Great Escape Publishing

Posted July 9th, 2009 by Bonnie Caton & filed under Travel Writing.

Dear Reader,

This week’s Featured Publication, Demotix.com, is like a stock photo agency, but for editorial photos. Buyers include the New York Times, the Telegraph, the Huffington Post, and many other international news media.

See below for details on how to sell your news photos there…

Lori Allen
Director, Great Escape Publishing

SELL YOUR NEWSWORTHY PHOTOS TO THE PRESS

“Do your photos tell a story? If so, then we want to see them.” — Demotix.com

You don’t have to be a weathered photojournalist traveling through war-torn countries with three cameras around your neck to sell photos to the press. On Demotix.com, amateur snappers as well as professionals can upload their newsworthy photos to sell to the media. You don’t even have to be a pro.

If you’d like to sell editorial photos through Demotix, first consider this: “What’s newsworthy?”

For Demotix, newsworthy photos are shots that “tell a story,” or let viewers into a world they don’t know. They can be about breaking news and current events, or intriguing stories you might see in the newspaper. For example, one series of photos on the site shows snippets of the life of a blind woman in Africa. Another peeks into a tattoo convention.

While Demotix looks for good shots of current events and breaking news, you don’t have to cover big, international events. Some of the “breaking news” photo subjects on the site include an Oceanarium in Portugal, a “Gay Celebration” in India, a protest in Italy, and a steam locomotive in the western U.S.

However, your photos do have to be good to sell. Review the three biggest mistakes most new photographers make.

It’s easy to sell your photos through Demotix. Here’s how:

** 1. Sign up for a free membership and create a personal profile. (You’ll also need to create a Paypal.com account to get paid.)

** 2. Watch for and snap photos of newsworthy events. News can include local or international events.

** 3. Log in and click on “Upload Story.” Then, click “Upload Photos.” You can add up to five at a time. If you have more, click “upload photos” again. You’ll see thumbnails of your shots appear on the page. (Images must be three megapixels or larger to sell.)

** 4. Next, add an in-depth description, and choose a category. Also enter a subject, the event you shot, the people in the photos, and a short summary for the media. When you add a description, make sure to add the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why.

** 5. Now your photos are up for sale. If they sell, Demotix will notify you immediately, and send 50% of the sale into your Paypal account.

You retain the rights to your photos. If a newspaper or other media company wishes to use them, you split the cost to license them with Demotix, 50/50. See below for a link to the full terms of business.

* TIP: If you don’t have any newsworthy photos, and you’re not sure what to shoot, start by clicking on your region, or a region where you’ll be traveling, under “News by Region.” On the next page, scroll down to “Reporting Teams,” and click on your country. There, you’ll see a calendar of upcoming events, or “assignments,” that need coverage.

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]