As promised, Bigstock reassessed the current RC-like royalty structure for subscriptions this month, 6 months after the program was launched and they agrees to take a look at how things were going.

From the email announcement:

We�re pleased to announce that in the past few months, Bigstock is paying more royalties to more contributors than ever before. On average, the monthly earnings per contributor also continue to grow. At the same time, we�re investing more money and resources in marketing than ever before to grow the business and your earnings.

Because it is still �early days� for Bigstock subscriptions, we are going to extend our current royalty structure with a continued promise to evaluate our products and royalties on an ongoing basis.

In other words, they see no problem with the current structure and are going to continue with the current rates, not making any adjustments to the ridiculous benchmarks we are expected to reach in order to earn anything close to what we get at Shutterstock.

I'm responding to the email now and I'd encourage anyone to do the same. These rates and benchmarks were insane when the program launched, and they are still insane 6 months later. I can't imagine that more than one or two people are able to hit 50,000 sales at Bigstock within a year in order to reach the $0.38 level.

I find the bottom right corner of the email hilarious.

Made with love

Is anybody actually making more? My earnings were about the same, but my RPD fell to around 50 cents. I had them delete my images last month.

My total revenue at BigStock is nearly double what it was at this time last year (comparing Aug 1 thru 25 in 2012 and 13), but I imagine my RPD has taken a major hit. 

Weren't we getting kept at the .38 level for a limited period as the new plan rolled out?  When was that supposed to end?  When I saw the email I thought it meant they were extending that .38 level trial period.

Is anybody actually making more? My earnings were about the same, but my RPD fell to around 50 cents. I had them delete my images last month.

My earnings were higher in July 2012 than in July 2013.

If I have illustrations on SS do they auto put them on BS and other partner programs?

Thanks a bunch for responding to my question.
Funny thing is after reading this thread I don't want an invite, not sure where there're going.

Is anybody actually making more?

See chart below, BS is performing well for me. RPD is down, as expected, but overall earnings are up and up.

Quote from: gbalex on August 26, 2013, 17:04

Is anyone surprised?  Expect them to push more and more sales from SS to BS.

1 - I really don't think that BigStock has the same buyers as SS (BigStock has a different collection as well, yes the big contributors had option for bridge etc but many aren't contributing and another pile of contributors that never passed SS entry qc)
2 - SS is growing quarter after quarter, why would they risk their position to drive some buyers to BigStock?

that said BigStock is pathetic for me, I have done more this month at SS than I did in over 4 years and 5 months at BigStock

Look at the SEC filings and the Q2 Earnings Call Transcript, they are one in the same.  While the analyst's and key SS OP's Jon Oringer, founder, CEO and chairman; Thilo Semmelbauer, president and chief operating officer; and Tim Bixby, CFO. speak about and give financial info for Skillfeed and Offset they never mention Bigstock once. Because they consider SS & BS one in the same.

As I mention before large enterprises are a big part of SS's market push and they have expanded their sales teams substantially in the last two quarters to accomplish their goal of getting more large enterprises on board.

Just who do you think the analyst's, VC,'s, CFO and stock holders would rather see get the lion share of that huge business?  Of course they would like to push it to BS because they will make far more money. Why do you think they started the bridge program and why do you think they continued to offer the .38 cent incentive for 6 months?

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1616602-shutterstocks-ceo-discusses-q2-2013-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single

Expanding Direct Sales To Large Enterprises

Snip

As Jon mentioned, direct sales continues to be one of the fastest growing parts of our business and our growth accelerated in Q2 as we continued to refine our approach and expand our team. Across agencies, publishers, media companies and large corporations, both the number and the size of the deals continue to increase.

Snip

Tim Bixby

So overall, the download growth was pretty consistent in all territories.

...direct sales to large enterprises both in the U.S. and outside the U.S. are continuing to grow at a faster clip than the overall business, and so those tended to drive that number higher. But we do see quite strong growth across all the product lines.

I'd be fine with that, as long as they treated everyone the same. The rules should apply to everyone equally. That's the one thing I had liked about Shutterstock. They've always given new contributors a way to rise up, while other sites make it nearly impossible to break in.

In this case, they are not treating everyone the same, and they really don't have a good reason for it. They never really explained why some people got bridge while others didn't. I know plenty of people who had fewer sales on Shutterstock than I did with smaller, less commercial ports who got the bridge while I didn't. I stuck with Bigstock anyway, uploading my files to them this whole time. I didn't really care all that much. It was just a little extra time spent, but now it's costing me money and it's going to continue to cost me money.

Yes they did.

"Participation in the Bridge to Bigstock is by invitation only. We are inviting Shutterstock contributors with high performing portfolios. They will receive an e-mail giving them the choice to opt in to the program. For contributors who participate, all of their images that are accepted by Shutterstock will now automatically be accepted by and uploaded to Bigstock. The artists will earn payouts at standard Bigstock rates. For participants who already upload to both sites, we will filter for duplicates as we move Shutterstock images to Bigstock. This may take some time as we ramp up the program, but we will keep participants informed by e-mail during the process.

Select Shutterstock contributors will begin receiving e-mails from Shutterstock with details on how to participate in the Bridge to Bigstock. We may gradually invite more high-performing Shutterstock contributors once we finish the integration for the first round of invitees.

We�re sorry we can�t offer this service to everyone at this time. It requires staff time to sync a Shutterstock portfolio with a Bigstock portfolio, so we are only able to offer this program to selected contributors. We may expand the program after we finish processing the first round of invitees."

http://www.microstockgroup.com/bigstock-com/shutterstock's-'bridge-to-bigstock'-program/

I took from that email that I'll continue getting my 38cents per dl.

I wish I could join the bridge.

They cherry picked ports based on the profile of the customers they planned on marketing them to in the future. If your images were selling well to that demographic on SS you fit the profile they were looking for. If you do not fit that profile you did not get an invite.

They will pay .38 just long enough port over the images they need to accomplish their business goals. It is going right over our heads, that BS can not continue to pay .38 royalties for your images at the prices they are charging BS buyers.

I am glad I did not join bridge. SS has devalued my assets enough, I will not devalue them further by offering files at a division of the company which has openly undercut parent company prices to gain market share in a large demographic that has historically been willing to pay more than SS is charging now.

If customers want my images they will have to buy them at a higher price @ SS or better yet a company that is not openly willing to devalue our assets to gain market share.

So is it confirmed that they are going to keep paying .38 for subs from bridge people or is this message made with love just to show that they aren't going to change the completely unrealistic RC numbers or the royalty rates?

And yet, some people still on the 33 cent tier got the bridge. How were those high performing portfolios?  I'm sorry, but that explanation is not a very good explanation.

You won't be able to convince me that it's fair for someone to get 38 cents while I get 27 cents, when I probably get more sales on Bigstock. I was willing to live with it for six months, not indefinitely.

I am the same and get 25 cents but some people get 38 cents. Why don't we all get the same or have the same way to join the bridge. Unfair this makes me want to close BS account remove all. I don't see why some people get more just because they are the bridge people. Why are they special? RC isn't going to work this is BS way to keep bridge people from jumping. Unfair

Bridge is no longer available here was my live chat with BS.

Howdy, how can I help you?
me: I am trying to find out about the bridge to BS from SS and is it available to anymore of us over on SS?
Just a moment...

One moment please, I will be right there with you. If you are in a hurry, please feel free to leave a message.
me: No I can wait I am fine
Erick:
Hi
me: Hello
Erick: We are no longer supporting new participants to the Bridge to Bigstock
me: So then there is no way for me to upload anything I have from SS over to BS except for me to do it manually and upload everything I have over there to over here just like anyone else?
Erick: Correct.We have an independent review team
me: OK then thanks.
Erick: No problem
Sorry about that

Now I figured why not see what SS has to say so this is what I got.

And they said no longer available but I cant post it because.

This message is confidential and is intended only for the individual(s) or entity named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or disclose the contents of this communication to others. Please notify the sender that you have received this e-mail in error by replying to the e-mail and then delete  this email and any copies of it. Under no circumstances may the contents hereof be disclosed to the public without the sender's prior written permission. (SS)

I have been with BigStock since 2005, so I was not eligible for the 'Bridge' simply because I already had all my images on BS for years. I've been at the .38 level on SS for a long time now, so there's a good chance I would have been invited to join the Bridge if I was not already on BS to begin with. I am thoroughly disgusted with this injustice - people who joined the site YEARS after I did now receive a much better return than I do.  I came close to deleting my portfolio when they intoduced .27 subs, but just stopped uploading instead. It's a shame because I always loved BS, they treated me good, that is before SS took it over and ruined it. Just like iStock did with StockXpert. It's like a reoccurring nightmare you can't wake up from.

They just used it to get the images they want ported over.  I doubt very much that they will honor those .38 rates indefinitely since doing so will cause them to lose money at the very low subscription $.16 prices they are charging for each image download.

How about they announce how long they plan to continue unfair treatment for the loyal contributors who have taken their time to upload and keyword directly to their site?

as simple as that but it will never happen, "we" accepted crap after crap and "we" still submit to them so why would anything change? (unless it is for the worst which is already happening with most exclusives, not even going to mention indies because those are in the trash bin for a long time)

p.s: I was thinking you were talking about iStock

Well isn't that cute.  There was absolutely no announcement about that being no longer available completely underhanded.

I quit uploading there awhile back as I was getting very little or no return for my efforts.

Seems to me like the strings are being pulled by the shareholders and it's all about keeping them happy.  Going to hell in a hand basket that's for sure.

So are they still giving .38 to the bridge people? (so basically everyone else is subsidizing them)

I wonder when they think it will be safe for them to yank that and drop everyone (or nearly everyone) with their RC plan.

Just a confirmation of the same. I had to ask today, while I was doing some DVD work and bored.

"I wondered what was going on with the "Bridge" from Shutterstock? I haven't seen any news about additions or opening it up to more people."
Can you tell me anything about the Bridge programs future?"

"This program has been phased out and is no longer in operation. This program was entirely controlled by Shutterstock."

Just that one small bit (controlled by SS) added that they didn't tell ruxpriencdiam.

Quote from: Anita Potter on August 31, 2013, 14:36

Well isn't that cute.  There was absolutely no announcement about that being no longer available completely underhanded.

I quit uploading there awhile back as I was getting very little or no return for my efforts.

Seems to me like the strings are being pulled by the shareholders and it's all about keeping them happy.  Going to hell in a hand basket that's for sure.

It may be phased out for new entrants but they still actively pipeline my images straight to Bigstock, so that part of it is still active. I am still getting 38 cents from BigStock but expect that to go away eventually, sooner or later, once they expose the strategy behind that RC system.

I removed my images at the beginning of this month. The sales did not warrant the upload  time.

Norma