ON THE OTHER
hand, advanced functionality can leave you stranded because there are more
breakable layers that rely on each other. ‘Say you have a shop based on WordPress,
a plug-in for customer interaction and a theme. If WordPress gets updated to
patch a security hole, applying the update will risk breaking the theme or
plug-in. Or a theme update might not work with the plug-in.’
While Johansson says this can force owners
into a ‘lesser of two evils; decision (not updating rather than risking
incomppatibility), Clark and La’s comments suggest you should be able to except
prompt updates when paying for a supported theme rather than using a low-cost
or free template. ‘We take the time to ensure that our themes are compatible
with plug-ins and the core updates from the WordPress platform; says La, ‘and
we provide support and troubleshooting to provide the smoothest experience
possible.’
Website:
michaeloglesby.com
This is one reason why freelance digital
consultant Michael Oglesby (michaeloglesby.com) was drawn to Themify:
‘WordPress theme development is a bit of a hidden science, and I found free
themes limiting.’ He advocates Themify’s lifetime support, updates and
forum-based help system: ‘Sometimes you run into problems, so having support is
important.’
Oglesby also values the ability to easily
update a theme. He’s never been concerned about the non-exclusive nature of
stock – ‘The chances of someone visiting another site using [the same design]
are remote’- but he likes Themify’s approach of theme preferences. These are
safer than direct editing, which can overwrite changes after updates.
La says Themify, which builds themes on a
common framework, aims to enable users to customize their themes heavily
‘without having to touch code, to the point where no two designs should look
the same.’ But even just adding your own unique images and colours can go a
long way, says user Johansson – although he admits that for larger
organization, a fully custom design from scratch is usually a better route.
La summaries: ‘Not everyone is comfortable
designing or developing for WordPress, or at all. You should consider buying a
WordPress theme because it will save you many hours of headaches associated
with building your own, and you’ll be able to bring your content to life much
quicker.’
Of course, if you are comfortable developing
for WordPress or another popular CMS, selling premium themes could be a way to
generate income. As mentioned by Richard Heathcote, ThemeForest
(themeforest.net), part of Envato, pays a basic 33% of purchase price to
contributors, and 50% for items exclusive to the site (you can still sell other
items elsewhere), rising to 70% as you rack up more sales. WordPress themes
sell for around $35-$50, and popular choices show unit sales figures into the
hundreds and beyond. As with other stock, knowing your market is key.
Website:
themeforest.net
MOVING PICTURES ARE an obvious addition to a stock image library, and most now sell
videos as well as stills. Submission is a little more complex; with numerous
codecs in use, you’ll need to understand what formats are acceptable to your
chosen service. Quality control is also a thorny issue. You might, with care,
get a photo shot with an iPhone 4S accepted nto a microstock library; a video
taken with the same device won’t pass muster. DSLR footage is viable, but will
need to be well shot, with minimal noise and super-smooth panning (if any).
Where motion clips include audio, this will also need to meet decent standards,
although most clips are sold without sound.
Buyers for motion stock include corporate
video makers, TV production, independent filmmakers, enthusiasts and students.
Microstock libraries offer very affordable prices (though in a higher bracket
than for images), and even the more tradition high-end stock outlets will vary
their pricing to reflect the budgets of different kinds of customer.
Although it’s not relevant to sellers,
video buyers should look at bbcmotiongallery.com. Click the Royalty Free tab for
a range of easily licensable clips from around $337.5 for HD down to under
$112.5 for web resolutions. Venture into Rights Managed and you can find
everything from hard news to on-location establishing shots at prices tailored
to industry sectors; if you don’t need broadcast rights, clips can be
surprisingly affordable.
Website:
bbcmotiongallery.com
Science Photo Library has added video to its
collection through SPL Motion. From the Milky Way to cell division, these
engrossing clips sell to educational publishers and factual TV production as
well as independent filmmakers. Ben Jones, head of SPL Motion, told MacUser:
‘The explosion of new learning platform prompted us to create rates for
electronic educational (no other) publishing and display screens, as distinct
from printed material. The collection licenses clips on a per clip basis,
although large volume clients have the ability to pay per second.’
This flexibility in licensing models is key
to the collection’s success. Pricing is adjusted to different use cases, so
educational publishers pay around $75-120 per clip, TV production around $525,
or $75/second, and TV advertising around $3000, or $450/second; but independent
filmmakers can license a clip for around $375.
SPL Motion’s clips are often commissioned
from established filmmakers, and while enquiries are accepted from potential
contributors, the library only invites those with ‘a body of work’ to sell. For
the rest of us, microstock libraries accept contributions on the same basis as
for images: pass a basic quality test and you can submit as much or as little
as you like, and see what sells.
Even if you’re already selling photos through
a microstock site, it may be worth looking further afield when it comes to
video. Pond5 is a stock service that isn’t as well-known as some in the image
market (it also sells vector illustrations, music and fx and 3D content) but is
very popular with video sellers. It pays video contributors 50% of purchase
price. Revostock, which specializes in audio and video, is also favoured by
filmmakers. Be prepared for some trial and error, not only to learn what kind
of footage buyers are looking for but to figure out which services give the
best returns.
Revostock
- Another stock photography website where photographers can sell their photos
for some passive income
Terry Barksdale (barksdalemedia.com) had
two decades’ experience in video production before moving into stock. With a
portfolio of over 2,700 clips, he now sells through most of the major stock
libraries. On his stockvideoseller.com blog, he ranks the sites that actually
generate the most revenue, with Pond5, iStock, Shutterstock and Revostock at
the top of the list. Your results may vary, but what’s interesting is that the
sites that pay the highest royalties don’t produce the highest income; the number
of sales is a bigger factor. ‘Don’t base where you upload stock video on the
percentage offered,’ Barksdale concludes. The same advice undoubtedly applies
to image sales.
