Picture agencies

You may wish to use some pictures, either for use on the cover or inside your book. Photos you have taken yourself are your property so you may use them, but you must exercise caution if they feature people, especially children, and you must get permission to use the picture if they are identifiable.

You may even need to have people sign a model release form, similar to this example. Photos of people who are deceased are no exception and you may need to obtain permission from their descendants or estate.

We recommend that you don’t use photographs of works of art that aren’t your own. Even if they are your photos, the work isn’t and you will need to seek permission from the owner, whether that’s a museum, gallery or individual.

As a general rule, never assume that you have permission to use a photograph if you are not sure and, if in doubt, seek legal advice.

There are many online pictures agencies, which charge very different rates. Some of the factors that influence the rates are:

• the size at which the picture will be reproduced
• the territory your book will be distributed in
• the numbers of copies printed
• whether the picture will be used on the cover or internally.

Although we are happy to give you some advice as to which rights you will need, it is your responsibility to ensure that you buy the correct rights and insert the necessary credit to the photographer or agency on the imprint page.

An internet search will suggest plenty of general or specialist picture libraries, or search on the British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA) website.

Here are a few well-known picture libraries that offer a picture research service to get you started:

Alamy
Corbis Images
Getty Images
Mary Evans Picture Library
Travel Pictures
World Pictures / Photoshot

The following picture libraries are unmanned and inexpensive while offering a good selection:

Bigstock Photo
Dreamstime
iStockphoto
shutterstock