Craft and Vision has just released their latest eBook- (micro)STOCK: From Passion to Paycheck, by Nicole S. Young.
I’ll be up front here, I wasn’t going to review this one. As someone who focuses on licensing Rights Managed imagery and preaches about the value of original content, I’m not a big fan of the whole Microstock business. I think it’s a shortsighted model that’s done a tremendous amount of damage to the industry.
I know that some of you will argue with me about this, and I’ll even accept that you’d have some valid points. However, that’s for another post. The truth is that people ARE making money with microstock and this eBook actually does a good job at showing you how.
When I took the time to open up my stodgy old rights-managed mind and give it a read, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s filled with lots of really honest information about what it takes to succeed in the world of stock photography.
Although they gave it the title (micro)STOCK, Nicole does a very thorough job of explaining the different types of licensing models and outlines not just how to approach getting into shooting stock photos, but how to prepare professional quality images and reduce your chance of having them rejected by the agency.
Nicole outlines her own path towards getting into stock photography, and she also presents interview/case studies of other four other photographers who have managed to succeed and make good money at shooting stock. She clearly shows you that there is no “one way” to get into stock, because nearly everyone has a different style and path towards achieving success in this business.
From covering what types of images sell, how to discover your own niche, how to think like a designer, to analyzing whether stock photographers can really be successful in today’s photography industry, and understanding whether microstock is even a sustainable business model, Nicole does a very good job presenting relevant information and a diverse selection of imagery to illustrate.
If you’re curious about what it takes to get into stock photography and build an additional revenue stream with your photography, I’d definitely recommend (micro)STOCK: From Passion to Paycheck. For only $5, it’s filled with a surprising amount of relevant information. It won’t guarantee success, but it will get on track towards producing, managing and marketing sellable imagery.
See the entire Craft and Vision collection.
Thanks for the honest open minded review. Just think a microstock shooter will have to sell only around 10 images to pay $5.00 for the book!