ABSTRACT
Licensing is the granting of use of one's copyrighted, intellectual property for other parties to use, publish and display in a specified manner and is a key source of freelance income. Licensing is too often viewed through a short-term loupe instead of long-term, which often leads photographers to conclude there’s no money in it. The amount of money and volume of licensing will depend on a number of factors, some of which one can control and some of which are influenced by the market, but the fact remains that even small, individual, short-term fees can amount to larger long-term income, just like equities. SEO, technically known as Search Engine Optimization, is key to earning licensing revenue and allowing people to find one and their services. Microstock is based primarily on the model employed by the behemoths of licensing, mentioned elsewhere in this guide, including Shutterstock, Getty Images and Alamy.
