"So, what's your budget?"

Often, the most concrete answer one may hear about rates is “It depends.”

I added this form to the site hoping to alleviate some of that discomfort or confusion. By offering custom licensing codes, more users can get what they need priced at a rate that works for them. As a pilot program, the first 100 (50 individuals and 50 organizations of three or more people) can register without paying a setup fee (amount TBD).

Most wire agencies (including Nwachukwu Works) will offer a variety of rates based on many usage factors. Though, it’s important: the worth of an image used for a book licensed for 1 million copies will differ compared to a billboard, which will also differ for a social media or blog post reaching 500 followers.

The form is intentionally short and bland as I wanted something simple to complete. Users can share any necessary information or considerations so that they can get their specialized code(s) to accurately fulfills their needs.

For example, a UK-based publication recently inquired about licensing images. They already have a rate sheet specifying their budgets for how they use and pay for live images vs. archival and stock, usage for print and web, and the timeframe that they need the license. It may seem like a lot of information to sift through, but it was actually easier to put their codes together because they shared exactly what they needed and their budget for each type of request.

My hypothesis is that creating this will take out some of the guess work from back and forth emails, or hoping that the “right” someone “can afford this work.” I may have to push back on certain offers/requests, but I like to strike a reasonable balance whenever possible. To an extent, financial exclusivity goes against the accessibility tenant of Nwachukwu Works. The wire service is meant to be an inclusive utility, not an exclusive luxury brand or a desperate “pick me” option. Transparency and firm flexibility allow N.W. to work horizontally and vertically for a larger array of users.

I hope this can be a helpful tool for you or your organization! To me, good journalism and business depend on people or groups willfully using and sharing a service. I’m not interested in being “rich” or “famous” from this work, but rather earning enough to fund the business and take care of my family, and paying forward the extras.

If you’d like to support Nwachukwu Works, please consider making a contribution via NW’s Venmo or CashApp accounts. Self-funding this work is hard and expensive. It’s been awesome receiving feedback and seeing the bits of positive impact this business can generate 📸