Public domain badger photo
Public Domain
Public domain content provides an excellent source for both free images and text. Whatever project you're working on the great thing is there are no copyright issues.
I'm squirreling around the web to build a collection of public domain images to post here so stay tuned for updates.
Contents in the public domain are free to use as the copyright has expired (which it has in the US if it was published before 1923) or they have been put in the public domain by the creator who relinquished his/her rights.
Life of the author + 70 years
If there are any restrictions of use relating to an image here it will have a link to the websites conditions beside it, for example http://www.morguefile.com/license/morguefile/ so remember to always check the copyright status of an image on the website before taking it. I'm a squirrel and not responsible for other content :)
I'm squirreling around the web to build a collection of public domain images to post here so stay tuned for updates.
Contents in the public domain are free to use as the copyright has expired (which it has in the US if it was published before 1923) or they have been put in the public domain by the creator who relinquished his/her rights.
Life of the author + 70 years
If there are any restrictions of use relating to an image here it will have a link to the websites conditions beside it, for example http://www.morguefile.com/license/morguefile/ so remember to always check the copyright status of an image on the website before taking it. I'm a squirrel and not responsible for other content :)
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wildlife photos - public domain
Public domain wildlife photos.
Puppy public domain photo
Kestrel photo (I found this today but I now remember seeing it in an art reference book about watercolor painting years ago)
Bald eagle public domain photo
Here are some more animal photos in the public domain. I'm going to use them as art reference material for a series of watercolor ACEOs (miniature paintings) that I sell on ebay and also some of them to base illustrations on for a bilingual childrens book I'm working on. It's ever so hard to get wild animals to pose for a painting.
They are all public domain, you don't have to but a link would be appreciated if you use them.
Raccoon photo
Elephant public domain photo
Puppy public domain photo
Kestrel photo (I found this today but I now remember seeing it in an art reference book about watercolor painting years ago)
Bald eagle public domain photo
Blackpoll warbler public domain photo
Brown bear resting
Public domain giraffe photo
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Selling books using public domain content
There are many books which have been self published with purely public domain content such as classic literature, fairy tales and poetry compilations. A good source for this is http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page . All you need is some good PDF creation software. I use Open Office writer which has security features for the document and I find it easy to use for book layout.
There are a few self publishing sites you can find doing a quick Google search. Lulu.com is one and https://www.createspace.com/ .
Since it is becoming popular to repackage material with an expired copyright make sure the product is up to standard, properly layed out and any illustrations are in the right order. I suggest reading the book reviews at amazon and see where other people went wrong to make your product stand out.
Below are two reviews on different versions of 'Grimm fairy tales' by different people. If you create a good version by putting in a little time and effort it will be around earning you royalties for years.
A good review: The collection of fairy tales in this book is just amazing!
I grew up reading this book, an older version of it which was a gift from my brother which unfortunately got misplaced when we moved. I bought this version specially for my daughter and I am sure she will love the tales as much as I do. I love the vocabulary and illustrations that the author has used in this book. Read it! It's fun!!
And a bad one: The Grimm fairy tales are probably some of the best loved and most well-known fairy tales of all time. This little book however does not do them justice. The best thing about this book is the glossy front cover. Other than that there are no illustrations inside the book, the text is packed tightly into the pages and the stories have been edited so you don't even get an official Grimm versions. If you are on a budget or looking for something compact and don't mind the above, then this book is fine. If however you are looking for something more satisfying that has full versions of the stories and is illustrated too, I would very highly recommend 'The Annotated Brothers Grimm' which is a much more substantial hardback book that I think will be appreciated by adults and children alike. The book also includes a very interesting introduction by Maria Tatar who over the years has carried out much research on fairy tales and therefore provides an authoritative voice on the subject.
Another option is for website content where your visitor will read online and have the option to download a printable version. Lots of pages with some unintrusive advertising which could offer a hard copy from an affiliate or PDF readers is a good idea.
Creating a PDF ebook is a nice addition for a website, it could contain mash ups or extracts relevant to your niche. Letting the visitor download for free and give them resale rights as long as the book is not altered is free advertising as they give away or sell the book with your link :)
I thought I'd include the following for you to take a look at, its just one example as there are many different ones, of what can be done writing a derivative with a creative slant.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
An example on another product
Shakespearean Insults Mug
For designing products including mugs, tshirts, greeting cards, books, stickers and a variety of other merchandise CafePress is easy to use, it's free and you can download templates for all items.
Shop or Create What's On Your Mind at CafePress
There are a few self publishing sites you can find doing a quick Google search. Lulu.com is one and https://www.createspace.com/ .
Since it is becoming popular to repackage material with an expired copyright make sure the product is up to standard, properly layed out and any illustrations are in the right order. I suggest reading the book reviews at amazon and see where other people went wrong to make your product stand out.
Below are two reviews on different versions of 'Grimm fairy tales' by different people. If you create a good version by putting in a little time and effort it will be around earning you royalties for years.
A good review: The collection of fairy tales in this book is just amazing!
I grew up reading this book, an older version of it which was a gift from my brother which unfortunately got misplaced when we moved. I bought this version specially for my daughter and I am sure she will love the tales as much as I do. I love the vocabulary and illustrations that the author has used in this book. Read it! It's fun!!
And a bad one: The Grimm fairy tales are probably some of the best loved and most well-known fairy tales of all time. This little book however does not do them justice. The best thing about this book is the glossy front cover. Other than that there are no illustrations inside the book, the text is packed tightly into the pages and the stories have been edited so you don't even get an official Grimm versions. If you are on a budget or looking for something compact and don't mind the above, then this book is fine. If however you are looking for something more satisfying that has full versions of the stories and is illustrated too, I would very highly recommend 'The Annotated Brothers Grimm' which is a much more substantial hardback book that I think will be appreciated by adults and children alike. The book also includes a very interesting introduction by Maria Tatar who over the years has carried out much research on fairy tales and therefore provides an authoritative voice on the subject.
Another option is for website content where your visitor will read online and have the option to download a printable version. Lots of pages with some unintrusive advertising which could offer a hard copy from an affiliate or PDF readers is a good idea.
Creating a PDF ebook is a nice addition for a website, it could contain mash ups or extracts relevant to your niche. Letting the visitor download for free and give them resale rights as long as the book is not altered is free advertising as they give away or sell the book with your link :)
I thought I'd include the following for you to take a look at, its just one example as there are many different ones, of what can be done writing a derivative with a creative slant.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
An example on another product
Shakespearean Insults Mug
For designing products including mugs, tshirts, greeting cards, books, stickers and a variety of other merchandise CafePress is easy to use, it's free and you can download templates for all items.
Shop or Create What's On Your Mind at CafePress
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