Same here. For some reason iStock has gone up for me in the last 3 months, despite summer, despite paycut, despite their awful practices. Too big of a chunk to lose (at this point). Once it widdles down to a much smaller amount I might pull my content but not now.

Probably within the next 6-12 months we'll finally see where this is (officially) heading. Until then, hanging in there...

I will be staying.  I am not at all happy about the heavy-handedness of this new ASA, but I have been expecting something like this for months.  Can't afford to give up more than 1/3 of my income.

As usual I'll complain about the survey (sorry) but you might have added something besides the all or none, forced answers.   What about, I'll sit and think about it, as in #3 Maybe? Or maybe, #4 Already left IS!   or #5 Going exclusive, which is odd, but could happen?

For the record, look back at this on January 1st, maybe that's a fair date since th new contract goe into effect on the 28th if nothing is done. (I still don't get that?)



As of today - total contributors 37132, Exclusive 5653 = 15.22%. If people leave the exclusive percentage should go up (in theory?) and the total contributors should drop or at least stagnate.

As Istock is one of my two main sources for income (the other being SS), I can't affort to pull out unless SS offers exclusivity.

I also don't HATE the PP-program, since it gives me a fair payout without cannibalizing my IS sales (as far as I can see). But I still want the option to opt-out of the PP program, whenever I feel like. I also see this as a sign that things will get worse and they will stop at nothing to minimalize our incomes.

But I can't afford to pull out at this moment. Although it should be the most respectable thing to do.

I'll stay.

  Lisa, you should add another option, Becoming exclusive to not have your photos in PP.  Sounds weird but it is an option...

Claude

I recently got the option of going exclusive, but I feel exclusives will get screwed too, eventually.

On short term, it might increase my income, but that means I will be stuck with the worst company ever to sell microstock.

Think I'm finally pushed over the edge. Not 100% sure, but definitely leaning that way tonight. Going to sleep on it for a few days and see if I change my mind.

The way I see it, this is a job, and like any job you need to be willing to walk away when things get to a point that you are no longer comfortable being involved with the company. Even if financially speaking it's not the most sensible decision. At this point, after another and another and another slap in the face, it's hard to stick with istock anymore. I can make up the lost income somewhere else. Lost pride is something that I can't get back if I sit here and do nothing.

ThinkStock is being positioned to not only compete with Shutterstock, but to do so at an increasing level with the increased supply from the Partner Program. TS wasn't a threat to SS before. Now, they could be. I'm not ready to cannibalize my growing SS earnings to save my dwindling istock earnings. I also strongly believe that istock will cut royalties again, reinstate fraud deductions (that's in this new ASA), and further extend inclusion in the partner program, possibly to mandate that exclusives participate at some level.

I said back in September that it was only the beginning of the unfavorable changes we'd see at istock in the coming year. Seems that prediction was correct, and this latest set of changes is certainly not the end.

My vote is to leave. The decision is subject to change after a few days away and giving it some more thought. But as of now, I'm headed towards the door.

I really don't know, but all these changes - FT, now IS, will DT come next? - make me think of leaving microstock altogether. As I consider my microstock images "lost", in the sense they don't value much, being repeatedly found everywhere (legally or not), I may well leave them there. I haven't uploaded for over 2 years anyway.

Things are only going to get worse for independents at IS. Now they want to force us into supplying a bargain basement ghetto that will ultimately devalue our work. And if they succeed in crushing SS, we are all screwed, and that includes exclusives. If we allow this to happen, we have only ourselves to blame. I know what the right thing to do is, I just don't know if I've got the courage to leave.

I'll be staying but monitoring my sales on SS and overall monthly income from all sites.

If I see sudden drop in sales on SS I'll reconsider this matter.

Also,
I always uploaded my content first in IS and then on other sites.
I'll probably start delaying new content and sending it to IS 2-3 later, after other sites.

I'll be staying but monitoring my sales on SS and overall monthly income from all sites.

If I see sudden drop in sales on SS I'll reconsider this matter.

I agree with this.  I certainly don't want to hurt Shutterstock. I also agree with Jsnover's post above.

I'm considering a third option, which is to just send 'good enough' files to iStock in future, and to reserve my very best work for agencies I trust to treat my work more respectfully.   I like the idea of taking that kind of considered control over my port, and making the greatest effort for those I feel are most deserving.  Also I won't feel so miserable about having my best work 'junked' into the PP for a pittance.

I think I'll leave. I will not let hem sell my images for free and therefore not selling at the more expensive agencies. If all these great images of all of us are practically given away for free why would buyers go elsewhere? Delete , delete, delete...
But how to delete? I don't know how to do this anymore. Can anyone give me some information on this?

This time I am considering leaving - Istock has become a low earner to me anyways (I am happy if I make 25US$ there a month), so it should not hurt too much. I fail to see the bright side of this new ASA.