Joyriding into Image Research: A Cautionary Tale

By Elizabeth Shreeve

This is a story about falling in love. It’s got a happy ending—a beautiful book and new friendships with artists around the world. It’s also a tale of honest mistakes and slippery slopes. If you’re starting a book involving image research, I hope it will help. 

 First, some advice. Several wise authors, like Sarah Albee and Stephanie Bearce, have provided resources for free/low-cost photos (see below for links). Did I follow their guidelines? Well, sort of. Their recommended sources didn’t quite fit the bill for my topic. Which led to…

MISTAKE #1: Straying from low-cost image sources.

My image research began when I signed with Atheneum/Simon & Schuster to write Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures (July 21, 2026). It would be my first middle grade title and the first project for which I would supply images. How cool! The contract included an allowance for image licensing. There would be an illustrator, too. I had nothing to worry about, right?

Then I fell down a slippery slope. Actually, more like several extremely gorgeous, entrancing, wonder-filled slopes. I got lost in the artwork and neglected something important…

MISTAKE #2: Ooops! Forgot the “cost” column.

Over months of research, I became addicted to beautiful images. I explored online museum collections. I discovered original work by artists in Brazil, Chile, Germany, Haiti, and Nepal. I added these treasures to folders and inserted them into a spreadsheet. I mocked up spreads to show how images and captions related to text.

It was a joyride! As chapters took shape, however, I strayed farther from low-cost image sources. I needed help, so I hired a content licensing company, Photo Affairs. They alerted me to possible overruns, but my publisher turned down a request to increase the budget.

MISTAKE #3: Avoiding some simple math.

 Did I stop collecting photos? Nope. The vision of a gorgeous book overwhelmed any remaining common sense. I loved each image. As it turned out, so did the publisher’s designer. When it came time to lay out the spreads, they wanted to use almost everything in my folders. Yikes! Photo Affairs began securing permissions—and the costs came in high.

We managed some discounts. But the layout was fixed, and it was stunning. How could we possibly cut the rendering of Cretaceous dinosaurs in Mongolia? Or the charming bunyip… the medieval dragon… or the gorgeous Polynesian sailboat? They all deserved a place on the page alongside Violeta Encarnación’s original artwork.

Did I go over budget on the image licensing? You bet.

Do I realize that authors don't want to spend a significant part of their advance on image licensing? Absolutely, and here are some pointers.

1. Read these posts and, to the extent possible, stick to the recommended image sources. 

Sarah Albee, “Image Research and Permissions: A Survival Guide.” NF Fest, February 15, 2023. 

Stephanie Bearce, “Picture Perfect.” NF Fest, December 13, 2022. 

Sarah Albee, “Behind the Books: Finding Photos for Nonfiction Books.” Celebrate Nonfiction. February 28, 2017. 

2. Before signing a contract, confirm who pays for licensing of copyrighted images or text. If you’re responsible, make sure you’ve got an adequate budget. Stick to it! 

3. Be serious about image research. Find primary sources. Get inspired! Here’s an excellent post by Patricia Newman: “Getting to the Heart of Your Photos.” NF Fest, February 5, 2025. 

4. Make an image spreadsheet, including a column for costs (see example in Sarah Albee’s “Image Research and Permissions” post, above). Take time to periodically update your projected costs. For my book, the average licensing cost was around $80. I paid $100/image for most of the original pieces obtained directly from artists. You can do better by sticking to free/lower-cost sources.

5. Beware of art galleries! They tend to be expensive. 

6. As early as possible, confirm the number of images and required licensing terms with your editor. Set a schedule for delivering licenses and high-resolution files in order to avoid expensive last-minute sourcing. Ask your publisher for any existing accounts with photo stock libraries (e.g., Alamy or Shutterstock) and arrange to use their discounts. 

7. Don’t assume that Wikipedia is a reliable source. Are their files available at a high resolution? Do you need to trace back to primary sources? 

8. For a book with many images, work with a consultant. I highly recommend Photo Affairs. They easily cover their fees by finding discounts and lower cost options. 

Buckle up! Image research can be a joyride, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. 

 

About the Author: Elizabeth Shreeve writes children’s books that spark curiosity about Planet Earth. When not gallivanting about for a new project, Elizabeth lives in northern California with her family, including Hector the PaleoDog. Her next book, Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore & Science of Mythical Creatures (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2026), includes gorgeous illustrations by Violeta Encarnación and an embarrassing number of photographic images. Other upcoming titles include Germ Wars: Time-Traveling through the (sometimes gruesome) History of Children’s Health (Zest/Lerner, 2027). Visit her at https://elizabethshreeve.com/ and @ShreeveBooks.

 

Picture Perfect

By Stephanie Bearce

One of my favorite parts of nonfiction research is poring through collections of historical photographs. From metal plate daguerreotypes and Victorian studio pictures to 1950s brownie camera photos, I love them all. It is like holding a tiny time machine in my hand. For a fleeting moment, I can see into a world that is gone.

Historical photos can add depth and dimension to your nonfiction books. Editors love it when an author can provide photo documentation of the topic, and some book publishers require a certain number of photographs for each book project.

BUT and yes, it is a big but--photos can be expensive. Purchasing editorial rights for some famous images can cost over $150 per photograph. Some publishers provide a modest budget for photographs, but others expect the author to purchase pictures with their advance. Either way, it is important for authors to find cost-effective sources for photos.

There are numerous repositories for copyright-free well-known historical photographs. Some are familiar names like Getty Open Content, Library of Congress, and Flickr Commons. But other treasure troves of photos are can be found in local historical societies, libraries, and family collections.

The first stop for photos about your topic should be the area where the person lived or the place the event happened. Contact the local historical society. You may uncover pictures that have never been seen by the public. The cost of editorial rights is usually minimal, or they may be willing to share them simply for recognition in the book.

Don’t be afraid to ask local citizens for help in your photo search. Great-Grandma’s photo album may provide an image that has historical significance and could make your book totally unique. You can negotiate with individuals to purchase the photograph outright or pay them a usage fee. Often families are thrilled to have their pictures included in a book or magazine article.
 
When looking at photographs remember the following copyright rules:​When looking at photographs remember the following copyright rules:

All works published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain. Works published after 1922, but before 1978 are protected for 95 years from the date of publication. If the work was created, but not published, before 1978, the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.

Check out these sources for copyright-free photos. The following sites are great sources of copyright-free images:

• Getty Open Content: Public domain art images from Getty collections.
• Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online: Images from the Library of Congress, now in the public domain.
• Wikimedia Commons: Historical and contemporary images contributed by participants.
• World Images: Primarily historical images
• NGA Images - National Gallery of Art: Includes more than 20,000 open-access digital images.
• Archive.org:  images, video, audio, and other media to view and download.
• The Commons by Flickr: Images from archives, museums, libraries, and research centers.
• Photo Graphic Libraries: Public Domain Images:  links to public domain and free image collections.
• Yale University Digital Commons:  images from the Peabody Museum, Center for British Art, University Art Gallery, Library Map Collection, and Walpole Library Prints and Drawings.