Ready to outsource and want to know how to cover your editing costs?

Often, photographers will wonder how they could ever possibly afford to pay for outsourcing, especially when just starting out.

You’ve wrapped your mind around the idea of trusting someone else to edit your images.

But how will you pay for it?

2 SIMPLE WAYS TO COVER EDITING COSTS

1. BUILD THE COST INTO YOUR PRICING

This is probably the simplest way to afford to outsource your editing. While the number of images that you deliver to a client may vary, you can build the cost of a larger wedding into your pricing. So for example, for a longer wedding, you may deliver 800 images, but for a shorter wedding, you may deliver 400 images. Build the cost of a larger wedding into your pricing and you’ll cover your editing costs with each wedding. In fact, you should factor all your fixed costs for a wedding into your pricing to make sure it’s all covered, but that’s a whole other blog post.

For example:

Current wedding package price: $2500

Cost to edit 700 image wedding: $275

New wedding package price: $2800

I’d recommend a flat pricing increase across the board rather than adjusting it per package. By budgeting the cost of a larger wedding, you’ll always have your editing costs covered, and if you have a smaller gallery, that extra money becomes cash in your pocket or can go towards something else!

2. BOOK ANOTHER WEDDING

Say what now? By booking one more wedding, you can help offset the costs of outsourcing editing for the weddings you already have booked (depending on your price point). If you’re feeling motivated by this idea, you can book two more weddings and cover your whole season! Plus, because you’re outsourcing editing, you won’t even have to edit those extra weddings. Then, you can start building the cost into your pricing, which really is only a small increase.

Booking two additional weddings: $5600 (assuming $2800 wedding package)

Annual cost of outsourcing twenty 700-image weddings: $5460

Result: outsourcing costs covered for ENTIRE SEASON of weddings!

OUTSOURCING YOUR EDITING CHANGES THE GAME

Outsourcing can feel intimidating, especially in the beginning. You’ve worked so hard to figure out your style, shoot consistently, and create a signature look. And now you have to give it away?!

No, you don’t. You’ll still retain creative control over your images. You’ll still be editing your favorites and sharing them on your blog, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

You’ll just be letting go of what can be the tedious part of editing and saying YES to more time.

You’ll be letting go of long nights in front of the computer rushing to get a wedding done and saying YES to a good night’s sleep.

You’ll be letting go of the stress of hoping your toddler naps just a little longer so that you can finish editing and saying YES to more playtime.

You’ll be letting go of saying “no” to industry events, dinner out with friends, lunch dates with vendors, and working on growing your business and saying YES to more of the things you long to do.

Outsourcing your editing will allow you to grow faster, delivery galleries sooner, and make for happy clients (who will then sing your praises to their engaged friends!).

If you’re ready to explore outsourcing your editing or want to chat more about how to cover editing costs, click here to schedule a FREE consultation.