MicrostockGroup

Rob, you're not exclusive any more. Am I just spacing something I already knew or is this a recent change?

Will you be uploading elsewhere? And you can't be a geezer or that'd make me even more ancient

I don't know how Sean did, but I went to the HQ lypse and have not made in sales what it cost me to attend - airfare, hotel, taxis, meals, $500 ticket cost. That's absolutely fine as I figured the experience would be worth it for me - an opportunity learn that has real value IMO.

I've talked with others who attended that lypse and have attended others (this was my one and only). The common thread seems to be the experience, not the financial payback. So if someone somewhere once did make it pay I don't think that changes the general situation for most attendees.

Can I just say how nauseating it is to read all the "thank you Kelly" posts on the Istock thread about this?!  

Note to the fawning sycophants confused and misguided - Kelly/Istock/Getty, aren't responsible for getting you this "raise".  Nobody at HQ "fought" for you - least of all Kelly "money isn't going to be what makes you happy" Thompson.  

They are only doing this in response to the majority, who opted out of their insulting, cheapo PP royalties in the first place.  Believe me, if they could get away with keeping your royalties low and just sweetening the pot for the holdouts, they would do it.  

Lisa, why don't you just tell it as it is, instead of beating around the bush? I just want to say thank you Kelly for this raise, I know we have helped line your pockets beyond belief, but it is a small price to pay for enriching our lives. I would not be half the person I am today without iStock, thank you Kelly and may God bless you and all your children and all your childrens children, you have truly touched the lives of so many and indeed you are a truly noble and gracious person. Thank you Kelly, thank you!!! 

Well, most of my opinions on this have been well covered, but I will add to the chorus in case anyone's counting up who feels how...

My first reaction is happiness that, apparently, the boycott of TS by many of us has been successful in starving it for content.  It is rewarding to have this tangible confirmation that if enough of us band together, we can affect the conditions we work under. 

Of course, .28 is ridiculous.  I've seen the figure of an 8 cent raise mentioned several times, but for independents it's just a 3 cent raise.  And still 2 cents under what we were making through StockXpert two years ago.  Not tempting.  Sorry. 

Funny thing is, if they had simply kept us at the .30 we were making when they bought StockXpert, I would have stayed opted in.  But now, seeing how Getty wants to undermine the fairer agencies, how they have been directing Istock buyers to Thinkstock, and their insatiable greed and ruthlessness toward contributors and buyers alike, I can't imagine myself supporting them, even if the .30 was offered.

Because of the income I have built up on Istock, I can't afford to quit them right now.  But I don't have any TS income, so I can definitely afford not to start up with them in the first place.   I object to helping Getty further undermine the industry where I make my living.  And fortunately, the lowball offer of .28 makes the decision that much easier

And to everyone who has been opted in to the partner program and is getting a raise as a result of those who have stood firm against it:  You're welcome.

I used to routinely earn $500 per month at IS.  Now I'm lucky if I break $100.  TS earnings through StockXpert and IS combined are less than half of what my StockXpert earnings alone were before Getty bought Jupiter.  None of the other agencies...not one of them!...has been losing money for me.  Only Getty...and now they have the audacity to preach how money doesn't make people happy?  F* 'em.  Getty isn't profiting me one bit and I'll be ending my relationship with them in the next few months once I have my new revenue streams up and running.

You guys are awesome!   

Money doesn't make me happy?  BS.     I'd love to read Kelly's post where he says that. 

What doesn't make me happy is watching my monthly income decrease month after month after month and increasingly worrying whether I'll be able to pay the electric bill or rent, all because of Getty's cannibalistic decisions.  I used to routinely earn $500 per month at IS.  Now I'm lucky if I break $100.  TS earnings through StockXpert and IS combined are less than half of what my StockXpert earnings alone were before Getty bought Jupiter.  None of the other agencies...not one of them!...has been losing money for me.  Only Getty...and now they have the audacity to preach how money doesn't make people happy?  F* 'em.  Getty isn't profiting me one bit and I'll be ending my relationship with them in the next few months once I have my new revenue streams up and running.

(My bold) I was wondering the same. I can't help noticing that several contributors to the PP, including some of our learned and outspoken members here, appear to be complaining of particulary severe drops in income at IS.

Coincidence or could it be 'cause and effect'?

Wow, 20% of your former earnings at IS?!  That is a shocking drop!  Certainly there are a large combination of factors at work, but I have to wonder if migration of your sales to PP may be involved?

Don't blame you for developing other revenue streams.  I think that's the smart thing for any of us who rely on our photography income to pay our bills.  Hope they work out well for you

My drop from $500 to $100 per month has been occurring over a period of a few years and started with iStock's first search engine tweak.  That alone dropped my earnings by about 1/3 and it's never recovered.  Slowly but surely, with every little search engine tweak, every little price increase, every freakin' new "Woo yay" moment, my income has slowly been whittled away.  The latest drop may very well be due to my participation in the PP program, but it's just one drop out of many.  It's just not worth it anymore to stay with IS.  Paying them 84% of a license sale is simply too costly for my business, and they have effectively priced themselves out of my market.   

Guess iStock didn't lie.  They said they'd deliver PP payouts by the 30th, and here they come.  I've seen two of them already, at a munificent .28 per.