It might seem that an email address can be a lifesaver for the peripatetic photographer, but there are a couple drawbacks here if you’re not careful:
From time to time we are tempted by local and national ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to hook up with their email services. They dangle an alluring low fee, much as credit card companies will do, to bring you aboard. Then, be it six months or twelve months later, they’re sure to raise their fees. Your problem: Should you switch to a cheaper company or stay with your original ISP?
Secondly, finding a stable ISP company takes some research on your part –you don't want to choose one that may be vulnerable to going out of business. If you switch ISP's either because of price or because your ISP company folds, it means that you'll have to contact every place you've registered your email address and change it to your new address. This includes all your printed matter, such as your business cards, sellsheets, flyers, stationery, invoices, plus your Web addresses and links where you have registered your name and website.
Finally, when you select your email address make is easy on yourself by choosing an address that reads well and is easy to say over the phone or in a radio or television interview.
LESSON: When choosing an Internet Service Provider, pick one with a track record. That indicates there’s a good chance they’ll be around for the next decade. We’ve all heard examples of low-fee start-up ISPs that are out of business in a few months. Instead, choose an ISP that looks like a good bet to be around for a long time (even though the cost may be somewhat higher). In the long run, you’ll be happy you did.
You may want to sign up for private email in addition to your regular business email. A second email (sometimes called Webmail) can be used much as you would use a “non-published” telephone number. There are several dozen companies that will offer you a free email. Keep in mind however, that many of these free email sites receive their profits from advertising. You can expect commercial intrusion to ride along with your messages.
To find free email services, go to www.emailaddresses.com or use one of the search engines such as Google. Here’s a sampling of what you will find:
Juno http://www.juno.com
HotMail (MSN) http://www.hotmail.com
EasyPost http://www.easypost.com
Yahoo! http://mail.yahoo.com
And finally, don’t forget Google’s Gmail. Many companies, large and small, will assign a secondary Gmail address to each of their employees to use on special occasions and unique situations. The Gmail service is free.
PEOPLE FIND
Should you list your name and email address on a “people search”? If you are a recluse, a hermit, an artist who doesn’t want to be hounded by the press or be bothered by relatives, no, don’t submit your name and email to a People Search feature at your favorite Search Engine. On the other hand, if you want to receive attention from photobuyers and other business entities that are a part of the stock photo industry, the answer is, yes.
Sure, it’s true: you might open yourself to receiving what most of us call “junk mail” (spam). But think of it this way. You can recognize the difference between the subject matter of a junk mail pitchman and a response from a photobuyer. (“It just rings differently.”) So the choice comes down to whether to put up with receiving 24 junk mail letters that take twenty four seconds to delete, for the chance to receive one email from a photobuyer that might lead to a lifetime business relationship of future stock photo sales and assignments. No contest.
Photographer Directories
There are a number of photographer directories on the Internet that will list you and your areas of expertise. You have probably found a few favorites of your own. In case you have not come across these –here are some typical ones.
Joel Day’s Stock Photo Site http://www.stockphoto.net
Michael Schwartz http://www.michaelkschwartz.com
AGpix www.agpix.com
Mira Photographers http://www.mira.com/membership
PhotoSourceBank http://www.photosource.com/psb
National Press Photographers Association http://www.nppa.org
Photographers’ Portfolios http://www.vsii.com/portfolio/
PhotoServe http://www.photoserve.com
PhotoSourceBook www.photosourcebook.com
Portfolios Online Search http://www.portfolios.com/search
LET THEM FIND YOU ON THE WEB
With a Website address on your business card, stationery, or email signature block, you rise a few notches in a photobuyer’s estimation of your professionalism. To find several resource guides on how to create your own website - simply and inexpensively:
www.webspawner.com
www.1stsitefree.com
www.blogger.com
www.zyweb.com
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and “sellphotos.com,” has helped scores of photographers launch their careers. For access to great information on making money from pictures you like to take, and to receive this free report: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit http://www.sellphotos.com