‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, so the adage goes, and there’s no doubt about the power of a beautiful photograph for drawing attention to your books.
Hidden on the internet is a collection of astounding images, and they’re free to use. So I’ve collated the seven best free libraries and listed them for you below - the same ones that I personally use almost every day.
But first, let’s look at some of the best ways authors can use these free photos…
3 Ways To Use Photographs To Attract Attention To Your Books:
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1. Vividly Illuminate Your Blog Posts
Dramatize the messages in your blog posts with images that grab the attention of ‘passers-by’ who wouldn’t normally stop to read them.
It’s the same reason I used an eye-catching photograph of a camera for this blog post. I wanted to underscore that it’s all about the power of the photograph.
Note: The ‘W’ symbol stands for WordPress – my #1 recommended blogging system.
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2. Attract Attention On Twitter and Facebook
Photographs are an ‘accelerant’ – a spark that can help to ignite word-of-mouth recommendation for your work.
By adding a striking and relevant image to your Tweets or Facebook posts, you’ll increase the interest you generate. Your posts will be retweeted more often on Twitter, and shared more widely on Facebook.
3. Create A Book Cover That Sells
T
ruth is, I recommend having a professional designer create your book covers. See my blog post: ‘The Billboard That Can Make Or Break Your Book’s Success.’
But when cost is a factor, and you have to do it yourself, there’s no need to scratch around for an image.
By searching through this collection of sites with an idea in mind, you’ll come across the image you need.
The 7 Photo Libraries – A Free Image Resource For Authors
All seven libraries offer free, professionally Photoshop-enhanced photography, mixed in with more with everyday shots. Some require registration (free), but it’s more than worth it. Most of them also offer paid images, which can be tempting, since they reserve the highest quality images for paying customers, so be careful what you choose.
1. Stock.xchnge
The first and largest free stock-photo site online. Easy to navigate with over 350,000 images, contributed by 30,000 photographers. This photograph is typical of the high impact imagery available at no cost:
Photograph by ‘doc’ Sias van Schalkwyk. Stock.xchng
2. Dreamstime Free
http://www.dreamstime.com/free-photos
Professional quality photographs. This is the free section of the Dreamstime paid site. The photographs are of superb quality and will suit most needs. This beautiful high-res photo of a tulip is an example from the ‘flowers’ category:
Photograph by Chez. Dreamstime.com/free-photos
3. Microsoft Image Gallery
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images
Microsoft have a superb online photographic resource – all free, and every photograph is of ultra-high quality. For example ‘Women Skiers’:
4. Kozzi Free Photo Library
One of the most popular stock photo libraries on the net. Photographs have been professionally shot for the most part, and dramatically enhanced in photoshop. This guitar image is one of Kozzi’s many free musical intrument photographs:
Photograph by Kozzi Inc.
5. MorgueFile Free Photos
Morguefile is a gorgeous photo library chock full of sumptuous images – all contributed by creatives, for use by creatives. The library offers a huge number of photographs all of high resolution. For best results, use several terms to search. A perfect example of the quality at Morgue Library is this Venetian Mask:
6. Free Range Stock
Virtually every image on this site is meticulously color sharpened by professional photographers. Not quite as large a collection as other sites, but easily made up for by the sheer quality of the images. The quality is immediately apparent in this color-adjusted cheese board setting:
Photograph by Geoffrey Whiteway. FreeRangeStock.com
7. RGB Free Stock Photos
RGB Free Stock has an extremely user-friendly interface. A huge number of dynamic photographs, most at a highly professional level. This ‘splash’ photograph displays the style and power of RGB’s imagery:
Photograph by Lusi (Sanja Gjenero) RGBStock.com
Remember… they’re all free to use. Most authors are not aware of the amazing shots waiting to go to work for them. So do bookmark this page, and next time you’re communicating on your blog or in social media use an image.
What about Google Images?
It’s important to avoid using images taken directly from a ‘Google Images’ search.
Most of them will have copyright attached, and belong to someone. The bottom line is if you see an image on Google you definitely want to use, then track down the owner and ask first. Even better, use a free image from one of the libraries listed here.
Reminder: Don’t forget to bookmark this page!
Remember also to ALWAYS check the user conditions of each of these libraries. Some have very narrow restrictions on use. Most are quite straight-forward.
Are you using photographs to illuminate your blog posts? Do you have any other favorite free photo libraries? Please do leave a comment below.
Article written by Jonathan Gunson
Author / CEO Bestseller Labs
Notice: This article is copyrighted material. Reproduction of brief snippets of this article with a link to this site are permitted, but it may not be reproduced in full anywhere without the written permission of Jonathan Gunson at BestsellerLabs.com
That’s a fantastic and really useful list, so thank you very much for compiling it – and even more for sharing it! I already use morguefile regularly and also rgbstock which isn’t on your list.
I’m a former Journalist, now working freelance on a variety of projects. One of these is to create newsletters for a local veterinary practice and although I use a lot of my own photographs, I often spend hours searching for just the right shot.
This list will be invaluable!
Gilly
RGB Stock has some extraordinarily beautiful pics and I’ve used the site frequently over a long period. So on reflection I’ve updated the post to include it. Thank you.
~ Jonathan
What a great range of photos. Thank you
Thanks for this list Jonathan! Too many people out there put up photos on their blogs without thinking of the copyright issues for the picture owners, so this is an excellent selection of resources for brightening up websites legitimately.
Thank you so much for this – had been struggling with imagery and very grateful for this share. I have used Fotolia, which is reasonable, but you do have to pay. Do you know Jonathan what the copyright issues are on displaying images/video clips of famous people? I see this on a lot of blogs – eg music videos etc. I guess where it comes from a qualified source and allows you to share or embed, it’s okay? Any guidance would be much appreciated.
Kaye
Use of celebrity photographs can be a thorny, complicated issue. The paparazzi see the folks walking the red carpet as fair game, since they are all ‘hot news’. But when it comes to using individual photographs, who actually owns the copyright? This is of pivotal importance. i.e. Who actually took the shot? Does the photographer own it or their agency or employer?
Equally importantly, it’s not legal to use a celebrity photograph to appear in any way to endorse a product or service without their permission. The bottom line is in all instances it’s best to consult a copyright lawyer about a celebrity image before using it in your work.
~ Jonathan
Apologies for belated thank you, but you have confirmed my own caution here! I think in some cases it’s obvious where a video clip has been designed specifically for sharing in the hope it will go viral. Where this is not obvious (ie you are not encouraged to share from the source point) you should leave well alone or simply provide a link to direct people. With photos, I have tended to steer clear altogether. I can appreciate entirely the copyright issues – why should we help ourselves to creative output without permission? Hence the generosity of your share here re: free libraries! And good added value from comments about legal issues too. Many thanks to everyone.
Hi jonathan,
These look fabulous!! Thank you. All I need know is to work out how to attach a photo to a tweet – and how to use them on my blog – having a few technical problems there…
Now off to do some writing / editing before I get thoroughly distracted. Treat to myself when I’ve done enough work is to browse these sites!!
Margaret
Margaret
On Twitter under the ‘Compose new Tweet…’ text panel, there is an pale grey icon of a camera. (You’ll need to click inside the panel to see it.)
Click on the camera icon upload a photo to a Tweet – then add words. Twitter make it easy.
~ Jonathan
Flickr search Creative Commons with Attribution Licence is also an option. Some great pictures there. Or Deviantart.com and some of stock photos there are available free, but you have to go through more sifting to find them.
Great collection tho, didn’t know few of these, thank you !
Adrijus. I see you design book covers. I was so taken with some of your designs e.g. Amelia Lost, that I felt compelled to include a link to your work: http://www.rockingbookcovers.com/book-cover-design/20-beautiful-non-fiction-covers/
Re Photo libraries: True enough re Flickr. I considered including it along with Wikimedia, even Photobucket, and about 10 others. These 7 are simply the ones I find easiest to use and that I keep coming back to.
~ Jonathan
Jonathan, those in the post aren’t mine, those are a collection of some great ones I’ve found online to inspire ideas for Authors who need covers.
Good to see you posting more on this blog, by the way, there was some period with no updates. Always like checking out this blog as it’s one of the good ones around!
Derek. Correct. I went through a period of updating ‘Twitter For Authors’ and finalising our plan for the site. All done. Will be blogging from now on regularly. ~ Jonathan
Thanks, Jonathan! I’ve been struggling to find quality photos and once again, you’re right there with the answers. Gotta love Bestseller Labs!
Thank you!
Thank you for this page!
Great information–I am eternally on the lookout for usable pix and art.
Much appreciated.
Great cover on Merlin by the way…
Pen
Penelope Re the ‘Merlin Book’ The idea was to make the book a ‘desirable object’ – akin to Merlin’s gold silver and crystal wand itself. ~ Jonathan
Thanks for a great resource I can use for a variety of projects!
This is an incredibly useful resource. Thank you.
I found your information of great interest. I have been writing for several years, but, have had little success in selling my work in useful numbers. With two novels, two autobiographical works and a series of children’s stories, I had hoped for more sales. thanks for your information.
John. This article may help. http://bestsellerlabs.com/how-to-get-massive-free-publicity-for-your-book/ How book bloggers can promote you. ~ Jonathan
Jonathan –
Thanks for the information.
Great post as usual and awesome resources. I will make sure to bookmark.
Recently I started creating my own images with a few free apps on my iPad. I even did all the work for my first cover and I have received good feedback on it.
I’ll email you once the book is up on amazon as I don’t want to detract from this invaluable information.
Once again, thanks for all you do here. I have learned more from the short time of being subscribed here than in years of doing this on my own.
Take care
Jeff
Jeff… you never detract. Share away Sir! All the best with your Amazon book launch. ~ Jonathan PS. See article re succeeding on the Kindle: http://bestsellerlabs.com/why-your-amazon-kindle-book-will-be-far-bigger-than-you-imagine/
Jonathan –
Thanks, I created it from an photo I took on the iPad and edited it with a free app. The cover was made with an online generator.
I am having a Desk Top version of a Kindle Cover generator made so I don’t have to use the online version. I will give it away to authors who want it for free once it’s complete.
Anyhow, here is the cover for the first book of my Mason Rath series:
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s662/jolah/Cover_zps62cdfe9e.jpg
Take care
Jeff
Thanks very much. An excellent collection and resource.
Thanks so much for this great collection, I can’t wit to check them out! I have been using wylio.com with fine results.
I just discovered MorgueFile a couple weeks ago. I am certainly interested in the others as well.
I use as many of my own photos as I can, but there certainly are times when some better choices can be made.
thanks for the info.
I’ve only used sxc, so this list is great. Thanks Jonathan!
There’s actually a whole stack more Sandra. e.g. Wikimedia Commons has an absolutely gigantic range. But it’s not so easy to find perfect shots there. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
I’ve found the ones in the post here the simplest to use, with a large number of the photos having great photoshop enhancements.
~ Jonathan
Nice! Thanks for sharing, Jonathan!
Great post. Thanks so much. These photos are fantastic, excellent resources.
[...] via BestsellerLabs: 7 Libraries Of Sensational Photographs You Can Use For Free. [...]
Jonathan, as always an excellent source of information. Would you do a similar post on where to source music from? For podcasts, book launch trailers and the like. Or perhaps just suggest a few here.
Derek
There are a ton of music libraries on the net. I have successfully used the ones listed here, and wasted hours messing about just listening to the samples!
1. http://www.musicloops.com/ I generally go here first. Well organised. Listen to the quality of the Pachelbel Canon: http://www.musicloops.com/classical/
2. http://musicbakery.com/ Terrific collection – very wide range
3. http://www.premiumbeat.com/ Equally good
4. http://www.beatsuite.com/ Marvellous collection – all styles
5. http://www.soundrangers.com/ – more oriented to sound effects but also great music.
6. A small free source http://free-loops.com/free-loops-find.php (There are many free small samples like this all over the net.)
~ Jonathan
Jonathan
Thank you for the list of music sources. This will save me hours of looking around
Derek
Thanks a lot for the list Jonathan. Useful!
Thanks for another great article. Admittedly, I can improve in my use of images to promote my work. I wasn’t aware of all of these resources, and will definitely bookmark them for future use.
Bard, your noir ‘detective’ covers are outstanding. ~ Jonathan
Thanks a lot, Jonathan. I’ve been blessed with outstanding artistic partners, for whom I’m truly grateful.
[...] Note re the photo: Because I ran out of time to take pics of the snake, the photo above is from Microsoft Clip Art (click on the pic for link). For that site and a heap of other free photo sites, check out Jonathan Gunson’s blog post on the subject. [...]
Thank you so much! You are always a source of wonderful ideas and links!
[...] 7 Libraries Of Sensational Photographs You Can Use For Free | Bestseller Labs [...]
A very timely article and reference list Jonathan, thank you. I’m not at the stage of needing a title design just yet but the list will be most helpful for blog posts and other online activities. Thanks, John.
John. These photographic libaries are particularly good for author blogging. A broad variety of quite extraordinary images. I don’t think most bloggers are aware of how an image can completely alter the initial impression of a blog post. Ulimately it’s the written content that counts of course, but the right orchestration of word and image can set it all alight. ~ Jonathan
Well done Jonathan – yet another useful post. You are a true professional!
[...] 7 Libraries of Sensational Photographs You Can Use For Free by Johnathan Gunson at BestSellerLabs. Primp those blogs! [...]
Thank you for this wonderful post and for sharing the links.
Jonathan, thanks for sharing these great resources. I use a lot of my own photography, but it’s so great to know there are sources to go to for free photography while honoring the photographer’s rights. It’s great to have these links.
These photo libraries certainly are a time saver Elissa. By shooting it yourself you get what you want, but … oh the work. ~ Jonathan
Laughing… Yes, sometimes formating one of my own photos takes almost longer than writing the post it will be featured on.
Your post made my “best reads of the week” — I featured it in my Friday Links 02.01.13 Here’s a link: http://elissafield.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/friday-links-for-writers-02-01-13/
Elissa… thank you! ~ Jonathan
Wow, this is really great! Never knew that all of this was available.
Welcome to ‘Planet Picture’ Melissa. ~ Jonathan
Grrreat resources, Jonathan, bookmarked all of them !
Since I’m doing a lot of designing, I’m alwaysss looking for images.
Always look forward to your voice and intriguing avatar here Dorian. ~ Jonathan
I can not thank you enough for this list. I was afraid to use images on my blog as I thought you had to pay for everything. I use some of my own photos. But these images will lift any post i do from now on and give it a bit of omph !
When you say Bookmark do you mean add it to my favourites list ?
Thanks again Jonathon
Mary. Yes, add to your favourites. Note: Read the photo site conditions re attribution in each case. Some require the photographer to be mentioned with the picture, some don’t.
~ Jonathan
[...] See on bestsellerlabs.com [...]
Great info, Jonathan. Thanks so much!
[...] 7 Libraries Of Sensational Photographs You Can Use For Free by Jonathan Gunson [...]
Very useful Jonathan – as your blogposts usually are.
I do use Flickr too – by doing an advanced search you can specify Creative Commons and so select usable images.
Handy hint thanks KML. ~ Jonathan
Thanks so much for these free photo sites. I have been trying in vain to find something for my covers which are grim. Can’t afford professional ones at the moment like so many newbies. I look forward to exploring these sites.
Of all things, I have found it extremely hard to find photos of a tiara I could use legally, and unfortunately I just don’t have any diamond tiaras laying around so I could take my own photo.
Thanks for all the resources!
E.S.I Sometimes with objects as precise as a Tiara, the free libraries have trouble putting up photos, because the free photos usually look as good as the paid ones! But hunt around – you’ll find something. ~ Jonathan
Keep in mind that Microsoft Image Gallery has a lot of restrictions with their photo usage. Such as you are not allowed to use them in a book for illustrations or as part of a logo. When it comes to any “free” stock photography provider, always check the fine print for each and every image you use. There’s a big different between “personal” use and “commercial” (like in a book cover). Plus there may be limits as to how long you are allowed to use it.
James
Very helpful. I did point out that users should always check the conditions of use on each site, but this underscores the importance of this very lucidly thank you.
~ Jonathan
[...] 7 Free Photo Libraries in answer to the permissions and legalities schtuff [...]
[...] image courtesy of pixelstar on stock.xchng http://bestsellerlabs.com/7-free-photo-libraries/ [...]
[...] 7 Libraries Of Sensational Photographs You Can Use For Free [...]
[...] “Jonathon Gunson, Best Sellers Lab, offers a list of alternative sites and includes beautiful examples of the types of photos you can use here. [...]