by Rachel Smith
28 June 2017
Hi Rachel, I have a quick question I was hoping you could help me with. As a freelance writer, should I be charging more than just the per-word rate if I’m also providing photography to assist an article? I’ve never provided my own images before but from what I can tell my images are stronger than the ones provided by the Tourism Board (it’s a travel article) so I was going to give her the option of using my images (for print and online). Also, is it common for an article to be used across multiple platforms like the above but you only get paid the set amount (per word)? MadelinOkay so in regards to the first part of your question: should you be charging extra to supply your own photos? I wish I could say yes, but I’ve found most outlets either request photos as part of the package (you have to either provide your own or supply them from Tourism Boards as part of the deal), or they might offer a small extra payment for photos of, say, $50. I also worked as freelance travel editor for a while on a magazine, and finding or supplying pix was always part of the fee – for me or any commissioned writers.
I haven’t done any travel writing recently, though, so I double-checked that with a few colleagues. An editor on a weekly who wished to remain anonymous told me, ‘Generally images for travel stories are supplied with copy – and we usually have to beef them up with Getty images if they’re not good enough. You don’t get extra for pix, but writers who supply good copy and good pix get more work and a better word rate, so it probably evens out.”
And I asked a freelance travel writer / editor, too – and she said: “Pix always tend to be included in the deal, but I reckon they should be paid for!”
If you’re being asked for your word rate and you think they’ll pay you a decent rate, I would definitely charge a higher rate though to take into account the images. I have never had anyone ask for my word rate for travel though – I was always at the mercy of the rate the editors set, except for the travel editor job in which I worked on a retainer I negotiated with the editor (and it included everything from planning the pages to going on famils, writing and sourcing pix).
In regards to the article being used across multiple platforms: some companies do build in a syndication fee into their contracts, so you might get a surprise payment every now and then if your story runs again in a sister publication. But most of the (terrible) contracts doing the rounds out there require writers to agree to all rights so the publisher can use your copy across any platform, change it, take the byline off it etc, and not have to pay you extra. It sucks, and you should always debate it and get it struck out if you can or negotiate a better deal.
List members: do you get paid for your travel photos? Or have you found the ‘copy + pix package deal’ pretty much the case across the board?
I am a full-time freelance travel writer and I will only supply images if I am paid for them (and there are a number of publications out there that pay for images). I still get the same amount of work that I have always got (if not more). I think the more writers put their foot down and refuse to give away their work (words or images) for free the better the conditions will become for everyone. If publications don’t want my images then they are free to source them from tourist boards themselves – this expectation that the writer (who is generally being paid a pittance anyway) must also do the image-sourcing legwork for free is just outrageous.
Hi Anonymous poster. It would be great if you please identify which travel publications actually pay for images these days? It would be so helpful to know who those markets are as I have found only one publication has ever paid for images in all the travel writing I have done in the past 10 years – from the big metro dailies through to glossy mags.
I also recently had two high-profile travel editors tell me they have no budget any more for pics. I completely agree – expectations of publishers who want work for free is outrageous and I will never work for free, but I have become used to being told “we pay $xxx for the package of words and pics.” Can you give more of an insight or some good advice on this as it seems you may have found a better way to negotiate. Thanks.
Outrageous yes, to spend the time and slog in either sourcing or doing the shots oneself, and yes, doubly outrageous if your by-line gets ripped out and your work copied. The Australian Copyright Council http://www.copyright.org.au 02 93947600 has a legal advice prompt on its website. The MEAA alliance.org.au Ph 1300656513 also has a legal team if you are a member. In my experience have almost always enjoyed a trusting rapport with my editors, and luckily haven’t needed to resort to that at least not for that reason. On the other hand, and not anything I am doing now, I’ve tried to negotiate with the editor first on getting an acknowledgment on the published shot if they get used. Or an acknowledgement footnote that words and pics supplied by etc. Or, guess what, nothing, and said (to myself) ok I’m getting the by-line exposure on the story, the fun I had with the story was worth it. Agree that in an ideal world pictures do call for a separate rate. Best of luck.
Based on my experience, most publications accept images and story as a package. One publication paid an excellent rate for each image that was used – and generally several were. Where an editor gives a rate for the story and says they will also pay for images – clarify this at the onset, since I’ve ended up being paid for the story only when I failed to do this. I also think it fair that you are credited for any images used. Be careful too when pitching – hang onto your images until it’s a done deal.