MicrostockGroup

Excuse my ignorance if there is already something besides subscription plan. I cant possibly sell some of my files on istock for pennies for download on your site. Im sure there are many artists like me who will cancel istock exclusitivity if a higher pay as you go plan was introduced. step out of the all you can eat mentality and go with some fine dining on the side!!!

SS do have PPD's for example. Shutterstock's relatively basic business model and pricing architecture is actually what the buying public appear to like. That's why SS are going from strength to strength whilst Istock and others are suffering.

Vectors were always priced high on IS because only one size could be sold. With subscription packages on SS you get the full-size image anyway so there's no real justification for vectors to be priced differently.

Unless i have an option for my files only to be available for PPD, i have a hard time accepting my files to be downloaded by subscription package. i think its more principle than anything else. I value my artwork and think my style is better than clipart. Yes, i can create things i believe would be appropriate for shutterstock, but i cant justify putting some files i created that took me 10-30 hours of work on.

I only say this because i feel buyers are leaving istock and most probably coming to shutterstock and others. these are buyers who are used fine dining. They should take this opportunity to up their game and try to lure professional vector artists. If im feeling this way, im sure there are tons more.

Umm... Could you be more insulting to us long time Shutterstock contributors? What makes you think if Shutterstock had a premium collection that you would be allowed to participate in it? I'd think it would be reserved for those that have had a track record of sales at SS. Look, I'd love to make changes to many of the micro sites, but it's based on experience using those sites. I wouldn't knock Shutterstock before you've even used it.

NO!!!! Leave shutterstock alone, for the love of Mike! Do not try to fix what isn't broken. iStock used to work pretty good for me until they tried to "fix" it.

Aren't there sites dedicated to vectors?

No, Shutterstock please don't change anything. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

SS isn't really "feed the beast" anymore. I've got roughly 360 images there (double that if you count the raster versions of my vector files). I didn't upload anything for about 6 months, and my earnings didn't suffer. Matter of fact, they went up most months. SS changed the search algorithm some time ago to give older files a better chance, as opposed to the old system that heavily favored new content.

Meanwhile, in those 6 months my istock earnings have tanked. This month I'm on pace for my worst month there since 2007. From where I'm sitting, istock is more of a "feed the beast" site than SS.

Very similar for me in terms of IS sales.
I noticed one of the top gaining people in the Zeitgeist section is one of the few raster illustrators. I wonder if the last best match change favors vectors a lot less

There is. They do sell PPDs and ELs (I think that's obvious), and (I wonder why nobody already mentioned that) you can opt out of subscriptions and only sell PPDs and ELs. At least that is an option that is offered on Shutterstock. I have no personal experience with it, no idea if that would affect search placement (e.g. because you're just not making enough sales to stay on top of the search), but at least it is (theoretically) possible to sell via Shutterstock but without subscriptions.

Now, please sign up with them using my referral link