Follow Up: Exploitation of Ignorance

This is a Follow Up Article from Fake vs. Real Tear Sheets

Many Photographers, Models and Other individuals are exploiting artists (such as other photographers and models).  Even though I somewhat mentioned this in the previous article on this I’d like to go into more depth on this… How are these people exploiting artists you may say? Simple, giving something that is actually worthless but masking it to being something worth wild!

A person makes a publication, which is nothing wrong with that, and sells it… content providers (artists) generally never get paid a penny, both up front or royalties. And I’m not saying these publications sell well ever or at all, but a share should be given in some kind of commission agreement.

The reality is a content provider (artist) is given space for just exposure… no payment of any kind. And generally these self-publications are on-demand buy printed publications (generally from MagCloud). So, no investment into production of the publication other than designing the publication, and let’s be honest the designs are not from professional designers at all.

Any artist I see that participates in these self-publication “magazines” are simply telling the world I am worthless and value my work very, very low. Especially if you are doing it just for “exposure’ aka FREE! Yea, some of them may say “it’s a stepping stone” I say it is NOT! Nobody in their right mind will see these self-publications having any value unless 1 in the million chance they become an actual publication that has actual value… not worth your time, and hard work to give away your work to put into.  The “exposure” that is promised or given is very, very minimal that its better to spend more time working on social media marketing than working on this type of marketing. These “publications” do not give any actual worth wild exposure just the thought of being in a “magazine” is the worth wild part is “good enough” for people to give away their works for the minimal exposure they get. Even if these wannabe “magazines” have 100k or more likes on facebook, they are WORTHLESSS!

I may sound jealous to most of you right now but I am telling you this is REALITY. I personally believe no one should earn a penny without a share coming back to you, for YOUR hard work, money, time and energy! Yea I agree exposure may be great for those beginners, but exposure to the right targeted audience and size of that exposure… self-publications generally are given and read by industry individuals. In rare cases it may be worth it but vast majority will not be, I promise.