Products
Any item that can display a photo is a potential revenue source for photographers. Magnets, T-shirts, mugs, stickers, cards, mouse pads, bags; the market is unlimited. There are several marketplace Web sites that create on-demand, customized products. You can easily set up your own online shop, then upload your photo, pick the products you want to sell, and watch the business come your way.
How much do products pay? You can decide, as you can set the markup. Sell a $9 T-shirt for $14 and you get $5. Also, you can put the same photo on a multitude of products, so one picture can go a long way.
Postcards
Postcards are the lowest-cost printed products. You can make your own quite cheaply, which means low-risk and easy market entry for self-publishers. There are many online printers for postcards. You could make samples on your own inkjet printer, take them to local stores, and ask for feedback.
Notecards
Another easy and cheap way to start your own photography publishing business is with notecards. You can paste standard prints to folded white card, add an envelope, and hey-presto you have a notecard. There’s an increasing number of digital printers that can make professional-looking notecards for you.
With a few samples in hand, you can visit local giftshops and bookstores to see if they will enter into a trial. You could offer the cards on a “no-obligation consignment” basis, where you give them the cards and return a month or two later and charge them only for the cards that sold.
