MicrostockGroup

I have a portfolio of 300 video clips and 250 photos and I rarely submit to micro-stock sites anymore. The single reason I stay with micro-stock is to showcase my stuff. I spent 2 years developing my Ebay DVD sales and other avenues. I started off selling DVD sets for peanuts. 300 clips/300 photos for $29. Now I sell them for $299. My best photos only go to Alamy and I never submit a prime piece of work to micro-stock.

Good luck in the rat race of Micro-stock,

*link removed*

I just took a look at the website.
Now....I'm....very....confused......
I think I need to lay down

I have not listed my video/photo website. Just one of my blogs. Don't want to be accused of self promotion.

Yes I did. The one of Cacao beans, bought from Fotolia. I use Fotolia on all 3 of my blogs. Probably $200/month.

All those highly quality extra small pics for dirt cheap. Good deal.

And then you post them on a blog and 30 seconds later they are on Google images for free. WordPress should come up with a pluign to stop that.

The first 6 months it was Hell. Burning 15 DVDs on my desktop for a lousy $29-$69, then I started getting the Ebay and private feedback to use as references. Then I upped the price and went direct marketing. Facebook ads were a good avenue.

Well, it can be done much more than 5,000 at MS, believe me.

I guess your not very adept at an Ebay search.

So I am now providing bona fides?

For what purpose? I have not entered into self promotion.

I am not selling something... yet you want my secret ingredient for free.

 

To digress for a second,

I'm very stoked about the new Nikon Coolpix P500. Especially the video. On the photo side I'm going to downscale to minimum sizes for MS. But the video really blew my socks off. One a tripod and with good lights of course.

Building up a good blog or website certainly adds to exposure. The site I just sold a site while back got 1 million plus hits in 7 months and I was posting all of my pics for free. *link removed*

I find micro-stockers overly protective and petty when it comes to their images. The fact is that with one download your highly prized photo has just been put for free somewhere on the internet. Stock Agencies and Cameras companies are making the money from artist.

But hey that's your choice. Free world and all.

You may be honest with everything you say, however I don't understand the purpose of this thread.

If you wanted to "share" your success with fellow microstockers without giving them any verifiable information about your venture what's your intention then?

I'm roaming anonymously for a number of reasons but I don't claim that I make $5000 and assume people believe me either.

People can sell crap on ebay and make thousands a month but it's all in the marketing and targeted traffic and not the actual product itself.

As you see there are tons of photo DVDs etc already on ebay for a few bucks. Why would anyone pay more for yours? Only because you can generate targeted traffic to your offerings.

Just because we have content doesn't mean we also know how to sell it ourselves.

That it is possible sure, but your posts are not helping anyone here IMO.

I find MS artist very much like Amway salesmen, they buy into the BS from the agencies.

I am not here to offer you anything. I'm simply saying there are viable alternatives to being a Micro-stock slave.

Micro-Stock will be so watered down and priced so low in a few years it will make all points here irrelevant.

Personally I think Pond5 will be the number One  agency in 2 years if they stick to setting your own price. All other models will fail.

You could also make $16,500 a day teaching photography.


Seriously though... you come into a MS Forum this way and expect us to "see the light" or something.  

Why would I want to buy a 300 of only your photos when I could have my choice of millions from a wide variety of photographers for far less money? And I can even see them and test how they work in my designs before buying.