Photo Licensing Fees - I Need Some Help

Over the past year or so as the credit crisis has hit, photo agencies have raised their rates considerably. What used to cost $100 a month now costs sometimes as much as $1000 per month every month. I have always been happy to pay these costs, because I like the pictures and there was always a trickle of ad money to help defray some of the cost. Now though, some of the agencies are raising their rates again and with a huge drop in ad revenue due to companies cutting back, I am looking at some very large out of pocket costs to keep providing great pictures.

One of the main agencies I use is going to cut me off tomorrow night at midnight if I don't pay their annual subscription price. So, it is with that in mind that I come to you and ask for your help in defraying some of this subscription cost. I appreciate the readers who have purchased ads and that has helped a great deal but I am still several thousand dollars short.

If you are so inclined I would greatly appreciate $5 or $10 or whatever you are able to donate between now and tomorrow night. I know many of you are suffering through the recession or are unemployed and I love being able to write for you and let you have a few minutes each day where you don't have to think about anything other than how many typos one blogger can make in a day.

Not to make this sound like a PBS pledge drive, but for those of you who donate $50, I will send you a copy of Amber Tamblyn's new book Bang Ditto when it is released or a copy of her older book Free Stallion and have her write in it whatever it is you want her to write.

In addition, whatever money is raised above the $6500 goal, I will donate it to a charity we can all vote on later in the week.

Again, I hate to ask for your help, but I am hoping you will be willing to chip in a few dollars. I am not very good at asking for money and hopefully the economy will pick up before this time again next year so this will be the only time I ever have to ask. If you just click on the donate button, you will be directed to PayPal where you can use a check or a credit card or your PayPal account. You might not think that $5 or $10 will make a difference, but with so many readers, every little bit helps, and it adds up quickly.

Thanks again. All of you are the best readers any guy could hope for.