Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to do to make money on GnarlySunset.com?

Joining GnarlySunset.com, sharing and selling your photos, and getting paid couldn't be easier:
1. Click "Register" to create your free member account. Members can post images for free and manage their posted photos through their account. 2. Click "Profile" and insure your contact and Paypal details are correct.
3. Click on "Upload New Photo". Fill out all the fields with as much information about your photo as possible to make it easier to find when buyers search and upload high resolution images by clicking "Save". We require you provide a Photo Title and describe the Country and City the photo was taken in. We strongly recommend you fill out every field. We accept JPG, TIFF, and PNG formats. You must have full commercial rights to all photos you upload. Start uploading your Print Ready High Resolution images now!
5. Earn 15% commission on the sale prices of any of your images. Because uploading is free and takes seconds, and GnarlySunset.com has a highly dedicated professional team of marketers driving sales, it is possible to earn money with very little time commitment. Of course, like anything, the more effort and focus you put into marketing your own photos by following our simple tips, and the higher the quality of your own images, the more money you will make. But, either way, we incur the costs, from hosting, to serving, to marketing, to printing your imagesÂ… We make it easy for you to make real money.
6. Focus on quality! We believe anything can shoot a sunset worthy of being hung on our wall. But, differentiating yourself can make a huge difference. Be creative, capture unique colors, places, and perspectives, and tell a story with both the photo and your description.
7. After your images are sold, we'll handle the rest. The photos will be professionally printed and quickly shipped to destinations across the world. Your photo could end up in someone's living room on another continent.
8. You'll be paid out 45 days after the end of a month when your commission exceeds $20. Provide your Paypal details, and the transaction will be a breeze.

Does it cost money to join or use GnarlySunset.com?

No, GnarlySunset.com is totally FREE to both photographers and buyers. The best part is, anyone can join! You don't have to be a professional, have a $5,000 camera, or possess a degree in photography though experience and nice equipment can't hurt. Bring an imagination and share an amazing moment. We'll be looking forward to what you have to share.

When and how do I receive payment for images sold?

If you upload images and want to receive compensation for earned commissions, you must provide GnarlySunset.com accurate payment and taxpayer information (Note: taxpayer information only required if you reside in the United States). Login and go to your Profile page in your Member area where you enter your information. Personal information will be kept private and secure, unless otherwise noted where it appears on your public profile. Photographers in the United States who don't enter correct taxpayer ID won't legally be allowed to receive payment.
GnarlySunset.com pays members based on your sales volume. When you reach $20.00 in earnings, you will be sent a payment. Payments are made within 45 days after the end of a calendar month (in which the sale took place). The delay is to allow GnarlySunset.com to resolve any customer service issues such as damaged items or refunds and provide a fair payout.
For example, if your photos generate $10.00 in your first month selling, GnarlySunset.com will not make a payment. If your gallery earns $10 more by the end of the second month (making $20.00 earned overall), within 45 days after the end of that month GnarlySunset.com will send you a check for the $20.00 accumulated over the previous two months of operation.
We may, in our discretion, send you a payment before your accrued compensation reaches or exceeds the payment threshold. See our Terms and Conditions for payment details and terms.

How are payments made?

Payments are made by check or Paypal. To be paid via PayPal, enter your Paypal email in the Member area. Otherwise we will pay by check if you provide full address information.

How are you helping me make money?

Our number one focus is to help our members make money. We do this at great expense, both in terms of time and money. Our team is made up on industry leading internet marketers. We are buying media from across the internet, aggressively targeting social media users, promoting our members' photos through email blasts, reaching out to individual prospective customers across the internet, and doing everything we can to move your images up to the top of search engine results.
We also strive to make it easy for you to leverage simple tools we provide. Be sure to spend a few seconds clicking the Facebook "Like" button after every photo upload, "Stumble" your photos, share links to your photos on blogs and through emails, and share a link to your page through as many mediums you use online.

Why is the commission set at 15%?

Please don't think of it in terms of Gnarly Sunset takes home 85%, the photographers get 15%... that couldn't be farther from the truth.
We've received this question a few times and want to answer it directly. Keep an open mind while reading the explanation, because you'll see it's fair and advantageous to photographers...
Thinking in terms of where 100% of the sale price goes, the breakdown will be something like this:
15% - Uploading Photographer
5% - Credit Card Fees
5% - Hosting, Site Maintenance
30-40% - Printing/Fulfillment of Orders
90% or so what is left - Advertising on Google, Facebook, Buying Ads Across the Internet
Half or so of every sale is going to be spent on printing the pictures, framing photos, shipping the orders, processing credit cards, maintaining and improving the site, etc. This is all done for you. If you start a gallery, you pay for the space, you pay for the prints, you use your time setting it all up and selling the prints yourself, you ship out orders if they come from a different area... etc.
On top of all of that, 15% goes to the photographers... so we're up to nearly 65%.
Most of the rest will be spent on marketing. That's our specialty. In the last three years, our leaders ran the marketing for four companies, and each has risen to the top of their niche. Three of the four made over $20,000 daily in revenue. We did this by spending a ton of money advertising. It's always going to be a major expense because that's how customers and sales are brought to the page. We also happen to be some of the best at buying it on the internet. That's great for the photographers on Gnarly Sunset, because it means there is the potential for a significant number of sales.
So, if you upload a lot of great photos, you have the potential to earn daily commissions, and for little extra work. Just join, upload your photos (each takes about a minute), then forget about your account. When you earn enough commission to receive a payout, we'll make sure your payment info is right, and get you paid. You realistically could spend just one hour putting your photos on Gnarly Sunset, and make serious residual income for the long-term future.
Finally, put the 15% in the perspective of the sale price of the items. Microstock agencies don't print and ship your photos, they just provide a download. That's how they justify $2 prices and pennies for commission. One sale on Gnarly Sunset will make you between $2 and $112.5!