Author Topic: Tips on how to FAIL in this business (Read 28859 times)

Mr Nobody · « **on:** June 26, 2016, 22:26 »

Let's try something different - I was thinking a list of tips on how to FAIL in this business thus a great source of information for us to share and to avoid these pitfalls. Here is my first tip on how to fail-

1. Stop submitting images- I've heard this is the kiss of death on a lot of sites. They even lower your rankings.

marthamarks · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2016, 22:30 »

Okay, I'll bite.

Tip #2: Spend too much of your time on this Forum. It will depress you and lead you to Tip #1, above.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2016, 22:45 »

1) submit your work only during the weekends.
HINT: 90% chance of failure
even if your work is well-shot as always ...
the renegade weekend reviewer is sure to find something wrong with it.

NOTE: this tip works even better to eff-up your life, ...
if..
you just broke up with your bf/gf/etc
you just got fired from your day job
your mate told you on friday night, "no tonight, i have a headache"

WAIVER: not responsible for those with suicidal tendencies

then again, if you have been submitting to ss during the weekend
and been getting 98.6 % rejection and still alive,
you enjoy living dangerously

MxR · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2016, 04:41 »

1-. Upload to all little crap sites
2-. Send 500 images of the same shot... all angles an frames, like movie frames.
3-. pres f5 presss f5 press f5
4-. Forum, cry, forum, cry...
5-. Only upload simple outdoors or overacting portrait photos of your girlfriend or pet... or both...
6-. Think that be accepted in shutterstock is the top

Noedelhap · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2016, 04:58 »

- Take a look at the most popular images and copy those.
- Watch a lot of people put hundreds of icons in one image and try to top them ("If I put TWO thousand icons in one image, people will buy MY set!")
- Do the opposite of putting every single, simple icon in one image to flood the 'Newest' search results
- Waste time uploading to iStock.
- Become an iStock exclusive.

ShadySue · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2016, 05:23 »

Spend $500 on location, props and models, and many hours, on a shoot, and earn back $499, all the time boasting about how good your sales are because you make the 'right' kind of images.

Astonished · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2016, 05:35 »

Submit to microstock

cathyslife · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2016, 06:13 »

1. Keep submitting images. This also seems to be the kiss of death for a lot of contributors. Doesn't matter if you have 500 images or 5,000 images, apparently there is a wall that is hit and you lose either way.

MxR · « **Reply #8 on:** June 27, 2016, 06:34 »

We must create a " NOT SARCASTIC Tips on how to FAIL in this business "

Me guilty

Mr Nobody · « **Reply #9 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:03 »

another former MSGer read this string and sent me an email to post his thoughts-

1. Stop Submitting
2. Mentor others (they will become your future competitors knowing everything about you)
3. Staying bad things about the companies on a public forum with your real name
4. Arguing about rejects with the editors
5. Being top heavy in one single category
6. Not trying new things
7. Spending too much time on forums
8. Thinking your good enough
9. Poor equipment (Point and Shoot camera)
10. Not having a BIG PICTURE Plan or any vision at all

Shelma1 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:15 »

Hit the wall.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #11 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:46 »

after getting accepted by ss with 1/10 approved
invite the friends to the bar and call out, "drinks on me, i am a professional !!!"

a month later after receiving the credit card statement and the balance does not
merge with your first shutterstock payout,
go to the washroom, put your head in the can and flush !!!

Mr Nobody · « **Reply #12 on:** June 27, 2016, 08:57 »

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on June 27, 2016, 08:46

after getting accepted by ss with 1/10 approved
invite the friends to the bar and call out, "drinks on me, i am a professional !!!"

a month later after receiving the credit card statement and the balance does not
merge with your first shutterstock payout,
go to the washroom, put your head in the can and flush !!!

after passing the harsh test of iStock I make even less than you did on shutter- thus I just go straight to the toilet and flush myself

Difydave · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2016, 09:15 »

Quote from: Mr Nobody on June 26, 2016, 22:26

Let's try something different - I was thinking a list of tips on how to FAIL in this business thus a great source of information for us to share and to avoid these pitfalls. Here is my first tip on how to fail-

1. Stop submitting images- I've heard this is the kiss of death on a lot of sites. They even lower your rankings.

Actually I think you have the wrong thing at number one.
It should really be:

1. Get involved in the microstock business.

Mr Nobody · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2016, 10:00 »

Quote from: Difydave on June 27, 2016, 09:15

Quote from: Mr Nobody on June 26, 2016, 22:26
Let's try something different - I was thinking a list of tips on how to FAIL in this business thus a great source of information for us to share and to avoid these pitfalls. Here is my first tip on how to fail-

1. Stop submitting images- I've heard this is the kiss of death on a lot of sites. They even lower your rankings.

Actually I think you have the wrong thing at number one.
It should really be:

1. Get involved in the microstock business.

if you stop submitting you're no longer involved

Rose Tinted Glasses · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2016, 10:04 »

submit your work to sites that pay you 0.25c and think it is great. FAIL.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #16 on:** June 27, 2016, 10:14 »

Quote from: Mr Nobody on June 27, 2016, 08:57

after passing the harsh test of iStock I make even less than you did on shutter- thus I just go straight to the toilet and flush myself

LOL condolence to you !!!

actually ShadySue sums it all up perfectly...

Quote from: ShadySue on June 27, 2016, 05:23

Spend $500 on location, props and models, and many hours, on a shoot, and earn back $499, all the time boasting about how good your sales are because you make the 'right' kind of images.

so, morale of the story is...
if i had to do it all over again, i would just spend all my money getting drunk on alcohol , women and $ex and oh yes, rock and roll.
the money spent will at least give me satisfaction...

and i would not come to know things like (who the f*ck is this Atilla or $*b weekend-reviewer)
and i never would have to worry over (OOF, blur when viewed 100% , poor composition)...

nothing like that with S.. D.... and rock n roll
... no worries like dirt in the sensor, noise, etc..

Astonished · « **Reply #17 on:** June 27, 2016, 12:11 »

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on June 27, 2016, 08:46

after getting accepted by ss with 1/10 approved
invite the friends to the bar and call out, "drinks on me, i am a professional !!!"

a month later after receiving the credit card statement and the balance does not
merge with your first shutterstock payout,
go to the washroom, put your head in the can and flush !!!

Seriously, you need to pass only 1 at SS nowadays? Wow what has to world come to

Mr Nobody · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2016, 12:54 »

Quote from: Astonished on June 27, 2016, 12:11

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on June 27, 2016, 08:46
after getting accepted by ss with 1/10 approved
invite the friends to the bar and call out, "drinks on me, i am a professional !!!"

a month later after receiving the credit card statement and the balance does not
merge with your first shutterstock payout,
go to the washroom, put your head in the can and flush !!!
Seriously, you need to pass only 1 at SS nowadays? Wow what has to world come to

I was sad to hear about that as well. I guess volume is more important to them instead of quality...

jodijacobson · « **Reply #19 on:** June 27, 2016, 13:32 »

The way to FAIL at this business is to never start.
To never give 110%
To Give up After you Started
To Have A defeatist attitude
To think you're smarter than anyone else.
Realize you are dispensable.
To say bad thing in the forums. Every word is recorded forever.
You are just a small part of the BIG picture in the agency in which you belong.

Through ups and downs. I always stuck by my choice to stay exclusive with istockphoto and it has paid off for me. I upload everyday. I haven't missed a day in 9 years.

www.istockphoto.com/jodijacobson

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #20 on:** June 27, 2016, 13:43 »

Upload every day so your portfolio is full of content that doesn't sell.

Rose Tinted Glasses · « **Reply #21 on:** June 27, 2016, 13:43 »

Quote from: jodijacobson on June 27, 2016, 13:32

The way to FAIL at this business is to never start.
To never give 110%
To Give up After you Started
To Have A defeatist attitude
To think you're smarter than anyone else.
Realize you are dispensable.
To say bad thing in the forums. Every word is recorded forever.
You are just a small part of the BIG picture in the agency in which you belong.

Through ups and downs. I always stuck by my choice to stay exclusive with istockphoto and it has paid off for me. I upload everyday. I haven't missed a day in 9 years.

www.istockphoto.com/jodijacobson

I totally agree with you in every way apart from uploading every day. I spend days away from my computer by design for a reason, but I also work it and shoot as much as I can so that I have new and fresh content to add. I too am glad I am an IS exclusive. I treat it for what it is, my full time job.

PS you misunderstood the original post... it is how to FAIL but you have replied with the magical formula for SUCCESS.

Mr Nobody · « **Reply #22 on:** June 27, 2016, 13:56 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on June 27, 2016, 13:43

Upload every day so your portfolio is full of content that doesn't sell.

Yeah, right. And 78.4% of your images have sold at least once or more- not a bad average compared to most.

dbvirago · « **Reply #23 on:** June 27, 2016, 14:42 »

Post tips on forums to help your competition take your business

everest · « **Reply #24 on:** June 27, 2016, 15:42 »

business

? what business................

Dook · « **Reply #25 on:** June 27, 2016, 16:08 »

Photographers approaching me with following questions:
- What camera should I buy to do microstock?
- Why do you invest money in your photo sessions, I can find models(objects) for free?
- Why do you send your best work to microstock when revenue is 0.25$?
- Why did you quit your day job, when it can be done in spare time?
etc

dbvirago · « **Reply #26 on:** June 27, 2016, 16:09 »

The business that has looked like this for the last 10 years

Astonished · « **Reply #27 on:** June 27, 2016, 17:07 »

Buy the latest Hasselblad and lenses for $15k and party like there's no tomorrow when you make a 25c sale.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #28 on:** June 27, 2016, 17:24 »

Quote from: everest on June 27, 2016, 15:42

business ? what business................

i remember reading this here many years ago during the time of Mitz, Lisafx,etc..
some guy wrote, "i was shooting the opening of a mosque, and a man in traditonal clothing
came out of the mosque. asked if i do this for a living. i said yes. for how much?
welllll, i make maybe 25 cts per photo download.
the muslim man looked at me sadly, touched me on my shoulder and said,"
friend, brother, maybe you come in and pray Allah to teach you better business sense!"

i still remember that. and i am sure many of us wished we had met that pious
muslim neighbour.

SpaceStockFootage · « **Reply #29 on:** June 27, 2016, 20:37 »

Would he advise the CEO of Pepsi to come in and pray for better business sense, due to making less than 25 cents net profit per can?

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #30 on:** June 27, 2016, 21:15 »

Quote from: SpaceStockFootage on June 27, 2016, 20:37

Would he advise the CEO of Pepsi to come in and pray for better business sense, due to making less than 25 cents net profit per can?

LOL, i don't think any CEO will give a r@ts a$$ if Pepsi even makes 10 cts net ... no CEO of any company is losing any sleep so long as his bank account is deposited each month with $$$$$$

i highly doubt any CEO is looking to be a microstock photographer. .. do you???

SpaceStockFootage · « **Reply #31 on:** June 27, 2016, 22:07 »

Absolutely. My point was that it's not really possible for somebody to make a judgement on a stranger's level of business acumen, purely based on their per sale revenue. Or profit. There are plenty of companies, and probably individuals, who may have very low cost sales, but very high volume. It doesn't necessarily mean they need to pray for better business sense!

Yay Images Billionaire · « **Reply #32 on:** June 28, 2016, 01:17 »

Write DT blog posts to celebrate after every 3.5 sales and 6.76 uploads instead of shooting more.

AlessandraRC · « **Reply #33 on:** June 28, 2016, 05:26 »

taking rejections personally, thinking they will teach you anything, arguing about them in forums, keeping track of them, trying to resubmit and disputing rejections with the agency.

ShadySue · « **Reply #34 on:** June 28, 2016, 05:58 »

My highest-selling file was rejected on first submission. Slight tweak and good to go.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #35 on:** June 28, 2016, 08:44 »

Quote from: SpaceStockFootage on June 27, 2016, 22:07

Absolutely. My point was that it's not really possible for somebody to make a judgement on a stranger's level of business acumen, purely based on their per sale revenue. Or profit. There are plenty of companies, and probably individuals, who may have very low cost sales, but very high volume. It doesn't necessarily mean they need to pray for better business sense!

ah, good point.
but pepsi should not be used as an example... or any one of those rust-removers definitely not meant for human consumption

JPSDK · « **Reply #36 on:** June 28, 2016, 09:56 »

If you do not produce a higher number of pictures than you did before.
If your pictures are not better than before.
Means, the wall.

Mixrostock is in a state of super competition, you are not competing among the tribesmen in your village ( like to see WHO can run fastest to the carcass of the cow), but against an ever rising part of the global population and an ever rising impact of digital technology.
Means the wall exponentially. You, no matter WHO you are, or how good you are (Yuri), you can only take part for a period, then you are swallowed up by the beast.
So there is only so much you can do, even if you are very good.

But you can take that hard earned knowledge, and make it profitable outside of the area of supercompetition.
Like... you as a (former) microstocker, will have a competitive edge in the local web designing environment.

anathaya · « **Reply #37 on:** June 29, 2016, 03:24 »

You income (or productivity or happiness or whatever good) is inversely proportional to the time that you spent in this forum.

bpepz · « **Reply #38 on:** July 01, 2016, 04:02 »

Not being willing to HEAVILY invest in your photoshoots is a sure way to never make real money.

A few years back I got to watch a top tier microstocker do a photoshoot. It was a pharmacy photoshoot. He actually bought a label printer and made fake labels for over 1000 bottles with made up medicine names so he could avoid copyright problems in the images. Also there were tens of thousands of fake pill capsules he bought off ebay filling the bottles, as well as shelves to hold it all up and of course models.

This was the 3rd unique photoshoot he did that day.

He shoots 5 days a week, all editing, key wording and uploading is outsourced. He even has people hired who find locations, models and schedule everything so that every single workday is filled.

It really made me realize that technical skill with a camera are only part of the equation. There is only so much you can do. Being able to properly invest, scale up, and automate your work is the only way to really break this wall.

I probably can't hope to match this guy's performance, but it really did inspire me to take a little more risk and think bigger then doing an apple on a white background, or take crappy travel photos of churches, swans and fountains.

Mantis · « **Reply #39 on:** July 03, 2016, 07:54 »

Spam your image titles!!

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #40 on:** July 03, 2016, 08:38 »

"A few years back I got to watch a top tier microstocker do a photoshoot. It was a pharmacy photoshoot. He actually bought a label printer and made fake labels for over 1000 bottles with made up medicine names so he could avoid copyright problems in the images. Also there were tens of thousands of fake pill capsules he bought off ebay filling the bottles, as well as shelves to hold it all up and of course models. "

Been there, done that.

Anyone want to buy some empty pill bottles?

increasingdifficulty · « **Reply #41 on:** July 03, 2016, 09:29 »

Quote from: bpepz on July 01, 2016, 04:02

He shoots 5 days a week, all editing, key wording and uploading is outsourced. He even has people hired who find locations, models and schedule everything so that every single workday is filled.

For some people this is the way to go, but I would never want to work this way with stock. The pressure to perform would just turn it into another job and take out the joy of filming/photography.

With just 5 employees anything below $25,000 per month means losing money.

I like the idea of about zero fixed costs and my own time is what I lose.

Difydave · « **Reply #42 on:** July 03, 2016, 10:23 »

Quote from: increasingdifficulty on July 03, 2016, 09:29

Quote from: bpepz on July 01, 2016, 04:02
He shoots 5 days a week, all editing, key wording and uploading is outsourced. He even has people hired who find locations, models and schedule everything so that every single workday is filled.

For some people this is the way to go, but I would never want to work this way with stock. The pressure to perform would just turn it into another job and take out the joy of filming/photography.

With just 5 employees anything below $25,000 per month means losing money.

I like the idea of about zero fixed costs and my own time is what I lose.

That's what I reckon. the idea of employees and so on is all well and good, but it's easy to lose sight of the goal. Which is profit.

The beauty of this business to me is that I can (and do) make money without having to deal with people, or having big overheads. I know I don't make as much as some, but it suits me the way it works for me.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #43 on:** July 03, 2016, 13:37 »

Quote from: Difydave on July 03, 2016, 10:23

Quote from: increasingdifficulty on July 03, 2016, 09:29
Quote from: bpepz on July 01, 2016, 04:02
He shoots 5 days a week, all editing, key wording and uploading is outsourced. He even has people hired who find locations, models and schedule everything so that every single workday is filled.

For some people this is the way to go, but I would never want to work this way with stock. The pressure to perform would just turn it into another job and take out the joy of filming/photography.

With just 5 employees anything below $25,000 per month means losing money.

I like the idea of about zero fixed costs and my own time is what I lose.

That's what I reckon. the idea of employees and so on is all well and good, but it's easy to lose sight of the goal. Which is profit.

The beauty of this business to me is that I can (and do) make money without having to deal with people, or having big overheads. I know I don't make as much as some, but it suits me the way it works for me.

i would say that it all depends on your earnings. eg. as sean pointed out, "been there".
but sean was already earning big money, so his investment on going like a movie production house for props,etc... is worth the risk after seeing his actual returns.
it's like all thriving business, really. you don't go crazy and hit the ceiling with a budget that
will clean you out in your first 5 years of opening a business, esp even before you know
if there is indeed going to be a chance of breaking even.

then once you see a thriving business, you can begin to speculate a bit as your borrowing
power enables you.

but lastly, unless you are someone who came in early in the game, i would not go with
betting on a dark horse in microstock these days.
i am sure most big earners would tell you they would not expect to make it this big
if they were a newbie , say, in the past 5 years...
ie. after IS stops becoming the viable alternative to shutterstock.

PeterChigmaroff · « **Reply #44 on:** July 03, 2016, 15:55 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 03, 2016, 08:38

"A few years back I got to watch a top tier microstocker do a photoshoot. It was a pharmacy photoshoot. He actually bought a label printer and made fake labels for over 1000 bottles with made up medicine names so he could avoid copyright problems in the images. Also there were tens of thousands of fake pill capsules he bought off ebay filling the bottles, as well as shelves to hold it all up and of course models. "

Been there, done that.

Anyone want to buy some empty pill bottles?

This made me laugh. I just spent 3 hours in the basement emptying out boxes of props and tossing them. Two of which were filled with various pills, syringes, IV bags.... Anyone need a good stethoscope?

PixelBytes · « **Reply #45 on:** July 03, 2016, 18:06 »

Quote from: bpepz on July 01, 2016, 04:02

Not being willing to HEAVILY invest in your photoshoots is a sure way to never make real money.

A few years back I got to watch a top tier microstocker do a photoshoot. It was a pharmacy photoshoot. He actually bought a label printer and made fake labels for over 1000 bottles with made up medicine names so he could avoid copyright problems in the images. Also there were tens of thousands of fake pill capsules he bought off ebay filling the bottles, as well as shelves to hold it all up and of course models.

This was the 3rd unique photoshoot he did that day.

He shoots 5 days a week, all editing, key wording and uploading is outsourced. He even has people hired who find locations, models and schedule everything so that every single workday is filled.

It really made me realize that technical skill with a camera are only part of the equation. There is only so much you can do. Being able to properly invest, scale up, and automate your work is the only way to really break this wall.

I probably can't hope to match this guy's performance, but it really did inspire me to take a little more risk and think bigger then doing an apple on a white background, or take crappy travel photos of churches, swans and fountains.

I bet this guy has hit the wall by now or will shortly. Also, his profits may be the same or less than someone that runs a lean, smart operation and has only himself to pay.

annarosy · « **Reply #46 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:19 »

Hit the wall.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #47 on:** July 05, 2016, 13:40 »

Quote from: bpepz on July 01, 2016, 04:02

Not being willing to HEAVILY invest in your photoshoots is a sure way to never make real money.

A few years back I got to watch a top tier microstocker do a photoshoot. It was a pharmacy photoshoot. He actually bought a label printer and made fake labels for over 1000 bottles with made up medicine names so he could avoid copyright problems in the images. Also there were tens of thousands of fake pill capsules he bought off ebay filling the bottles, as well as shelves to hold it all up and of course models.

This was the 3rd unique photoshoot he did that day.

He shoots 5 days a week, all editing, key wording and uploading is outsourced. He even has people hired who find locations, models and schedule everything so that every single workday is filled.

It really made me realize that technical skill with a camera are only part of the equation. There is only so much you can do. Being able to properly invest, scale up, and automate your work is the only way to really break this wall.

I probably can't hope to match this guy's performance, but it really did inspire me to take a little more risk and think bigger then doing an apple on a white background, or take crappy travel photos of churches, swans and fountains.

I would like to see his or her profit and loss account to know whether this was successful in the long run . In today's climate this would be a very big gamble.

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Author Topic: Tips on how to FAIL in this business (Read 28859 times)

Mr Nobody

marthamarks

Mr Nobody

Mr Nobody

Mr Nobody

Rose Tinted Glasses

Mr Nobody

Rose Tinted Glasses

Mr Nobody

dbvirago

Dook

dbvirago

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