Flickr is trawled for free images and is regarded as fair game by publishers, newspapers and designers. Over the years I've had many requests to use photo's, but those requesting never have a budget and are looking for free usage. Sometimes even low res images will be lifted for web use. Even the UK Guardian Online took one.
That issue exists on pretty much every social network site that allows you to upload photos.MAMF, you said "I am not doing it to make a shed load of money but it is nice to see your own work appear in a magazine or book, making just a few££££$$$$$ would be nice so how do I go about it?."
Most unlikely. Flickr is trawled for free images and is regarded as fair game by publishers, newspapers and designers. Over the years I've had many requests to use photo's, but those requesting never have a budget and are looking for free usage. Sometimes even low res images will be lifted for web use. Even the UK Guardian Online took one.
Flickr: stevebell's Photostream
While there will always be those who want images for free and/or will grab and use with no attribution, Flickr does list ownership and copyright information as described by the photographer, so anyone doing so does it at their own peril. There is nothing within the user agreement that explicitly allows for the free sharing of images. But as always, policing is left up to the photographer.
With that said, I've sold several images for publication after being contacted by someone who found my image during an image search. Not a lot of money, but a $50 licensing fee here and there for an image you weren't necessarily looking to sell is nothing to sneeze at.
Did you have your photos added to a variety of groups to get noticed, or did they find your account?
oh,, make money from photos! my observation has been network network network, enter contests,, etc etc etc,
there are so many pictures littering flickr, 500 px,, etc, that only people really making money are the people who create
the sites.
instead, stay more local, build over time your reputation thru persistence, time, time and maybe maybe, you will sell a few.
and over time, if your reputation builds,, get picked up.
or maybe grins, the sheer brilliance of the photos magically raises your work over the billions of other photos.