The inquiry you answer first is usually the one you book.
Booking a session is a race you lose in your inbox, and the editing queue is where the follow-ups go to die. Muley works both ends so the shooting stays the part you do.
A studio with a producer has somebody answering inquiries the hour they land and somebody invoicing on schedule. You are shooting on Saturday, editing until Wednesday, and answering Monday's inquiry on Thursday.
You come back from a session and go straight into the editing queue, so the inquiry from that morning waits until the cull is done. By then the couple has booked whoever wrote back the same day.
Where the week actually goes
Two inquiries land while you are shooting. You answer them Thursday, and one has already booked somebody else.
Everyday admin →The retainer never came in, so the date is held on trust and the calendar says booked.
Getting paid →The gallery went out, the client loved it, and nobody ever mentioned prints, albums, or next year.
Marketing that lapses →What Muley carries here
The same six piles as every other trade, in the order they hurt in yours.
An inquiry that waits until the edit is finished is an inquiry somebody else answered, and the edit always takes longer than you said.
- Draft the reply and the priced session options from an inquiry
- Follow up on the enquiry that never came back
- Confirm the session time and location the day before
The retainer is what makes a date real, and the balance is due at a moment you are usually behind a monitor.
- Chase the retainer before the date is held
- Invoice the balance ahead of delivery
- Nudge the commercial client paying on their own terms
A delivered gallery is the warmest a client will ever be, and it is the moment the conversation usually stops.
- Send the review request after the gallery lands
- Reach the family whose last session was a year ago
- Re-open seasonal sessions before the dates fill
Gear, travel, and software subscriptions decide whether a session was profitable, and they are scattered across a year of card statements.
- Categorize gear, subscriptions, and travel
- Track mileage to sessions automatically
- Compute profit per session rather than per year
Your portfolio is your pitch and it is showing work from two seasons ago, because updating it competes with editing.
- Publish recent work to your site and listings
- Push current session pricing and availability
- Keep your listings consistent across the web
of the time, the first business to respond is the one that wins the job.
Long-cited industry benchmark (InsideSales / Lead Connect)
- The creative direction of a shoot
- Which work you take and which you turn down
- Licensing and usage conversations
- The relationship with a couple planning a wedding
Muley drafts and tees it up; you send it. The one exception is the review-request text after a completed job, which you switch on and set up yourself.
- An inquiry form
- A gallery delivery service
- Editing software with a subscription
- A calendar
- A contract template
Muley works the pile these leave behind.
Questions
Can Muley answer photography inquiries for me?
Muley drafts the reply, including priced session options, from the inquiry as it arrives. You read it, adjust it, and send it. The reason this matters for photographers is timing rather than typing: an inquiry answered while you are still editing is one you are still in the running for.
Does Muley deliver galleries?
No. Muley does not host or deliver galleries, and it is not a replacement for the delivery service you use. Muley works the back office around the shoot: the inquiry reply, the retainer, the balance, the review request after the gallery lands, and the books.
Can Muley tell me what a session actually earned?
Yes. Muley categorizes gear, subscriptions, and travel, tracks mileage to sessions, and computes profit per session rather than per year. You can ask it directly and it answers from your own numbers rather than a generic estimate.
How much does Muley cost?
Muley has three plans. Free is $0 per month. Owner is $29 per month, or $23 per month billed annually. Business is $59 per month, or $49 per month billed annually. Every plan unlocks the whole app with no cap on customers or jobs. Full detail: https://muley.ai/pricing
Can Muley answer questions about my own numbers?
Yes. You can ask Muley questions like how revenue compares to last week, and it answers from your own data rather than a generic estimate.
More at the full FAQ.