MicrostockGroup

Let me know if this has potential? If not, is it salvageable.
FYI, I used a layer mask to darken the background, brighten the foreground and increase contrast.

Feel free to give me negative criticism.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/synapticjelly/3383735539/

I agree - my natural instinct is to look at the much too prominent and complicated background to try and figure out what it is I'm looking at. The image is also too dark.

Those are all really good points.
I was hoping that the table in the back would give a greater sense that you are indeed in a cafe, but it seems like its detracting more than its adding. Should I cut my losses and crop out the background table?

If I can brighten the front of the cup more, bump up the contrast, will that salvage the bottom half of the image?

I do not think the background is too bad, but I agree with the others. The main subject should be more the" main subject". Its cut off and underexposed. It looks to much as a random snapshot.
But judge for your self: Search at iStock for cappuccino under best match and ask your self: can my image compete.

My thoughts exactly. 

Yes, the concept should be clearer. It's a bit confusing, you have to look at it two times to undestand what it is. And that is bad in stock photography.

It took me about a second to figure out it was a cup of coffee on an images that is several times bigger than a thumbnail. A second is far too long. i.s. the main subject is too ambiguous.

let me see. as you asked, this is just my opinion.. so please take it with a grain of salt.there is only about 1/3rd of the image that is in focus. so i assume that it is the point of focus.  and the other 2/3rd is out of focus (as, you used selective focus, if you prefer).unfortunately, there is very little thought in composition.
it's alright to use the background to give it ambience , like you say. but this is distracting if the ambience is not complimentary to the subject.
i would suggest, reshoot with the cup of coffee in the centre and a bit of ambience in the background. our natural instinct is to look at the "bigger" picture, and that is where you should fill the subject; not at the bottom where it looks like it falling OUT of the FRAME. hope that makes sense.