All You Can Stock.

[oscarcwilliams]

Hey guys.--I'm getting tired of wasting my time uploading to All You Can Stock and not getting any sales (only two for the first submission).  I think these guys should have had a marketing plan in the very beginning--but this ain't happening.

I really think it will never get off the ground --so I will stop uploading my work there.  Too bad because at the beginning with the initial (2) sales I had it really made me feel good about the site, but now I feel like I just got shafted!!

Please send your thoughts and feedback.

Thanks.

[peresanz]

Same feeling here. Just look at the images and sort by downloads and you will see that most downloaded images have just one sale!  I also had some sales at the beginning back in December if I remember well and now I can find my images in the third page sorted by downloads.

[Wim]

Hmm yeah, to my regret I had to quit the agency.

Respect though for the conditions they present towards us contributors and I truly wish they eventualy make it into the microstock world.
Management, commision, support and even that "call for entries" option is great. These guys actually listen to their contributors.
When I left they said I could join them again anytime, always welcome.

In the end though, especially for us non hobbyists, we need the sales and without it there is no use sticking around.

Good luck to you AllYouCanStock!

[luissantos84]

I believe it is a great idea to abandon a 75% agency

[Microstock Posts]

There were plenty of sales during their hunt for contributors drive. The sales came in thick and fast, for pretty much everyone who posted on this forum announcing they started uploading there, what a coincidence. There's no better way for contributors to take notice of an agency than other contributors shouting 'SALES'. They also give high commissions, which is great, another enticer. But I can't see an agency being able to have serious growth giving that much. For long term growth they would need more and where would they get more, from those enticed maybe? Remember the order, charm/entice, get the images, cut commissions, change the rules, ignore your emails blah blah blah, ok not every agency, but certainly quite a few. And when/if the day comes those singing praises about good commissions now, will end up feeling betrayed, as usual. Those saying they had sales now will be saying where did all the sales go. I just think agencies should start as they mean to go on, we only get to find out who they are a few years down the road. I don't think there is any long term strategy with this one. Everything seems like it's just done for the here and now. But they can prove me wrong I suppose.

p.s. Luis I pretty much wrote this before you posted your comment, just clicked preview now and saw ur comment. So the part about the commissions was not because of ur comment. Just thought I'd mention it. :-)

[luissantos84]

There were plenty of sales during their hunt for contributors drive. The sales came in thick and fast, for pretty much everyone who posted on this forum announcing they started uploading there, what a coincidence. There's no better way for contributors to take notice of an agency than other contributors shouting 'SALES'. They also give high commissions, which is great, another enticer. But I can't see an agency being able to have serious growth giving that much. For long term growth they would need more and where would they get more, from those enticed maybe? Remember the order, charm/entice, get the images, cut commissions, change the rules, ignore your emails blah blah blah, ok not every agency, but certainly quite a few. And when/if the day comes those singing praises about good commissions now, will end up feeling betrayed, as usual. Those saying they had sales now will be saying where did all the sales go. I just think agencies should start as they mean to go on, we only get to find out who they are a few years down the road. I don't think there is any long term strategy with this one. Everything seems like it's just done for the here and now. But they can prove me wrong I suppose.

p.s. Luis I pretty much wrote this before you posted your comment, just clicked preview now and saw ur comment. So the part about the commissions was not because of ur comment. Just thought I'd mention it. :-)

I agree with everything you just posted but I really feel there is not much hassle to upload there, there are no clicks or other, just FTP and done, I take less than a day to send all my portfolio, again if you guys are working on new pics sure the upload can wait but when you have time I don�t see how it will hurt, have a sale this month there

[Wim]

Louis, with your earnings at the top and middle tiers, do you really need that extra dollar a month?

How many agencies are you with now, 30? My goal is to even trim down on the agencies supplied, keep the best performers and lose the others.

To me it seems that those who fare best in microstock are the ones who are more exclusive to one agency (even some on SS) or only provide a few agencies like top and/or middle tiers.
Yuri also spreads his work to all existing micro and macro agencies but he's way out of our league isn't he. Quality, Quantity and a crew to do most of his work, now that's worth it.

Wim

[luissantos84]

Louis, with your earnings at the top and middle tiers, do you really need that extra dollar a month?

How many agencies are you with now, 30? My goal is to even trim down on the agencies supplied, keep the best performers and lose the others.

To me it seems that those who fare best in microstock are the ones who are more exclusive to one agency (even some on SS) or only provide a few agencies like top and/or middle tiers.
Yuri also spreads his work to all existing micro and macro agencies but he's way out of our league isn't he. Quality, Quantity and a crew to do most of his work, now that's worth it.

Wim

I agree but like I have said if I have time left and not producing new pictures I dont see a negative point, I might not be the best example but I have made 70$ at AYCS not saying it will continue once it haven�t maybe will take 1 year.. but again it was "more worth" than Crestock per example.. everybody has their work/uploadflow.. they pay 75% sometimes of 0 sales I know but I believe we should help them out..

[Wim]

Yeah, I hear ya mate, agencies with those conditions will probably come once in a lifetime, we should support them. I might join them again at a later time.

And don't get me started on Crestock.

[noodle]

AYCS - very few views and ZERO sales for me thus far - hell I didnt even get one or two from the beginning to entice me to upload  

Anyway, I have a number of images there, and I will give it a year to see if things go anywhere
Everyone has to start from small beginings I suppose, but I would like to at least see more traffic which would be evidence of a marketing stratedgy going in the right direction.

You really need to have some good business connections and incentives for businesses to come and buy from your goods...

[stockastic]

I think there are now 3 active threads about formerly hot 'new' sites that aren't producing any sales, and whether it's a good idea to stay there and/or continue submitting. 

[luissantos84]

I think there are now 3 active threads about formerly hot 'new' sites that aren't producing any sales, and whether it's a good idea to stay there and/or continue submitting.  

1 is this one about AYCS, 2 is other about a Print on Demand, 3 is what mostphotos?

curious how all 3 have nice % share and you are complaining.. nice indeed

p.s: do you actually have work in any of those?

[jm]

I understand that new sites have very few sales. What I really don't like is that we haven't heard anything from AYCS from the moment when sales quit. They were very active on this forum but since we started discussions about "no more sales" or "fake sales" there is just gran silencio from them. Weird.

[luissantos84]

I understand that new sites have very few sales. What I really don't like is that we haven't heard anything from AYCS from the moment when sales quit. They were very active on this forum but since we started discussions about "no more sales" or "fake sales" there is just gran silencio from them. Weird.

they seem quite active on FB and every time I send a batch they reply quickly (not pre formatted) have a sale there this month too, if it was a real buyer or them have no idea, the most important is trying to get some decent royalties

[Wim]

Yeah I think they're ok jm.
Respect to them for even trying a bald move like that in the microstock world and trying to stay alive.
The art/print feature is something other agencies should take note of since we have a lot of pretty pictures and paintings in stock. We should have a feature built into the site, a bit like zazzle, where we create posters/canvas/greeting cards/paintings or at least be able to select them, sold for a much higher price of course. Would be much easier then starting from scratch in Zazzle.

Anyway, just thinking out loud.

Wim

[Eireann]

I have a different point of view, and I'm sticking by it.
I upload to AYCStock not because I'm looking for 1 dollar or 10 dollars a month. After all, I barely make 10 dollars a month on Fotolia, and I've been their contributor for 3 years.
I upload to All You Can Stock because of their commissions and a hope in the future.
I want agencies that offer this kind of deal to succeed and I want to help them.
Uploading my images is all I can do.
The rest is up to them.
As long as the upload system is easy, and at AYCS it is, I am willing to spend some of my time and give them my images.
It may never come to anything, but at least I tried.
On the other hand, I never uploaded to Crestock and I never will.
Just a different point of view.

[Microstock Posts]

Featurepics had high commissions when they started, 70% if I'm not mistaken, they cut a couple of years ago to 50%, which is still good no doubt. It's smart to start really high to get the 'support' of contributors, they need the images after all. Commissions as high as that are not realistic IMO, not if they want to compete with sites that take most of the earnings from 10 million images and more, or actually those with far fewer images.

When microstock started the agencies didn't have to offer the carrots that new agencies do these day. The older agencies got so lucky by being the first. Newer agencies offer carrots to get you, high commissions hit a chord as commissions elsewhere are so low and many of us feel we deserve more. But surely they know already that low commissions aren't really a sticking point (PD knew from the time they opened their doors, but they also knew that they didn't need the carrot) as we submit to agencies which give far less than 50%, and will keep on doing so as long as the money comes in.

With this one I don't think it's about 'we're an honourable agency cos we offer great commissions'. It's about what do we do to get them. It's business, I don't blame them, how on earth are they going to get you. It's just the way I view this, I know I sound very negative, but at times I feel it's a rotten business this one (stock), to a large extent.

[Wim]

Not negative, you are just being realistic, rotten is not the word that comes to mind though, dirty is more like it, and we're talking microstock, not stock.

[luissantos84]

It's just the way I view this, I know I sound very negative, but at times I feel it's a rotten business this one (stock), to a large extent.

you might be right but on other topic we see 2 contributors (top) making 3.5$ and 4$ RPI.. and we aren�t talking about 100 pics but 3k

sure top contributors are a minority but I don�t see a near shutdown of microstock..

[Microstock Posts]

It's just the way I view this, I know I sound very negative, but at times I feel it's a rotten business this one (stock), to a large extent.

you might be right but on other topic we see 2 contributors (top) making 3.5$ and 4$ RPI.. and we aren�t talking about 100 pics but 3k

sure top contributors are a minority but I don�t see a near shutdown of microstock..

No I don't either. When I say rotten I mean, manipulative, deceitful, greedy etc. I don't mean it's not a successful industry, microstock is a bit like a successful bank.

[luissantos84]

It's just the way I view this, I know I sound very negative, but at times I feel it's a rotten business this one (stock), to a large extent.

you might be right but on other topic we see 2 contributors (top) making 3.5$ and 4$ RPI.. and we aren�t talking about 100 pics but 3k

sure top contributors are a minority but I don�t see a near shutdown of microstock..

No I don't either. When I say rotten I mean, manipulative, deceitful, greedy etc. I don't mean it's not a successful industry, microstock is a bit like a successful bank.

ah I see my bad (I agree 1000%)

[mtkang]

just want to give allyoucanstock some supports, i am not actively upload there, but they do a good job in a lot of area.

there are many things that still can be improved, like making the ftp transfer easier, extended license option, some collections or galleries to browse (instead of the whole images by search), get some big names like yuri..