MicrostockGroup

... what exactly is Photo+?   I tuned out that announcement, and haven't submitted anything to IS in ages, but now I'm thinking, what the heck; maybe I'll make some of my best sellers "Photo+".   Except I can't find out exactly what that does for me.  I hunted around on the IS site and "help" but about all I found was this:

"Photo+ is a set of images in the Main collection selected by the artists."

Um ok. Thank for that.  Now what exactly does it mean in terms of jprice and commission?  What are the pros and cons?

Yeah - better return on your best sellers - can't see any cons 

I put all my best sellers and recent images that started to sell well into Photo + right after I left exclusivity in June - you basically have exclusive pricing on independent images (2 credits for XS, 5 for S, etc.). It's hard to tell as IS has been heading down the toilet bowl with such vigor, but I think P+ has worked very well.

The "lock" does not mean the files have to stay at IS, but if they do, you can't switch collections until 6 months from the last switch is up.

I suspect they did this to boost their revenue, but as the pricing is identical to exclusive files, I don't think there's any buyer resistance to paying it (I obviously have no data to back that up) as so much of the imagery on the site is already at that price.

Ha Ha, it doesn't work that way. You can't make all your photos into plus, you have a quota.

http://www.istockphoto.com/my_uploads_pricepoint.php

Since I left the link I won't tell the secret on where I found it. In fact I don't remember now?  LOL

Photo+ is a set of images in the Main collection selected by the artists. As an artist, you are invited to move a percentage of your photos into Photo+.

    Check individual files below to move them to Photo+.

    The “Remaining quota” number shows how many files you may still move into Photo+. We determine the percentage based on the ratio of your approved files to overall downloads.

    Once you move a file into Photo+ it will be locked into Photo+ for six months.

    It may take up to 24 hours for the price change to take effect.

    Some of your files may have already been moved into Photo+ by our inspectors or admins. The six-month lock does not apply to these files and you can remove them immediately by un-checking the box below.

    Right now, Photo+ is for photos only. We may introduce other file types at a later date.

kinda sounds like faved on 123RF??

but you do have them in better search placement

As an independent, with a tiny portfolio of unusual subjects, my search placement is dismal.  I figure any sales I get are because a buyer was looking specifically for my subject, and was willing to plow through a dozen search pages, and is therefore willing to pay a few bucks.   We'll see.