How to Sell Celebrity Photos

If you live in an area frequented by celebrities, you've likely managed to grab a few snapshots of them. And while a personally collection of celebrity photos can be a cool conversation starter amongst friends and family, they aren't really earning you much money. Instead, you can turn those photos into cash, and even make a career out of taking and selling celebrity photos. If you're interested in joining the ranks of the paparazzi, here is how to sell celebrity photos:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Snap a Good Photo
   
   Magazines and gossip sites aren't going to pay big bucks for any random photo. They're looking for up close and personal, out-of-the-norm, even juicy shots of big names and hard-to-catch celebrities. This includes photos of celebrity children and babies that are normally hidden from view. So make sure the photo you want to sell has some star power, and aim for catching awkward poses, cat fights, break ups, or anything else that the general public would eat right up.
   
   Tip: Make sure you're actually getting a celebrity. In areas heavy with superstars, people are all too willing to mimic their favorite celebs, and may actually be hired by the stars themselves to distract paparazzi while they make a run for it. Authenticate your photo by comparing it to other legitimate photos to make sure you've got the real deal before you make a fool of yourself trying to sell it.

2. Connect With a Big Name
   
   The bigger the brand name, the larger the paycheck. Magazines like People, US Weekly, Star, and OK! are well known for shelling out tens of thousands for celebrity snapshots. Never limit yourself to just one magazine, and welcome any bidding wars that break out. When a magazine knows a coveted photo is being offered to other publications, they'll be more willing to up the number to get their hands on it.
   
   Below is the contact information for some of the bigger magazines in the gossip industry:
   
   People Magazine:
   E-mail: [e-mail]
   Phone: [phone]
   
   OK! Magazine:
   E-mail: [e-mail]
   Phone: [phone]
   
   Star Magazine:
   E-mail: [e-mail]
   Phone: [phone]
   
   US Weekly:
   Phone: [phone]
   
   TMZ
   Phone: [phone]
   
   Tip: Avoid gossip mongrel Perez Hilton; he's more interested in stealing celebrity photos from other websites than purchasing them directly, and will use any photos you send his way – watermark included – instead of paying royalties for usage.

3. Watermark Your Photos Before Showing Them Off
   
   The gossip industry is unscrupulous, and editors will try to save money wherever they can – even if that means taking advantage of your hard work. To protect yourself and your bottom line, add a large watermark to every single photo you try to sell, before you start the bidding wars. You can add watermarks digitally using any standard paint program – just make sure you save the original in its untouched glory! Learn more about how to watermark your celebrity photos before trying to sell them by checking out the “Resources” link at the bottom of this article.

4. Keep Your Rights to the Photos
   
   Celebrity gossip mags will try their hardest to get you to pass over the rights to your photos; don't do it. They want to keep the photos for themselves to make sure no one else gets their hands on them, and this can prove to be fruitful later on when they sell them to dozens of others to reprint in other publications. Instead, offer exclusive usage rights to the photos for the first 30, 60, or 90 days the photos will be in print, but don't sell your ownership of the work. After the time for exclusive use has elapsed, you can try to make more money by selling your photos again at a lower rate to other publications that might be interested in them.
   
   Tip: Draw up a printed contract, and require your buyers to sign the dotted line before you hand over copies of the originals. That way, if anyone tries to pull one over on you, you can take your case to court and win back the money you would have received had they stuck to the original deal in the first place.

5. Sell While the Ink is Still Wet
   
   You're not the only one vying for a celebrity money shot, and the competition is hot. The sooner you can sell your celebrity photos, the better. That means you need to start making phone calls within hours of catching a celebrity on tape, because chances are, somebody else got a similar photo, and they're going to try and sell it for more money before you can. The sooner you can get a deal on the table, the higher the odds you'll receive a big pay off.