Comments

reberclark wrote on 8/6/2010, 11:02 AM
Hi Jeff,

I'm not selling video but I am selling MP3 downloads on AMAZON. I received my first check the other day. I am investigating setting up my own site to use PayPal / Visa etc. but enjoy not having the hassle of filling orders.

The trade off with AMAZON (CreateSpace) is the chunk they take off the top. BUT after years of self-publishing I am happy to have them do that work for me.

Two of my friends are selling their DVDs (physical DVDs as well as streaming video - I think) on AMAZON and seem to be doing "well."

I doubt if we're all gonna get rich doing it this way! The DVD guys are now considering submitting to Netflix on-demand. I haven't followed them enough to know what that procedure is.

Hope that helped!
vicmilt wrote on 8/6/2010, 11:10 AM
I have been selling videos online for a few years.

I've got them listed on Amazon (feh) - and sell about one or two a month there.

I had reasonable (but not great) luck with Facebook ads.
(more or less broke even, but never a big sale)
I ran an ad in a specialty magazine for $1,000 bucks and broke even.

My best sales are through my own website.
The store is set up with a free program called Site Delux.
http://victormilt.com/http___quitwh_fatcow_com_store_index.html

I've sold hundreds of discs like that - but people are looking for the kind of videos that I've got and find me (somehow).
I'll always get a rush of orders when I get news press or a screening on my cowboy videos.
My professional how-to's sell whenever I lecture or someone gives me a recommendation on the web in a forum.

I'm still looking for a way to get to the mass market - people love my stuff, (I've got scores of letters thanking me), but damn I wish I could get into colleges and libraries somehow.

v
Jeff Cooper wrote on 8/6/2010, 3:24 PM
Sounds like we're all in the same boat... I had a few sales on Amazon (via CreateSpace) but it has dropped off to zilch the last few months...

What we need is a company like CreateSpace that does more to promote the films and has the resources $$$$ to do so...

Maybe someday...
farss wrote on 8/6/2010, 3:32 PM
I think most of us are happy enough if a reasonable number of people just watched what we made. If in the process we break even financially that's even better, if there's enough profit to pay for the vitals of life then you're doing better than most.

Certainly captive audiences and niche markets are your best chance. Outside of that the problem is almost everyone gives their work away for free just to get it seen and with a market where supply exceeds demand by orders of magnitude it's very hard to get people to pay, much less enough to make a real profit on your efforts.

Bob.
Earl_J wrote on 8/6/2010, 4:36 PM
Perhaps Sony might put aside a small portion of its worldwide online reach to those who design and produce commercial video through the exclusive use of Vegas Pro software...

Probably too much to expect ... hmmm ... it would be a win-win situation ... Sony gets the award-winning creators nod for the software and the creators get the advantage of the Sony online reach.

It wouldn't hurt to just give the producers a link from a Sony page to the producers' own website...

Until that time ... Earl J.
farss wrote on 8/6/2010, 5:38 PM
Sony does (did?) have something to primarily promote their cameras but if memory serves me correctly it's by invitation only and well, obviously they don't care what you edited it with.

Bob.
ushere wrote on 8/6/2010, 6:00 PM
use paypal through a page:

http://www.lesliewand.com.au/kotr.htm

not much use on it own, but great for advertising in mags, papers, etc., since it saves all the usual hassles of sending cheques, post office, etc.,

of course, like everyone else here, it would be nice if the public could find it's own way there ;-)