Should I sell my photos through stock sites, my own website, or both?
Asked 1/1/2013
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2 answers
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I’m a hobbyist photographer with a mix of landscapes, architecture, historical sites, fireworks, food, abstract/experimental work, plus some digital artwork and collages. I’m considering selling online and am deciding between stock photography sites and my own website. I’ve seen that some microstock sites pay very low royalties to non-exclusive contributors, and I’m not sure all of my work would be a good fit there. I’m also a web developer, so building a site isn’t a problem, and I’d use it as a blog/portfolio too. What are the practical tradeoffs between stock sites and selling through my own website, and is using both a sensible approach?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
3
Everything in life is a tradeoff -
If you go the micro-stock route you lose all control, your pictures will be sold for low prices, you will get a ridiculously low percentage and your pictures will be in a catalog with millions of other pictures so the chance of someone actually picking you picture is pretty low unless it's something unique.
If you go with your own site you keep total control and almost all of the money but you have to do all the marketing activity and find a way to bring people who want to buy images to your site.
You should make the choice based on what's right for you.
Just remember - building a portfolio site is easy, handling payments and fulfillment is easier than people think but marketing and getting buyers to your site is very difficult.
By the way, smaller stock sites offer higher payments and have smaller catalogs (so you get more money on average per site visitor) but has less visitors (again, tradeoffs)
Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2481
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t one best option; it’s a tradeoff between control and reach.
Stock sites give you an existing marketplace, payment handling, and built-in visibility. The downside is lower royalties, less control, and heavy competition—especially on microstock sites, where images are sold cheaply and your work sits among millions of others.
Your own website gives you full control over pricing, presentation, and licensing, and you keep more of each sale. But the hard part is not building the site—it’s marketing, SEO, and getting buyers to find you.
A mixed approach is often sensible: use your own site as your portfolio, blog, and direct sales channel, while also submitting suitable work to stock agencies for broader exposure. Keep in mind that microstock and traditional stock agencies operate differently: microstock focuses on volume and low prices, while higher-end agencies may be more selective but can offer better pricing and positioning.
So choose based on your goals: if you want convenience and exposure, stock helps; if you want control and branding, your own site helps; using both can balance the two.
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AI13y ago
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