sum for what is likely to be quite a small volume publication. It sounds as though they are expecting to pay you something as they offered you a copy of the guide as part of your fee, not all of it.

But exactly as Pete says, be prepared to negotiate...

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Dave P.

[agrumpycow]

Many thanks everyone
It was a bit of a surprise to come home to the email, always something I wanted but never thought I would get
Some great advice there, I really didn't know where to start, and thanks for the explanation of 'licence for non exclusive use only', something I hadn't really thought about at all. I'll email them back explaining my position and see what they come back with. Even if it is something that doesn't come to anything it's given me quite a boost
The only thing that's slightly irritating - I don't even like the photo that much, certainly not one of the ones I had thought anyone wanted to use, but, I ain't going to complain
Thanks again

[sidewalkdoctor]

Well done Claire,

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

The only thing that's slightly irritating - I don't even like the photo that much, certainly not one of the ones I had thought anyone wanted to use, but, I ain't going to complain
Thanks again

that happens all the time - ive lost count of the times ive had best pictures rejected only to have ones i consider more mediocre published - most often its because the picture editor has a very specific breif to fill - generally dictated by the text or story.

for example if in this case the text says " looking west from the bridge you can see the magnificent thames path , superbly maintained by the extremly handsome, sauve, and debonair national trails officer...." (three guesses what I do for a living ) then the picture editor isnt going to be interested in any picture looking east or any that doesnt show the thames path regardless of how they may be technically better or more interesting than the one looking west that does.

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by eeyore

that happens all the time - ive lost count of the times ive had best pictures rejected only to have ones i consider more mediocre published - most often its because the picture editor has a very specific breif to fill - generally dictated by the text or story.

That makes perfect sense. They are a publishers who specialise in travel guides, etc so are probably looking for a particular view of the walk in the book. Ho well! Even if it comes to nothing in the end it's given me a buzz that someone's noticed it at all