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Author Topic: Noticeable slow April - Minus 30%  (Read 16046 times)

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ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #25 on: April 26, 2012, 11:42 »
0
April has been pretty solid for me so far, maybe 5% or so down from March... but things look worse today all of a sudden.

FT has really taken a dive for me today.  I'm down about 80% from a typical weekday.  Has anyone else seen a substantial drop in FT today?  Sales were good there earlier this week, but it almost seems like a best match change or something else that has made my stuff less visible all of a sudden.  Or maybe it's just the April drop kicking in all of a sudden.  Is today a holiday anywhere in Europe?

From tomorrow until Tue in some countries. You know labour day and other socialistic crap that can only happen and be celebrated in Europe ;)

Best be prewarned then: Monday 7th is a UK holiday (not sure why it isn't the 2nd this year).

Ahhh... so there is a reason for my concern.  MORE holidays! :(


wut

« Reply #26 on: April 26, 2012, 19:52 »
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April has been pretty solid for me so far, maybe 5% or so down from March... but things look worse today all of a sudden.

FT has really taken a dive for me today.  I'm down about 80% from a typical weekday.  Has anyone else seen a substantial drop in FT today?  Sales were good there earlier this week, but it almost seems like a best match change or something else that has made my stuff less visible all of a sudden.  Or maybe it's just the April drop kicking in all of a sudden.  Is today a holiday anywhere in Europe?

From tomorrow until Tue in some countries. You know labour day and other socialistic crap that can only happen and be celebrated in Europe ;)

Best be prewarned then: Monday 7th is a UK holiday (not sure why it isn't the 2nd this year).

Ahhh... so there is a reason for my concern.  MORE holidays! :(

I think it's safe to say to just forget about European sales 'till the end of April ;)

lisafx

« Reply #27 on: April 27, 2012, 09:14 »
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What a dismal month this has turned out to be.  My April is always a bit down from March, but unless today and Monday are outstanding (no indication they will be), this month has turned out to be a huge disappointment. Is crappy the new normal?

wut

« Reply #28 on: April 27, 2012, 09:27 »
0
What a dismal month this has turned out to be.  My April is always a bit down from March, but unless today and Monday are outstanding (no indication they will be), this month has turned out to be a huge disappointment. Is crappy the new normal?
I think it might be for lots of you big timers. Sean is seeing nothing but downward trend for months and the same thing applies to many indies, for instance there are a few threads where emeralds+ complain about falling sales (and demoted files), it seems you see the biggest drops on FT and IS. System is "against" you on those sites. DT did the same to a degree just now, at least according to some posts. And it's hard to make it all up with SS. But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you. And I know you're not 50% down, because if you were, all hell would break loose ;D ;)
« Last Edit: April 27, 2012, 09:29 by wut »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #29 on: April 27, 2012, 09:34 »
0
But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

wut

« Reply #30 on: April 27, 2012, 09:38 »
0
But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

Of course it does! And more than that! I know ppl that were ranked from 70-200 on IS charts. That is in the roughly better 95-98% of the contributors range. They were all getting 6 figures in (yearly). Now it that's not enough to put food on the table and kids through college, than I don't know how much is...

« Reply #31 on: April 27, 2012, 11:14 »
0
But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

Of course it does! And more than that! I know ppl that were ranked from 70-200 on IS charts. That is in the roughly better 95-98% of the contributors range. They were all getting 6 figures in (yearly). Now it that's not enough to put food on the table and kids through college, than I don't know how much is...

dont know about the figures you have stated but I agree that we should adjust our lifestyle or go in other direction, sure there are tons of people living poorly, one thing I know, I never spend more than I earn, sure I have no kids or a big fancy car but if I had I would work harder or look for other solutions..

« Reply #32 on: April 27, 2012, 14:42 »
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But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

Of course it does! And more than that! I know ppl that were ranked from 70-200 on IS charts. That is in the roughly better 95-98% of the contributors range. They were all getting 6 figures in (yearly). Now it that's not enough to put food on the table and kids through college, than I don't know how much is...

No way.  I was just outside that bracket last time I was able to look, and I was nowhere near that, and I'm rapidly going down now. We need accurate information in this forum, don't just make things up please!

wut

« Reply #33 on: April 27, 2012, 17:10 »
0
But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

Of course it does! And more than that! I know ppl that were ranked from 70-200 on IS charts. That is in the roughly better 95-98% of the contributors range. They were all getting 6 figures in (yearly). Now it that's not enough to put food on the table and kids through college, than I don't know how much is...

No way.  I was just outside that bracket last time I was able to look, and I was nowhere near that, and I'm rapidly going down now. We need accurate information in this forum, don't just make things up please!

I saw it with my own eyes, diamond with just over 40k, making 70k last year. Of course he wouldn't be even near the top 200. I didn't see the earnings directly on computer screen while they were logged in for the others, but I believe most of them. The math is easy, if you make 20K DLs/year, getting 40% royalties and have at least some A/V/E+ files that sell, you're over 5$/DL. That means you make over 100k. Of course Americans pay taxes and loose another 25% (or what?). So you might be out of that bracket, but that can be due to great sales back in the days, and not so good lately. Or having the same 20k DL/year, but not having or at least selling A/V/e+ files and/or not selling enough large sized files and ELs.

« Reply #34 on: April 27, 2012, 17:18 »
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he had 40k sales and had 20k in 2011? just got it.. he is far from the 70-200 ranking..
« Last Edit: April 27, 2012, 17:20 by luissantos84 »

« Reply #35 on: April 27, 2012, 18:25 »
0
But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

Of course it does! And more than that! I know ppl that were ranked from 70-200 on IS charts. That is in the roughly better 95-98% of the contributors range. They were all getting 6 figures in (yearly). Now it that's not enough to put food on the table and kids through college, than I don't know how much is...

No way.  I was just outside that bracket last time I was able to look, and I was nowhere near that, and I'm rapidly going down now. We need accurate information in this forum, don't just make things up please!

I saw it with my own eyes, diamond with just over 40k, making 70k last year. Of course he wouldn't be even near the top 200. I didn't see the earnings directly on computer screen while they were logged in for the others, but I believe most of them. The math is easy, if you make 20K DLs/year, getting 40% royalties and have at least some A/V/E+ files that sell, you're over 5$/DL. That means you make over 100k. Of course Americans pay taxes and loose another 25% (or what?). So you might be out of that bracket, but that can be due to great sales back in the days, and not so good lately. Or having the same 20k DL/year, but not having or at least selling A/V/e+ files and/or not selling enough large sized files and ELs.

70K is not 6 figures, is it? To make over 100K in euros, which is what you said, you would need about 130,000 US. I'm sure some of the people you mentioned are making that, but not the "All" that you stated.

wut

« Reply #36 on: April 27, 2012, 18:43 »
0
But look at it that way; even if your sales are 50% down (yearly trends), they're still a lot higher than they are for 99% of the contributors. That would comfort me, if I were you.
It wouldn't comfort me a bit if I were Lisa. "Getting more than 99% of contributors" doesn't put food on the table or put your children through college.

Of course it does! And more than that! I know ppl that were ranked from 70-200 on IS charts. That is in the roughly better 95-98% of the contributors range. They were all getting 6 figures in (yearly). Now it that's not enough to put food on the table and kids through college, than I don't know how much is...

No way.  I was just outside that bracket last time I was able to look, and I was nowhere near that, and I'm rapidly going down now. We need accurate information in this forum, don't just make things up please!

I saw it with my own eyes, diamond with just over 40k, making 70k last year. Of course he wouldn't be even near the top 200. I didn't see the earnings directly on computer screen while they were logged in for the others, but I believe most of them. The math is easy, if you make 20K DLs/year, getting 40% royalties and have at least some A/V/E+ files that sell, you're over 5$/DL. That means you make over 100k. Of course Americans pay taxes and loose another 25% (or what?). So you might be out of that bracket, but that can be due to great sales back in the days, and not so good lately. Or having the same 20k DL/year, but not having or at least selling A/V/e+ files and/or not selling enough large sized files and ELs.

70K is not 6 figures, is it? To make over 100K in euros, which is what you said, you would need about 130,000 US. I'm sure some of the people you mentioned are making that, but not the "All" that you stated.

Read it again. And again if it won't work the first time ;)

velocicarpo

« Reply #37 on: April 27, 2012, 19:04 »
0
Terrible month here too - after flying high in March :-/

« Reply #38 on: April 27, 2012, 19:22 »
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What a dismal month this has turned out to be.  My April is always a bit down from March, but unless today and Monday are outstanding (no indication they will be), this month has turned out to be a huge disappointment. Is crappy the new normal?

So it seems. Most days now I find myself saying, hmm, another crappy day. What to do about it, that's the question :)

« Reply #39 on: April 27, 2012, 22:31 »
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Is anyone very surprised by the April downturn?  This March to April drop looks exactly the same as all my other years in ms.  I braced myself for a drop of around 10%.  The reality is that I'm down more like 5%, so I've been pleasantly surprised.

My data from the past several years suggests May will be about flat to April, and June and July will sink a bit further.  August flattens out, then things start shooting up in September.

tab62

« Reply #40 on: April 27, 2012, 23:03 »
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I am down 54% from last month...

lisafx

« Reply #41 on: April 28, 2012, 12:45 »
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70K is not 6 figures, is it? To make over 100K in euros, which is what you said, you would need about 130,000 US. I'm sure some of the people you mentioned are making that, but not the "All" that you stated.

He must be talking about exclusives in that range.  I am around #30 on Istock and I didn't clear that this past year (in total, not just IS).  

As to the other points, yes, of course we all have to adjust our lifestyles to our earnings.  Duh.  

But what seems ridiculous to me is that two (now maybe three?) of the top sites have decided to actively punish their most successful contributors for being successful.  That just seems so counter-intuitive.

I won't get into why that's unfair, because fairness doesn't enter into business. However, while it may pad the profits in the short term, it is a strategy for failure in the long term.  Not only does it disincentivize the current crop of top sellers, it also gives the middle tier nothing to aspire to.  
« Last Edit: April 28, 2012, 12:48 by lisafx »


wut

« Reply #42 on: April 29, 2012, 02:55 »
0


70K is not 6 figures, is it? To make over 100K in euros, which is what you said, you would need about 130,000 US. I'm sure some of the people you mentioned are making that, but not the "All" that you stated.

He must be talking about exclusives in that range.  I am around #30 on Istock and I didn't clear that this past year (in total, not just IS).  


Indeed I was. Funnily all successful microstockers I know personally are exclusive. It looks, from your post, that being exclusive is still the best way to earn money, at least for big, successful photographers. But then again, IS charts accounted only for total number of DLs, it doesn't tell much about earnings or yearly trends. I could extrapolate earnings of the one positioned just over #70 (or perhaps #50 I don't know, because I can't check anymore, he has 130k+ DLs now), because I knew he had at least 20k DLs in a year (getting from >100k to >130k) and knowing he was still getting 40%, he told me that much, I didn't ask him any other details, since we're not that close and he was really cool and gave me some simple tips that worked, after looking at my port (very few ppl share that).

« Reply #43 on: April 29, 2012, 03:45 »
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Deleted, wrong topic!
« Last Edit: April 29, 2012, 15:08 by borg »

« Reply #44 on: April 29, 2012, 04:47 »
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I'm getting bad vibes these days. It used to be that when something went down, something else went up but now all the minor sites seem to be fading and of the big boys it only seems to be SS that is more or less flat. Sales at DT have been sliding for a year and though a higher RPD has made it seem less disastrous than it might be, it's still not looking good. My combined IS+PP earnings are also gradually falling.

For the last three years my annual earnings have been on a plateau, with last year being the highest by a whisker. It's looking rather as if my total this year will be significantly down on that, putting me on the wrong side of a bell-shaped curve.

It's been a great party, of course, but it looks like it's coming to an end for me unless I come up with a new, more effective strategy.

gillian vann

  • *Gillian*
« Reply #45 on: April 29, 2012, 08:50 »
0
in general the world is on an economic downturn, so for some to still be posting BME just last month is pretty great! I've got friends who've lost their jobs, businesses failed, gone bankrupt......even here in Australia where we felt fairly smug for a while that we were immune to the problems of the northern hemisphere........ the fall out continues to bring low retail results and businesses are struggling ("soft" is the term my magazine editor uses as she justifies why she can't me properly for the work I do for them). I am surprised that some still are expecting growth rather than being grateful just to be holding their position.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #46 on: April 29, 2012, 09:34 »
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Most, but not all, of those experiencing growth are relatively new, i.e. growing their ports by huge percentages each month. Of these people, it would be interesting to compare their growth in $$ compared to the growth in their portfolio sizes.

velocicarpo

« Reply #47 on: April 29, 2012, 10:23 »
0
However, while it may pad the profits in the short term, it is a strategy for failure in the long term.  Not only does it disincentivize the current crop of top sellers, it also gives the middle tier nothing to aspire to.  

Lisa, I think with this statement you pointed out the biggest "design error" of the whole western business model. Our society in general cannot continue to run after short term profit - a concept which destroys our planet and literally burns our ressources beyond need. We cannot just continue to grow and ignore all moral values.

Especially in the last 40 years People got more and more convinced that "Profit is everything" and moral and fairness has to stay out of business. The result is that in the same time period we almost destroyed our whole planet and brought the economic world to the edge of a nearly unresolvable crisis.

I do not accept the argument that moral has to stay out of business.
I do not accept the argument that if you work for a company you are not responsable for what the company is doint because you need the money.
I do not respect nor buy from companies which try to ignore all moral - companies like istock, paypal etc.

lisafx

« Reply #48 on: April 29, 2012, 15:57 »
0
However, while it may pad the profits in the short term, it is a strategy for failure in the long term.  Not only does it disincentivize the current crop of top sellers, it also gives the middle tier nothing to aspire to.  

Lisa, I think with this statement you pointed out the biggest "design error" of the whole western business model. Our society in general cannot continue to run after short term profit - a concept which destroys our planet and literally burns our ressources beyond need. We cannot just continue to grow and ignore all moral values.

Especially in the last 40 years People got more and more convinced that "Profit is everything" and moral and fairness has to stay out of business. The result is that in the same time period we almost destroyed our whole planet and brought the economic world to the edge of a nearly unresolvable crisis.

I do not accept the argument that moral has to stay out of business.
I do not accept the argument that if you work for a company you are not responsable for what the company is doint because you need the money.
I do not respect nor buy from companies which try to ignore all moral - companies like istock, paypal etc.

I completely agree with everything you posted.  I definitely think that morality, or more accurately ethics, should be a part of business, politics, society, and of each of our individual daily decisions. 

The only reason I said "fairness doesn't enter into business" isn't because I don't think it should, but because it so frequently is not considered by TPTB.  Also, there is a great deal of flexibility in what different cultures and individuals consider "moral", so it isn't enough to win you a debate about business practices.  Practical arguments are much more persuasive because they can be backed up with empirical evidence.

« Reply #49 on: April 29, 2012, 17:24 »
0
I have waited to post in this thread, but April will be my biggest month in 6 years, albeit thanks to 10 ELs across three sites. Without the EL's it would have been an average month, not a loss, but about in line with the last 6 months.


 

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