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Thread: Selling Prints Online

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    Denver, CO USA
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    Selling Prints Online

    Hi,

    I would like to start selling prints online.
    I am looking at print on demand companies.
    You upload digital files, they take orders, print the photos, ship, etc.
    I don't expect to make a full time living doing this,
    but some extra money would be great.

    Does anyone here have experience with Fine Art America,
    Society6, or similar companies?

    It seems that with so many artists represented, it would be difficult
    to be found, get the right buyers, etc.

    Thanks for your help,
    Allan

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    St. Simons Island, Georgia
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    880

    Re: Selling Prints Online

    I’ve had a Fine Art America account for about six months. I uploaded about 10 images and got busy with another project and did almost nothing to promote it. I received a notice a couple of weeks ago that one image had sold. I should know after the 15th of this month if they pay as promised.

  3. #3
    Light Guru's Avatar
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    Jun 2011
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    Salt Lake City, UT
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    Re: Selling Prints Online

    The only people that go to those sites are people wanting to sell their art.

    Waste of time.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Zak Baker
    zakbaker.photo

    "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
    Ansel Adams

  4. #4

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    Re: Selling Prints Online

    Thank you for your help. If you or other photographers have any suggestions on what works well
    for online sales, please let me know. Is it is better to find a traditional gallery?
    Or perhaps sell art on your own website, etc.

    Thank you. Allan

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    1,573

    Re: Selling Prints Online

    Quote Originally Posted by Allan B View Post
    Thank you for your help. If you or other photographers have any suggestions on what works well
    for online sales, please let me know. Is it is better to find a traditional gallery?
    Or perhaps sell art on your own website, etc.

    Thank you. Allan
    I would suspect that you have to be a 'name' already before any traditional gallery will handle your work. Plus, they take quite a large chunk of the sale. A website is a possibility, but the issue there is driving traffic to your website. Typically, you need to be very active with all the social media outlets to keep your name out there and get people visiting your website. I had a website for many years for selling my work and I only sold a few things; not even enough to cover the cost of the site. Not saying it can't be done, rather IMO it's a tough road.

    I tell you what my photo mentor told me many years ago, he said, "Forget trying to make a living selling personal work. Ansel Adams can, Brett Weston can, Paul Cap can...sort of...and from there on down, forget it. Go into something that will support your life style and, at the same time, gives you enough time for photography." I took his advice, did photography as time allowed, retired early, and now I'm spending more time on my photographic pursuits.

    Good luck with whatever direction your photography takes you.

  6. #6
    Randy's Avatar
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    Dec 2010
    Location
    Virginia, USA
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    Re: Selling Prints Online

    I like Alan9940's advice. As Doug, my old camera collector buddy once told me - "An amateur photographer is one who has to have a part-time job to support his hobby. A professional photographer is one who's spouse has to have a part-time job to support his hobby".
    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52893762/bigger4b.jpg

  7. #7
    Jim Jones's Avatar
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    Aug 2006
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    Chillicothe Missouri USA
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    3,065

    Re: Selling Prints Online

    For several decades I sold photographs at a local arts & crafts fair. People asked if I had a web site. I didn't, and therefore probably lost a few sales to people who became aware of my photos at the fair. Face-to-face interaction is a far better advertisement than any face-to-screen viewing.

  8. #8
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
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    18,338

    Re: Selling Prints Online

    I discovered that web surfers are exactly that - web surfers. When I had a website, a rather nice one for that early-on phase, I got compliments from all over
    the world, but zero print sales from it. In fact, every single print I've ever sold in my life was because someone saw the real deal. As Hannibal Lecter put it,
    "one covets what one sees" - not sorta guesses what it might look like a hundred times bigger in vastly more detail and tonal nuance.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Clearwater, FL
    Posts
    23

    Re: Selling Prints Online

    I make on average about $300 to $400 a month on FAA.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    St. Simons Island, Georgia
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    880

    Re: Selling Prints Online

    Jeff, about how many images do you have up? I’m assuming you have the paid membership.

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