I have started using ImageManager to organise my portfolio, to categorise images before uploading. Once I got the hang of it, it has made life somewhat more bearable. Tags still have to be checked but I am employing a student now to go through my entire portfolio and organise tags for me. Categories seem like a waste of time now but it's easier with IM than doing it on IS.

The only thing that really bugs me about iStock is the serious limitation on uploading! 

They are also very picky, and want the absolute best images you can make, and then only one angle of each.  I do not really object to them wanting the best, since they are clearly trying to distance themselves from the other Microstock agencies by offering only top quality.  In the long run, it will mean they have the best quality in the business and will attract a faithful buyer group.  That will make a difference in sales for serious microstockers.

In the short run, it will mean a lot of complaining on forums, and lots of hobby shooters will frequent less bothersome sites.  In this world, everyone is looking for an edge.  One can never go wrong by making the edge high quality.

Of course, if they drive away a lot of photographers in the meantime, they will cause some damage to themselves.  When they loosen the uploads a little, though, multitudes of photographers will submit again. 

On a per sale basis, iStock pays the best for me.  I often get $2.00 USD commission downloads, and my average is about $1.00 USD. Shutterstock makes up the difference in volume, but if you even begin to slow down with submission to them, the sales die quickly.  I've not seen that with iStock.  They seem much steadier to me.

I've only been doing this for about two months now, and have already made a couple of hundred dollars USD.  I have less than 250 images up on any of the five agencies I use, IS, SS, DT, FT, SX.  I think it will take from one to two years to really see the income start flowing.  I can see from looking at high-end sellers that one needs at least 2000-3000 images online to begin making serious money.  Correct me if I'm wrong!  I'm in this for the long run and want to gradually replace normal income with the annuitized income of microstock. 

I like iStock and will continue adding my 20 images per week until they finally raise the limit again.  If my sales stop...I'll think twice, but so far, they have been pretty good on iStock, so I won't complain too much.  This whole microstock RF business paradigm is new and even the biggest agencies don't have it figured out yet.  I've wanted to sell stock since 1980, but never had the mass of images to get a Rights Managed agency to look at me.  Royalty Free is great, since I can build as I go.  I've got maybe 30,000 film images, and about 15,000 digital images.  I have a lot of work ahead of me.   

So, no, I have not slowed down with uploading.  I still cram my 20 images per week into the queue.  I'll keep doing it until they'll allow more.  If it bugs you too much, buy the ImageManager Pro 5.2 Software for $20.00 USD.  It makes submissions to iStock much faster and considerably easier.

No change for me, as I was only uploading one or two images a week anyway... :-)

Interestingly the review times seem to have improved, and the queue is smaller, so one can but assume that it has slowed up quite a few people.

Yes I'm uploading less. I'm both waiting for the dust to clear and for ImageManager to get another fix. Right now, when i try to use it to upload it wipes out all my commas between keywords so it thinks i only have one keyword phrase... a dang long one

I still think the whole thing is a big mistake on IS's part, but maybe i'm just getting old and hate change... I'm also doing very well on the other sites and IS isn't keeping up.

DT seemed to have got real picky (I feel their they are in a pact with StockXpert) but acceptance rates are acceptable everywhere else.

Agree with this. Same pix with 80-100% acceptance on SS, BS, Fotolia, etc. are hitting 20% at DT. Reasons not always consistent.