Q: 1. Why do you need distributors? Why not do all the mailings yourself and keep all the money?
A: Picture Stock is in the picture collection and distribution business. Our main job and focus is to collect images from photographers and supply them to our affiliates around the world. By paying distributors a percentage of picture sales, (25% in this case), we can reach out to more photographers than if we tried to do this all ourselves. The same applies to large corporations who choose to franchise their products/services. If we did everything ourselves, we would need to tie up millions of dollars in order to accomplish this. No one company could reach millions of customers who are interested in their products/services without franchising out.
With Picture Stock, each distributor is responsible to pay for the postage and the postcard costs to do their mailings either on their own or through our 'Print and Mail' service. By having distributors each put up a small investment in doing these mailings, we can all earn some money and everyone is rewarded. True, we do not earn as much as if we were to mail all these postcards ourselves, however, by farming out this task to thousands of distributors, we earn less on each picture sale but we sell more pictures since we end up collecting more images from more photographers with the help of our valued distributors.
Q: 2. How much can I earn and what percentage of each picture sold is my commission as a postcard distributor for Picture Stock?
A: The more postcards you mail out or have us 'Print and Mail' on your behalf, the more you could earn. We try to acquire the best possible mailing lists and some lists will do better than others. While some lists will produce a 1% response rate or lower, we have had lists pull in a response rate of up to 7%. Distributors, who mail out postcards on a regular basis or take advantage of our 'Print & Mail' service, earn steady commission checks month after month. Some distributors are earning a couple of hundred dollars a week while some are earning up to $300 or more per day.
You will always receive 25% of what we sell the pictures from the photographers you refer to us through your postcard distribution.
Q: 3. What is included in the 'Business In A Box Kit' distributorship package?
A: The kit contains 100 postcards, 100 names and addresses of photographers on peel and stick labels, 100 ID code number labels, a distributor information sheet, order forms (should you want to order additional postcards and labels) and a one year license certificate. A free high quality 100% cotton (one size fits all) Picture Stock T-shirt is also included as our gift to you.
Q: 4. Can I purchase additional postcards after I mail out the first 100 postcards that are included in my kit and how much do they cost?
A: Yes, you can purchase additional postcards, which come with the mailing labels of photographers and your personal ID code number labels. You can order a minimum of 200 to a maximum of 5,000 per order. See our current price list by clicking on 'Distributorship.' The more you order, the more you save. A full price list and order form will be included in your distributorship kit.
Q: 5. Do you offer a 'Print & Mail' service and what is the cost?
A: Yes, you can save up to 60% when you have Picture Stock 'Print & Mail' your postcards on your behalf. We mail out thousands of postcards every day for hundreds of our distributors, and since we mail out such large quantities, we receive a much lower price on the postage. Our address imprinting machines will directly print the name and address of the photographer along with your ID code number on each postcard, saving us money instead of using labels. We in turn pass these savings on to you.
A truck delivers these postcards to the post office on a daily basis. A detailed confirmation notice receipt will be sent to you once your postcards have been dropped off at the post office.
Our current price list could be found on our web site under 'Distributorship.'
Q: 6. How do you pay Distributors living outside of North America?
A: All distributors living outside of North America will be paid in US funds by international money order which is cashable in any country worldwide.
Q: 7. Can I submit my own images if I am a distributor?
A: You sure can. You can submit images to us any time provided you download a free 'Photographers Registration & Welcome Kit' from our web site first.
Q: 8. If I am a distributor and I submit my own images, do I receive more than 50% when my own pictures are sold?
A: No. Our system is set up in such a way where you earn 25% from the pictures that sell from the photographers you refer to us. You will earn 50% when we sell your own pictures and the person who refers you to us will earn 25% when your pictures sell. If no distributor refers you to Picture Stock then Picture Stock will split the other 50% with the agency that sells your images. This would be considered a house account.
Q: 9. Can I distribute the postcards to my friends, hand them out to people or mail them to my own mailing list?
A: You are free to distribute the postcards any way you like as long as you do not alter anything that is printed on the postcards. Make sure your ID code number sticker is on each postcard you distribute so we can credit your account and pay you when picture submissions are sent in and sold.
Q: 10. May I advertise this distributorship program in magazines, newspapers or the Internet?
A: You must first send us a sample ad or proposal with specific information on how you would like to advertise this distributorship program in magazines, newspapers or the Internet. If you would like to advertise this program on the Internet, we will allow you to display a link to our website only. Photographers will then write in your Distributor ID number when filling in the 'Image Submission & Order Form' before submitting their images to us.
We will review your sample ad or proposal and/or links and notify you usually within 1-3 business days.
Q: 11. How long does it take before I start receiving commission checks after mailing out my postcards or having Picture Stock 'Print and Mail' my postcards on my behalf?
A: It could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months before you receive your first commission check. Keep in mind that after you mail out the postcards, or use our 'Print and Mail' service, photographers who are interested in submitting their images to us must first go through all their images and select their best images. Then they must ship them to us. Once we receive them, we must edit and scan their images into our computer system and distribute the images to our 53 affiliates around the world. This could take a number of weeks.
Their images will then be placed on the market. When clients see their images and purchase them, we will then send you a commission check for 25% of the amount the image(s) sell for on the 10th of the following month. We will pay you 25% residual income each and every time the same image is sold over and over again. When the same photographer submits additional images to us, even years after his or her initial submission, you will continue to receive commission checks thereafter on all their picture sales as long as you renew your distributorship license with us annually. This is where your commissions begin to snowball month after month.
Q: 12. What happens after my one year distributorship license expires?
A: We will send you an annual distributorship license fee renewal on your anniversary date (the date your kit was mailed to you). When you submit the annual fee to us, we will send you a new license certificate which would be valid for the next 12 months. If you do not renew your license, your distributorship will be cancelled and you will lose out on any future commission payments.
Q: 13. Do you e-mail a distributor when a picture is sold from their mailings or the mailings done through your 'Print and Mail' service?
A: Yes, we will automatically send you an e-mail the same day a picture is sold as a result of your mailings or the mailings we do on your behalf. We will then send you a commission check attached to a statement on the 10th of each month for the previous month's picture sales. If no picture is sold in any given month, then no statement is mailed out for that month.
Q: 14. Can I call to find out if any pictures have been sold as a result of my postcard mailings or through your 'Print and Mail' service?
A: No, our call center staff does not have access to this information. We will e-mail you when a picture has been sold. A commission check attached to a statement will automatically be sent to you on the 10th of each month for the previous month's picture sales. If no picture is sold in any given month, then no statement is mailed out for that month.
Q: 15. Do you offer direct deposit into my bank account?
A: No. All payments are mailed out by check or international money order for customers living outside North America.
Q: 16. What if a photographer does not include my ID code number when he/she submits their images? How will I get credited?
A: About 98% of all picture submissions include the distributor ID code number. We will call or e-mail the photographer when we receive a picture submission without the distributor code so that we can credit the correct distributor's account accordingly.
Q: 17. Are tax forms mailed out to distributors at the end of the year?
A: Since you are not a direct employee of Picture Stock, we do not issue any tax forms. We do, however, encourage all distributors to keep their commission check statements so that you can report any earned income when filing your tax returns. We do not report any commission payments to anyone, at anytime. It is solely up to the individual to do so. We do encourage all distributors to include all income when doing their tax returns.
Q: 18. Is this distributorship available to residents living outside the USA?
A: Yes, this distributorship is available worldwide. Distributors can mail the postcards to addresses within their own country however; the mailing lists provided by Picture Stock are names and addresses of photographers living in the USA only. All addresses sent out through Picture Stock's 'Print and Mail' facility will only be mailed to a list of photographers living in the USA. We encourage all distributors living outside the USA to order Option #2 and have Picture Stock 'Print and Mail' all your postcards to save on your mailing costs.
Q: 19. Does your distributorship package (Option #1) come with a money-back guarantee?
A: It most certainly does. You have a full 30 days to examine the package once it arrives. This applies to Option #1 only. If you feel this business is not for you, simply send everything back in its re-sellable condition and we will refund your money in full (less the shipping and handing cost) no questions asked.
We do not offer any refunds if you choose Option #2 where you have Picture Stock 'Print & Mail' your postcards for you once your order has been printed and dropped off at the post office.
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