Jimmy Thomas Romance Novel "Hero" video montage:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF7jZH5Ynds
My 3000th ROMANCE NOVEL COVER:
My 2500th ROMANCE NOVEL COVER:
My 2000th ROMANCE NOVEL COVER:
http://www.jimmythomas.com/2011-Calendar.htm
Hi there, I've been actively modeling for the past 15 years, from numerous magazines, retail ads, catalogs, music videos, television commercials, movies, tradeshows and promotions, to currently on over 2900 romance novel covers; more covers than anyone in history actually
(Fabio's on about 230
).
RNC - (ROMANCE NOVEL COVERS)
I own and run a stock image website specific to the romance novel industry. I'm continually looking for beautiful/gorgeous women to shoot with for novel covers from it. I am the producer, director, wardrobe stylist, theme creator, set designer, image selector, photo editor and male model in all the photos in my portfolio on here and on my stock image website, I am not the photographer, so please, no messages saying that you have a great-looking boyfriend or husband that you would love to shoot with for novel covers... sorry, but my stock site has only one male model right now; me
but various female models from all different ages, heights, eye and hair colors and ethnic backgrounds. Again, the images we would shoot together are for my STOCK IMAGE WEBSITE solely for the romance novel industry, not general stock for anything and everything, which is stated in the licensing to the buyers. We would NOT be shooting for ONE book cover, we would be shooting 1000+ images for MANY, MANY book covers, over MANY, MANY years. My images are bought over and over again, not just once. They are used on MANY, MANY covers... Sorry, but so many girls keep asking me what is the name of the book they will be on
... I have no idea as I don't know who, when, or how many times our images would be bought and which covers they will be on until they are, where they then send me the covers, but EVERY model who shoots with me IS on MANY novel covers, and as each week/month goes by they are on many more as I'm on about 35 new covers each week.
COMPENSATION:
I pay my female co-models 20% of all our image sales, and image sales are far greater than the amount of covers we're on, as images are also used for author and publisher website design (as seen in my MM portfolio [where I have many more that I just don't have time to keep adding to here], and far more on my facebook page linked above), their website banners, bookmarks, promo cards, etc., and most buy images they love and hold onto them until they need them for future covers. Stock however, is a slow earning process with profit being made from quantity with residual income. I send out checks the end of each month once your account reaches $100 within that month, and so on each time your account reaches $100 again. Thinking you will get a $100+ check every month in the beginning is a bit unrealistic, but as time goes on, as more buyers subscribe each day, and as long as we shoot a lot of different sets/outfits, income from shooting with me, will 'by far' pay you more than any flat rate shoot you will ever do elsewhere, which is why many models shoot with me over and over again... one has shot with me 7 times and has to fly in for it.
Why? Because I have cornered this market
I speak at romance novel conventions on branding, marketing and self-promotion due to my knowledge and experience in the industry, the level I've gotten myself to on my own, and how much it has skyrocketed because I'm the only one doing it and the romance novel industry can't stop thanking me for creating this venue for them to get beautiful cover images.
Many of you girls who say you only shoot for flat rate, also say you shoot for select TFP or for published tearsheets. Yet you won't shoot for residual income AND images AND published tearsheets ("covers" at that). I have models thanking me for offering this as a residual income instead of a typical flat rate that normally they would just make one car payment with and then it's gone, where images from that flat-rate shoot they would do, get replaced after a year or two with newer images, where those retired images are then put away in a closet on a CD, never to be seen again, never to be profited from. This is where I weed out the smart, business savvy, career-minded "models", and the "girls" who just get their photos taken as a job to pay their bills, where once they get older, they can no longer make money from their years of shooting, unlike the career-minded models who shoot with me and continue getting paid... forever
REALITY:
If we only shoot a few set-ups because you didn't bring the proper attire discussed, or if you don't produce expressions needed during the shoot, or you only want to shoot for a few hours, then we won't get that many marketable images. You can't think that just because you are attractive and we shoot, that we'll have 1,000+ images to be sold. So you need to 'bring it' during our shoot. So asking me to give you a ballpark amount of how much you could make is impossible to answer.
My shoots are a MINIMUM of 4-6 hours, with my best shoots being 8-14 hours, all depending on the model, how expressive she is, and how long she can go; many have gone 10-14 hours, from sunset to sunrise. Obviously the longer we shoot, the more set-ups we do, the more outfits, the more diverse images, the more sales, the more covers.
BENEFITS:
My stock site is solely for ROMANCE NOVEL COVERS and romance novel related promotional material; author website design, banners, bookmarks, etc., and my image licensing specifies this. So our shoot will DEFINITELY get you on many romance novel covers (FIRST AND FOREMOST), there are no if's and's or but's about that, you WILL be on many. It will also get you beautiful images for your portfolio... AND, it will provide you with residual income as our images sell. At any time you want a breakdown of where your sales are at, simply email me and I'll send it to you to show you exactly which images, how many of them, and what dates they were sold. When I upload our images, I also send you a low res copy of each so you can see which images are up for sale. Those are the images you get to chose from (which are many) to let me know which you would like for your portfolio. This is not a TFP shoot where you get all your images shortly after the shoot. I don't work on, and upload all our images, at once, they don't sell best that way, I have to spread them out to always put up fresh looks that 'WOW' my buyers.
ROMANTIC & SENSUAL (everyone):
With Romantic and Sensual images, you would be in dresses, jeans, shorts, etc., down to lingerie (that you bring with you) and usually some implied topless (much preferred by buyers as they can be used on any novel genre/era without dating the image with specific attire), but with your 'women parts' always covered with your hair, your/my arms, hands, bed sheets, us being chest-to-chest, etc., and with very sensual, loving and hot expressions. Our expressions are what makes/sell these images!
EROTICA:
With Erotica images (FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DO THESE; EROTICA IS NOT REQUIRED), we would start off in lingerie/underwear (that you bring with you), and down to implied topless and POSSIBLY implied nude, like shower/bed shots (IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT), but again, 'women parts' always covered, and with really hot and passionate expressions. Our expressions and poses/body language are what makes/sell these images!!! Again, IF you want to do these, as they are VERY popular, but they are not for everyone. And I shoot a range from Soft Erotica to Hard Erotica, but all still classy/tame enough to be sold on public bookstore shelves.
Soft Erotica:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/19321224
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/19312368
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/19611355
Hard Erotica:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/19312309
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/19312395
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/19180371
HISTORICAL (mostly just Caucasian/non-ethnic women):
With Historical images (Regency, Renaissance, Medieval, Highlander, Victorian, Western), we would be in periodic outfits/costumes that I would provide. Your over-dramatic/theatrical expressions, body language, poses and the outfits, are what make/sells these images!!!
NUDITY:
NO NUDITY will EVER, EVER, EVER show in ANY of the images, not before, or after, it's all IMPLIED. If something is showing while we're shooting, my photographer will tell us so that we can cover it up BEFORE he takes the shot; I want as little Photoshop work as possible, as I do all the post-production work myself. Our poses would be similar to these:
http://www.jimmythomas.com/RNC/couples-stock.htm as well as all the images in my MM portfolio. If you message me saying "I don't do nudity" then I know you didn't read this, as I don't do nudity either, which I just explained.
WARDROBE:
(for Romantic, Sensual, Sexy/Edgy Contemporary and/or Erotica)
Lingerie (preferably all lace pieces, not new, push-up bra looking tops that would just be from the last few decades), full lingerie sets with garters, sheer stockings (not saloon or go-go dancing fish net) and matching colored heels. Corsets (these are great!), one piece negligees, sheer and silk/satin robe if you have, cute boy-shorts, different cut/style panties, pair of jeans even if ripped for Sexy/Edgy Contemporary sets, jean shorts/skirts, high boots.
(for Cowboy/Country) - {if you have these outfits we'll shoot this as well}
Jeans, ripped and not, cowboy boots, plaid shirts, earth-tone color tank-tops, 1/4 sleeve shirts, t-shirts, long frilly Spanish looking skirts, jean shorts and skirts, cowboy hats (not costume colored like pink or white, but REAL looking cowboy hats (tan, brown, black, etc.), anything else you have that looks cowboy/country, but simple, not too busy; busy is distracting to the eyes and draws away from our connection/expressions.
(for other genres; Vampire, Native American Indian, Biker, Military, Spy, etc.)
We'll discuss per each.
MAKE-UP:
If you need a lot of make-up to cover bad skin then this isn't for you, as make-up for romance novel covers is very minimal, soft and light... LITTLE to NO eyeliner, NO lip liner, LIGHT earth/face tone color in eye shadow that blends into your face (no blues, reds, greens, purples, etc.) so that you don't see a separation of where your eye shadow starts and stops. NO FAKE EYELASHES AT ALL, they are so obvious in these photos and not needed; this is not a strip club, you're not go-go dancing, you are not on a stage far away, nor are we shooting glamour or black & whites. You girls never see what your eyes look like when they are closed with bright or bold eye shadow colors and fake eyelashes on; that dark line/strip where your fake lashes are glued to your eye lids is SO OBVIOUS when your eyes are closed, when you are looking at my lips or down at my chest or in thought. So YOUR FACE needs to show, not what you look like painted like a fashion model in 2011
You need to step out of your world of shooting portfolio stuff and how you typically do your make-up everyday... and yes your eyes can still "pop" without heavy eye-liner and smokey eye shadow. So yes, you will be doing your own make-up. AND ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO FINGERNAIL POLISH AT ALL. Fingernail polish wasn't invented until the 1920's. If you have on nail polish our images would NOT be able to be used on 85% of novel covers (before contemporary). If you have a French manicure then your nail tips have to look natural in length, not long. I prefer natural nails. Remember, this is NOT a glamour shoot
HAIR:
Your hair needs to be preferably long, wavy and full (if it's not and I sent you a message, then your face/look works with your hair as it is), and definitely without dark roots or dark eyebrows if you're blonde. If you have straight hair, please come with them in curlers or curl it first so that your hair will be wavy to start. If you have extensions, please wear them, and not just two little pieces. If your images in your portfolio show you with LONG, FULL HAIR, then that is what I am expecting. If a hair-stylist did that for you, or you no longer have your extensions, then I need to know this, as hair is HUGE in my shoots. I'm expecting what I see on your portfolio, not two little groups of hair strands that hang over your shoulders because you don't have in all your extension pieces now. So yes, the fuller and longer your hair, the better. And don't worry about your curls falling out. As they fall out, it will change up your look to shoot with straighter hair. The curls are mostly for Historical, Romantic and Cowboy/Country.
CAUCASIANS:
Are able to do a full range of all genres, depending on their look and physique.
AFRICAN AMERICANS & ASIANS, etc. (IR = InterRacial.. a very big genre):
Typically are usually only used on very Sensual and Erotica covers, as African American and Asian women write these stories and they tend to be very sexual with their story writing, almost always writing Erotica stories. So the covers need to tell their story. However, I've decided to change that and give the romance novel industry a bit more towards Romantic and even some Historical as some royal families fell in love with peasants/lower class who were African American and Asian and brought them into the royal family. But we would still have to do lots of Erotica (even if just Soft Erotica) and Sensual, to still give the industry what they mainly need for IR covers.
A message received from an IR author...
"Jimmy,
I really want to thank you for all the IR covers you do. As an Interracial author it made it hard to have sensual and erotica covers with a white male and black female. Most times they were just cut and paste. Then your photos hit the world and you changed things. You did what "Fabio" never could do... you are versatile. You go from Regency Rogue, Cowboy to IR lover and every picture is loaded with intense passion and sensuality. I have three releases that will be out in in January and you are gracing the cover of two of them. Please keep them coming.
Yvette, Best Selling Author of IR Erotic Romance"
LOCATION:
All indoor shoots are typically done at my place in Sherman Oaks. However if you are in from out of town I would prefer to shoot in your hotel if you are staying in one, to give us more versatility of backgrounds in your hotel room. Outdoor shoots are around the L.A. area depending on the theme/genre, which I would let you know when we confirm which genres we are to shoot.
DATES/TIMES:
My photographer and I are VERY flexible on dates and times to shoot. I know many models work 9 to 5 jobs so we can work with your schedule and do many shoots late afternoon, evening, even late night (midnight to sunrise), it doesn't matter to us. We actually do most shoots at these late hours, unless outdoors. Saturdays and most Sundays (all day and night) are always out of the question as my photographer is booked then on other regular commitments.
CHAPERON:
If you are wanting to bring someone with you, you are more than welcome to, as long as it is a female and someone not on a deadline to leave if you want to shoot longer. No boyfriends, husbands, male assistants or male friends (I know your male 'assistant' or 'friend' is really your boyfriend) as it completely prevents you from using the expressions and body language needed to pull off these images. I've allowed it in the past and had completely wasted shoots because the girls are afraid of what their man will think with them using these poses and expressions on another man, so they hold back and pull back. Again, I've been shooting 'couple' shoots for 13 years, so I know what works and what doesn't
I think my resume, the amount of female models I've shot with (158), and continue to shoot with, and posting them for references, speaks for itself
And I've yet to ever have someone bring an escort, other than two mothers as they were the model's only ride and were totally cool, and one female cousin as she was the model's hair stylist.
REFERENCES:
You can read my TAGS below for references from models I've shot with.
INTERESTED:
If you're interested in shooting GUARANTEED romance novel cover images with me, and making residual income forever (romance novels sales make up 55% of ALL books sold in book stores, so THOUSANDS are published yearly), send me a message telling me:
1.) Which images of yours are most current (mostly for hair style/color/length).
2.) Your contact info that you check regularly (email and phone number).
3.) Your zodiac sign (yes, this is relevant)
4.) Are you allergic to cats?
5.) Which of the FOUR styles of images are you comfortable shooting up to with me out of "Romantic", "Sensual", "Soft-Erotica" and "Hard-Erotica".
(I know EVERYONE wants to do Historical, but there are those themes that I just listed WITHIN the Historical genre... Historical is not a style, it is a genre).
6.) What date(s) in my schedule below you are wanting to shoot... Or, you will get back to me with a date(s).
Thank you
Jimmy Thomas
http://www.facebook.com/JimmyThomasDotCom
2012 SCHEDULE
May - OPEN
ROUGH TIME SLOTS (but open to any time of day, night, late night, sunset to sunrise, sunrise to sunset... we can shoot any hour
)
- late morning to late afternoon (10am+/- to 5pm+/-)
- late afternoon to late evening (5pm+/- to 12am+/-)
- late evening to... (8pm+/- to whenever...)
- or list a time you are able to start within any of those time slots
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