MicrostockGroup

Hi there,

after a longer break I just submitted a larger batch of images to the usual suspects (IS,StockXpert,SS). Please find my impressions below. It would be interesting to hear your comments.

IS
The reviewers at IS seem to be the best trained. Often comments are valid and helpful. However there seems to be a pattern to also reject some of my very best images. Could it be that some reviewers have a hidden agenda and reject excellent images for protecting their own portfolios? Acceptance rate: 74 %

StockXpert
Comments very short but usually comprehensible. Good acceptance rate 80%.

SS
Comments mostly completely off and a catastrophic acceptance rate of 23 %. Will have to rethink if this is worth the effort, especially since I don't like their subscription-only business model.

Cheers
Gizeh

Well there is no problem with reviewers. In fact only problem is each agency business orientation. Every one of us taking different pictures and motives so beyond technical quality their is acceptance quota for each theme.

My ratios are in last 2 years (not counting first year when I skill myself in technical issues)

IS - 70%
SS - 99%
StockXpert - 40%
Fotolia - 50%
Dreamstime - 82%

So every one of us after we solve technical issues we need to know what kind of image they need and how much. You must now that sometimes because of business informations they don't tell you exact reason for rejection, they told most nearest reason for rejection. That is  the same in all firms.

But sometimes you can do something about that reason of rejection. Use your imagination in naming images (that helps a lot at dreamstime and IS) and be specific and clear with useful informations in description (SS) and with fotolia don't upload same theme batches. Upload 2 by 2 images of the same location every week and you will have bigger acceptance.

Well that is from my experience.

Dario

"I have read a few times that istock seem to reject images that sell very well  on other sites."

Could be. Different images sell differently on different sites. This is afct (although based exclusively on my personal observations - so I could be wrong).

Now that I shoot with a DSLR and have gotten better at Lightroom, I have a fairly consistent overall 80+ acceptance rate.  SS hates noise.  IS hates artifacts.  DM sites composition or too many.  Almost always what was rejected at one is accepted at the other two.  I think their reviewers do a pretty good job and I like that if I really disagree with a rejection I can send it to Scout at IS.

I just recently started uploading to 123 and StockXpert so it's too soon to tell.  I'm mostly uploading files which are already accepted elsewhere so I'm running in the high 90's.

Fotolio, on the other hand, I'm running a consistent 50%.  As was mentioned if you upload a series they seem to reject a big chunk of it for being "the same." even if it's not.  They also routinely reject files accepted at other sites.  Their reviewers are very fast but I'm not impressed.

Except for the "we're not looking for this type of image" (which is totally uncomprehensible to me when I submit illustrations, I never know what to expect), I find StockXpert reviews very reasonable.  If they say there is something technically wrong, they're right.  That's why I upload there first.

IS has some reasonable rejections, but some are just paranoia.  I also see strong images rejected and some I doubted they would accept being accepted. 

I've been leaving DT for last because of the need to keep acceptance high.  My frustrations there are flower images, which they reject a lot (even some that sell well anywhere, including IS).  They also have a very special attention to lighting, so almost anything that is lacking a bit, they reject.

FT, BigStock, FP, LO, 123RF accept almost everything, with FT and 123RF being a bit picky about similars.  I haven't uploaded to CanStockPhoto lately, but they also used to have very loose standards (too loose, I might add, and that's probably why people are shocked now).  CS standards lowered a bit and my latest submissions there (New Year images back in December) were accepted.

Regards,
Adelaide

The thing I love about IS is 99% of the time they accept photos that SS rejects.  Usually my more creative photos.  Whenever I have a problem getting something accepted at SS that I know for sure is a top notch shot, I always send it to IS right away.  Four out of my 10 photos that have reached flame status at IS were originally rejected by SS...not just once, but multiple times each.  And one of those even got me my first contracted photo shoot!         

Acceptance ratio figures significantly in DT's default search.