MicrostockGroup

I've got 8 sales since day one. All but 1 cheap subs.
My views of those 8 range from 225 views to 4 views. No sales last 4 months. New views almost non-existent.
No way to reach payout before this outfit closes up shop. No way I'm uploading any more to this loser.

I actually got couple sales there before I sent them a DVD. Now I have over 1700 pictures there and one sale so I think they do not have enough traffic to generate sales. I think they still got better chance to survive than YAY and other newcomers because of huge financial support from Corbis. Soon all smaller sites should fold down due to economic crisis and these guys still should live on their parent money.

I can't see why they would go any time soon because they are owned by Corbis.  If they were an independent site or a site owned by inpatient shareholders, they would be in serious trouble.  Isn't it up to the owner of Corbis to make these decisions?  He isn't in a rush to see them make a profit is he?

Do we start a pool now? 

I say Dec 2010 which I based on Beta July 2007, going live this year and two years to make it or break it.

I was doing some searches for an idea I had, for a shoot. Seasonal theme for this month.

I looked and saw many photos that matched, for $1 with not many views when searching for price, no sales. Maybe the pictures are a buck for a reason.

Searching for Snappiness, the best had only two sales.

I'm still hoping that this site can break free and succeed. I like their pricing structure and being able to set my own value on each image. Of course if the place gets overrun by $1 photos, it's not going to do me any good.

For me SV is much much better than YAY since I have regular sales there (even though most of them are subs, I have already seen payments from SV). However, I have yet to see the first sale at YAY.

I have most of my portfolio there, not all since it's a pain to upload. Making about the same money as with Crestock. Will they stay in business or not - who knows:) but yeah I have also read that Corbis itself never showed profit, and they are still there....

Well I did promise an update on SV sales once my portfolio dropped to the $5 level. However, despite an email on 2nd October saying this would happen in a week or so I'm still waiting    Are you there Brian?? Regards, David

I guess the longer we work at micro-stock the more we understand that there are winners and losers, just like in real life. Why some folks keep feeding the losers is beyond me. Way too much time on their hands.

I'm still new enough to ask dumb questions without being TOO embarrassed.  I don't understand why you decide to stop uploading to a particular site.  Isn't it better to have you pictures available at the most sites possible?  Does it really matter who sells them?  Or if they simply set stagnant at a declining site?  Will it hurt sales at other sites? 

Just trying to understand the microstock business?

I stuck to the big 4, SS, IS, DT and FT to start with then added a new site each month after I was reaching regular payouts.  I am pleased with most of the smaller sites I have uploaded to.  The only complete failure so far is albumo.  I use all the sites down to mostphotos on the list to the right.  Those below that might be a complete waste of time.

It hasn't taken much time, as I upload in the background while I am doing other work on my PC.  Those who don't have much time should just stick to the first 7 on the list but if your computer is on and the broadband isn't being used, why not add more sites?  If we all waited for the smaller sites to have great sales, they would never stand a chance.  I want more competition for the big sites, not one or two sites able to dictate how much commission they pay us.

I pretty much agree up to the last line. (and I have a few extra computers, so I don't have to upload in background  ) The new sites seem to have the same plan, which is get all the same photos, from all the same people, and sell them for less. I don't see any new sites that say, we're going to charge $5 a photo and pay the photographers $3.50 a download.  If there were less cut rate agencies, nipping into the profits, and I hate to say this, but less agencies which could then all charged fair prices, instead of trying to undercut each other, then we'd get paid more.

The way it is now, anyone with a basement or a garage and some financing to rent server space, can become the latest new stock agency. You people know better than I do, but there should be a thread, new stock site of the month, and site closing of the month. It's a revolving door of people who think they can beat the big six, on a shoestring. SV has the backing and the staffing and they are struggling along after a year.

Since that's contrary to the free market and the way I think businesses should operate, it's interesting. I figure the best will win in the end, and everyone is welcome to try to open and run a business if they want. You want to open a little specialty coffee house, or maybe a burger place with a drive through, corner food store or maybe a little hardware and home improvement store? 

But people keep opening Micro Stock photo sites. I don't get it.

The microstock boom is over. Now it's time to weed out the weak and we'll end up with the survivors. New sites getting into the market are a little late and hardly have a chance. That is unless they have strong financing and good staff and programming... and offer something different to the contributors who are tired of the same thing over and over.