MicrostockGroup

two things i really like about dreamstime

-the image level rank is great
other sites have photographer ranks but dreamstime has individual image ranks.  That means that a photographer with 20 really great photos will still have their photos selling at top price after a few months.  On other sites you have to have 1000's of great shots to move into the top tier

-they manage to rotate their images so everything sells, or at least has a chance.  If i look at shutterstock, or istock it is the same old images selling again and again, but if i look on dreamstime at the recent images sold page there is always a number of images with their first sale.

I've noticed an odd thing on DT over the past couple of years.  My downloads go along just fine for about two weeks or so, then stop altogether for about a week.  Then they start up again for another couple of weeks and then stop for a week again.  This cyclic phenomenon has been going on for quite a while and I have yet to figure it out unless they are changing the search engine along this same cycle.  Anyone else seeing anything similar?

DT in my opinion is THE top notch Microstock site I subscribe to when it comes to all
round performance, management, and joy to work for.

It does not hold the title for my most sold image, or the image that has made the most money, or even downloaded.
It's their fairness and attention to details I admire in that site.

If I were to advise a new photographer on what site to upload to first, and to use as a
standard to compare all other sites it would have to be DT hands down!

Cranky MIZ

Yup, I agree with every point made.
Is that a first for you Miz, somebody agreeing with everything you say

and bigstock requires 7?! 

one more reason I dont start uploading at them.... hhhhh

DT is still my favorite site as well. 

Gotta agree with everyone.  After nearly three years doing microstock, DT has come out as the clear winner in terms of contributor satisfaction. 

Whenever I have requested a second review of a rejection, they have always complied within a reasonable time and accepted most of the images. 

The image ranking is great, because it rewards images that sell instead of just a few photographers who sell a lot.  That means everyone has a chance to see an increase in earnings, not just a select few.

Sales at DT have been more stable than any other site.  No wild fluctuations.  And their subscription model did not result in a serious drop in revenue, like StockXpert. 

Best search engine in the business.  I don't know how they do it, but the right images always show up first in the search.  I can't say that about any other site.

I love reading all these great comments about Dreamstime!  Mostly because they reflect my own experience and feelings about the site too

It used to be rumored in the microstock industry that if you shoot good, saleable images and keyword them properly then you will be successful.  Over the past year or two it has become apparent that this isn't entirely true on every site.  A lot of other factors irrelevant to the quality of the images and keywords play a huge factor. 

But I honestly feel like on Dreamstime we all have an equal chance to succeed according to our effort and skill.  And there are many tools to enhance visibility like the contests, the free section, and the forums.  Serban and the rest of the team have always been very up front about what you need to do to succeed on DT and it is very straightforward. 

Add to that some of the most responsive customer support in the business IMHO, plus competent web design/programming,  and you have a very winning combination.    I hear similar praise from buyers there too, so apparently nearly everyone is having a positive experience there.   

As this industry matures, with so much similar content on all sites, I believe that the thing that will distinguish one site from another (much more than price) is going to be the functionality of the website and the quality of customer service. 

Bottom line is DT just gets it right!

Yeh, that can be a little frustrating. I often get bogged on simple images where one or two words are plenty accurate, oh well. iS has the no-two-words-the-same policy that makes it sound like I'm just learning English. Articles do count. I often wonder where these policies originate from and why they persist.

LisaFX,

I'm sure there is some logic to these decisions; whether or not it works, I'm not sure. Your apple description is very accurate and that's exactly the form my descriptions take. However for iStock you couldn't have a Red Delicious Apple Against a Red Background, even if that is what you had.

Or just 7 words ...

The Universe - A large place, mostly filled with nothing.

 

I'm also nearing my first payout and I have to say, out of all the agencies it's mostly DT (and IS) that actually help me figure out my way in microstock. I find their expectations consistent and rejections just, so the more I'm learning the better the acceptance rate = better exposure and sales.

If I were to ever go exclusive it would be them.