stock photo and illustrations

Hi,

I sell illustrations exculsivly on istockphoto.com. I have found that two things factor greatly within this industry, firstly you need to be aware of what stock is and what the demand is for, this will change seasonally but knowing what sells all year round is very important. I fail badly at this as I am only happy drawing things I want to draw, so its more a hobby for me and a way to develope my illustration skills. Secondly quantity is paramount, the system is based on micropayments so you need to sell a lot to make decent money. You will have to update your portfolio often as you will find as others add more work you will appear further down the list on the best match search option which factors in age.

I have 167 illustrations now but remember when I had one, it is quite time consuming to get to a decent level of income. I started it when I didn't have a lot of work on at the beginning of my freelance career and it really helped with the rent. Just remember it is a taxable income.

Hope this helps.

thanks

Yes that does help. I will give it a go.

I must admit I am very similar in that I draw what I feel. But will have to do a bit more homework, before I get into it.

Thanks again