MicrostockGroup

I just can't seem to get ahead.  My shutterstock portfolio is thriving and everything else died.  I'm wondering if the buyers who were using my DT images stopped buying because the same images are only 25 cents on SS? 

Or, has my DT search engine placement been affected by my criticism?  I don't really think that is the case, however.  BigStock, 123, DT, StockXpert ... everything stopped.   

PS:  why are we refusing to sell images at StockXpert for 25 cents but uploading like crazy to Shutterstock? 

Exactly!

And once you reach $3000, you'll earn more. And after $10.000 a little more.  That's why.

I wouldn't take it personally...there are a ton of changes going on right now. StockXpert isn't making payouts, and sales are small. BigStock hasn't been doing well for some since they announced their merger with SS. Yesterday, SS sent out an email offering BigStock people a discount at SS. IS's prices are jumping.

Lots going on. I'm pretty sure a lot are feeling the effects.

I agree with all the reasons above for slow sales right now, and will just add that much of the Northern Hemisphere is having unseasonably cold weather that may have buyers hunkered down at home rather than out buying our images.

I hope things improve soon because I am feeling the pinch too.

Don't even try to figure it out.  In my case (with a very small portfolio), SS was the best earner for quite a while; in December it went stone cold and IS - which had never done much - came alive and now greatly outsells SS.  DT remains slow but steady while  FT has fallen off to almost nothing.   As other posters have pointed out, there are so many hidden factors involved that there's no point in thinking about it.   

Sales for me are pretty the same at IS than in december. Earnings are up.

(Added for accuracy: except on the firts 3-4 days of the year)

everyone has given their theory to these decrease in dls,
except the obvious reason:

buyers ran out of choice with your port due to subs, and bought all of yours .
now, either you give them new choices so they can shop again at your flea mart
or they go elsewhere to lesser popular portfolios who are finding an increase in dls.

the other obvious answer would be, as Achilles and DT pointed out,
same old same old don't count anymore. they don't want the cliche generics
because they already have too many.
same like mom and pop stores are not taking in anymore new inventories
of what they already have too many .
times are rough with a smaller budget. some buyers have closed shop due to
the stock market crash, and many probably decide not to shop anymore
in order to keep afloat.

in all, for those who agree with me that sub stinks, and i know even the esteemed perenial top sellers agree with me too, (as one even told me that in his PM, which i so happily discovered. i won't name him, as this is as it should be in PM),    we really have nothing to cheer about when we sell ourselves short
with subs.

and now, we are here blaming or crying in our spilt milk?
lol, you should have seen the writings on the wall.

 

Sorry to quote only a small portion, but Achilles might be wrong. If DT is having problems that's because of them. First designers aren't only living in USA, none lost their house in Europe and Canadians didn't also. Buying images is way to cheap in the overall budget.

Most of the greatest design work have been made during the 30s depression. Advertising never stopped during that period neither during the second world war. Maybe they work on sadness instead of happyness though...

Stock Market Crash?  The stock market seems to be in pretty good shape.  It's the Job Market that crashed. 

Thanks for the responses.  I figured the remark about 25 cent subs would get some attention.  Was just curious because SS is going great guns now ... and it is January for them too.  I just can't understand how one site can be so busy and others do nothing ... and I have the same images at all of them?