Author Topic: How are you doing at BigStock? (Read 52131 times)

cdwheatley · « **Reply #50 on:** May 19, 2009, 15:47 »

Another vote here for "we deserve an explanation". If credit prices have increased, contributors should benefit as well. This is a can of worms.

madelaide · « **Reply #51 on:** May 19, 2009, 16:05 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on May 19, 2009, 12:25

Quote from: gostwyck on May 19, 2009, 02:50
When I first signed up to BigStock the commission level was 50%. Full stop. Period. I am not aware of any announcements or emails to contributors indicating that commissions were to be reduced and can now be as little as 20%. Judging by the surprised responses from senior contributors earlier in this thread, when I pointed out what the current payout levels actually are, I clearly wasn't alone.

Is that so? I'm on BigStock since August 2005 and I thought it still was 50%. How dit that happen? I didn't see any announcement like from DT when they made a major change (actually improvement) on their commission scheme.

I believe the change took place long ago (over an year), when they changed the price scheme, and I think it was announced. We get 50c per credit, and a credit can cost from $1 to 2.50 (so we make 20 to 50%).

PS: Found it here, on Nov 2007.
http://www.microstockgroup.com/bigstock-com/price-increase!/

gostwyck · « **Reply #52 on:** May 19, 2009, 16:28 »

Thanks for that __ I had no idea quite how sneaky they have been.

I've just checked my sales/revenue and in the months before the "price increase" I was averaging 130-148c per sale. Now, like Lisa, I'm down to 84c per sale.

Try it yourself and see how much of that substantial price increase to the customers actually ended up in your back-bin. For me it turned out to be about a 40% pay cut.

gbcimages · « **Reply #53 on:** May 19, 2009, 16:38 »

My images sell between .50 and 1.00 each,once in a while I get a 2.00 sale

madelaide · « **Reply #54 on:** May 19, 2009, 16:39 »

I didn't start tracking RPD before Feb/08, so I don't have my numbers before the changes (unless I go dig it in their site), but my numbers range from 82c to $1.32, depending on the month, and they were about the same in Feb/08 as they were last month.

kgtoh · « **Reply #55 on:** May 19, 2009, 18:29 »

I think they took advantage of the fact that nobody really cares about bigstock.
If this had happened on one of the bigger sites, everyone would be up in arms.

madelaide · « **Reply #56 on:** May 19, 2009, 18:58 »

Quote from: kgtoh on May 19, 2009, 18:29

I think they took advantage of the fact that nobody really cares about bigstock. If this had happened on one of the bigger sites, everyone would be up in arms.

Well, if I am not wrong, before they introduced that change, images were costing $1 or $2 and we got 50%. After the change, prices went up but our $ was not reduced (a very big difference compared to FT). I mean, an image that costed $1 and gave us 50c was still giving us 50c. At the same time, images sold at larger sizes were giving us $2 or even $3, choices that were not available before. They may have reduced our %, but not the earnings per image.

Ok, things could have been different, but I don't think it is outrageous.

Dawn Donahue · « **Reply #57 on:** May 19, 2009, 19:15 »

Hi Guys,

Most of the downloads are from $1 credits; therefore, you are getting 50% commission for almost every download.

Also, another thing to keep in mind is that marketing costs have skyrocketed over the years. Just placing an ad on Google these days can cost over $2 for one click. It is very competitive.

Most of you know, we are always very fair and we want you to succeed as well. We feel great when you make money -- we love the fact that we can help people make money with their hobby and it pays some of your bills.

I admit we haven't been very good at communicating on the forums. Our business is fairly good size and it takes many hours to maintain and build it. But you know, if you have any major concerns about BigStock you can always write to us directly.

Thanks guys,
Dawn

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #58 on:** May 19, 2009, 19:23 »

Quote from: Dawn Donahue on May 19, 2009, 19:15

Most of you know, we are always very fair and we want you to succeed as well. We feel great when you make money -- we love the fact that we can help people make money with their hobby and it pays some of your bills.

Thanks guys,
Dawn

Perhaps we have spotted a problem. I have been a working professional photographer since 1979. I do not think I am the only professional selling images in microstock. Perhaps you should reconsider that "hobby" position.
Warren
www.warrenpricephotography.com

stockastic · « **Reply #59 on:** May 19, 2009, 19:36 »

Interesting thread. I haven't submitted to BigStock and based on what I see here I don't intend to.

The microstocks seemt to think that the commission really should be 0%, and that they'll get there eventually. You all know the old story about how to boil a frog - if you turn up the heat slowly enough he never jumps out of the pot.

"Crowdsourcing" and "fair to contributors" are apparently incompatible ideas.

m@m · « **Reply #60 on:** May 19, 2009, 20:40 »

Quote from: WarrenPrice on May 19, 2009, 19:23

Quote from: Dawn Donahue on May 19, 2009, 19:15

Most of you know, we are always very fair and we want you to succeed as well. We feel great when you make money -- we love the fact that we can help people make money with their hobby and it pays some of your bills.

Thanks guys,
Dawn

Perhaps we have spotted a problem. I have been a working professional photographer since 1979. I do not think I am the only professional selling images in microstock. Perhaps you should reconsider that "hobby" position.
Warren
www.warrenpricephotography.com

That makes two of us Warren, I've been on all aspects of microstock/photography for over 26+, and have made a very good living at it, so I would hardly consider what I do a hobby. Dawn you may be referring to someone else, and not to the group of professionals on this forum...and BTW NO!!! you have not been very good at communicating, regardless how much time it takes running BigStock, other sites make it a point to stay in touch and communicate with their contributors for better or worst, what makes BigStock special?
Enough BSPlease...

null · « **Reply #61 on:** May 19, 2009, 22:16 »

Quote from: Dawn Donahue on May 19, 2009, 19:15

Most of the downloads are from $1 credits; therefore, you are getting 50% commission for almost every download.

Just checked my latest 30 sales at BigStock: 20 of them are 1$. That makes the 0.50$ sales (with 50%) a minority of 33%.
Hence, the RPD on BigStock was around 0.83$, roughly half of the 1.67$ with competitor DT last April.
There is also the continuing mystery surrounding the origin of sales on affiliate sites, which are not indicated as such.

dirkr · « **Reply #62 on:** May 20, 2009, 03:00 »

Quote from: Dawn Donahue on May 19, 2009, 19:15

Most of the downloads are from $1 credits; therefore, you are getting 50% commission for almost every download.

If this is the case, then why not change your commission scheme to pay out 50% always.

It would not be a great loss for you (as you claim we already get 50% for almost every download) and you would immediately stop the ongoing discussion here and have full support of all photographers here. Sounds like a smart move to me.

sharpshot · « **Reply #63 on:** May 20, 2009, 03:10 »

I agree, 50% would give us a small earnings rise and as it looks like most of us haven't been able to increase earnings with BigStock, it might keep us motivated to stay with the site. I like BigStock but it does take time to upload there compared to other sites and I am in this to make money.

null · « **Reply #64 on:** May 20, 2009, 04:04 »

Quote from: lisafx on May 19, 2009, 11:25

Thanks for the update Tim. Good news on streamlining the upload process.

Which made you the top Weekly Featured Photographer on BigStock

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #65 on:** May 21, 2009, 09:53 »

My total sales at BigStock doubled yesterday ... I had a $2 and 2 $3 sales. Don't know what I did right but I hope to keep doing it.

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #66 on:** May 22, 2009, 10:12 »

That brief rush of enthusiasm was snuffed out. It was an "invalid transaction." The hard part to understand, after their recalculation, is that I owe Big Stock two dollars!!!!!

I guess with that calculator,, it doesn't matter what percentage we are getting. It's their calculator.

m@m · « **Reply #67 on:** May 22, 2009, 10:57 »

Warren, as the old saying goes, "It's mind over matter, they don't mind, we don't matter"

...that's a good trick though, they got you all excited over a supposed sale, probably excited enough to make you upload a couple of more pictures to their site, then take it back...I've to try that one sometime.

Edited: BTW, I just checked my stats, and realized that I have made more money on 2 low earners sites in the past four months, with less downloads, that I've on BigStock.

Clairev · « **Reply #68 on:** May 22, 2009, 11:34 »

Hmm, I had 19 transactions (2$ each) yesterday now listed as Adjustment (Invalid Transaction).

As WarrenPrice noted, it brings decent chaos in that earnings page...

I just sent them email...

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #69 on:** May 22, 2009, 11:42 »

Quote from: Clairev on May 22, 2009, 11:34

I just sent them email...

me too

packerguy · « **Reply #70 on:** May 22, 2009, 11:58 »

My daughter just had $6 removed due to invalid transactions.

gostwyck · « **Reply #71 on:** May 22, 2009, 12:11 »

Quote from: Clairev on May 22, 2009, 11:34

Hmm, I had 19 transactions (2$ each) yesterday now listed as Adjustment (Invalid Transaction).
As WarrenPrice noted, it brings decent chaos in that earnings page...
I just sent them email...

Just imagine how much more you could have lost if they were paying you more than 20%!

When they're paying such a piffling commission they really should be absorbing the cost of invalid transactions.

Seems like we're getting the very worst of all worlds at BigStock. I'm not uploading any more images to them until we get a fairer deal.

KB · « **Reply #72 on:** May 22, 2009, 12:17 »

Quote from: gostwyck on May 22, 2009, 12:11

Quote from: Clairev on May 22, 2009, 11:34
Hmm, I had 19 transactions (2$ each) yesterday now listed as Adjustment (Invalid Transaction).
As WarrenPrice noted, it brings decent chaos in that earnings page...
I just sent them email...

Just imagine how much more you could have lost if they were paying you more than 20%!

When they're paying such a piffling commission they really should be absorbing the cost of invalid transactions.

Seems like we're getting the very worst of all worlds at BigStock. I'm not uploading any more images to them until we get a fairer deal.

20%? When did we figure out the commission rate was only 20%?

I thought it averaged "close to 50%"?

All I know for sure is that BigStock has the highest RPD of any site I contribute to (due, undoubtedly, to their lack of sub sales). So I find it hard to complain, regardless of what % we are earning.

makeanotherme · « **Reply #73 on:** May 22, 2009, 13:37 »

well, you guys can be glad to discuss about downloads at BigStock...I haven't had anyone at all

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/search/photographer/makeanotherme/ [nofollow]

Well, I don't have many uploads and I am only online since April...BUT...I decided to upload to other sites aswell and they've been doing very well in the same amount of time....by the way, another disappointment is canstock ...they keep telling you "your portfolio is so small, we have over 1 million images here"...so what...shutterstock has almost 7 millions and I get downloads as hell...or at dreamstime I got a few downloads so far and several hundred views...and canstock...my most popular images have 2 views...
nearly the same with bigstock....

That's how I am doing at bigstock

lisafx · « **Reply #74 on:** May 22, 2009, 14:02 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on May 20, 2009, 04:04

Quote from: lisafx on May 19, 2009, 11:25
Thanks for the update Tim. Good news on streamlining the upload process.

Which made you the top Weekly Featured Photographer on BigStock

Gee, thanks for noticing

Unfortunately you omitted the rest of that post, which was critical of BigStock.

If they made me featured photographer it obviously wasn't for brown nosing:

Quote from: lisafx on May 19, 2009, 11:25

To be honest, though, the decline of sales and commissions is more of an issue IMO.

I am concerned about the lower % too. My average sale on BigStock nets me 83 cents. That is on the extreme low end of what I get on PPD sites. Only subscription sites are a lower RPI.

I am also very concerned about sales falloff. With over 4500 diverse images I am not one of the small or specialized portfolios that is generally very affected by sales fluctuations. Some of the others posting in this thread are high volume sellers too. To assume this sales drop is just affecting the mid to low level contributors would not be correct.

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Author Topic: How are you doing at BigStock? (Read 52131 times)

cdwheatley

madelaide

gostwyck

gbcimages

madelaide

kgtoh

madelaide

Dawn Donahue

WarrenPrice

stockastic

m@m

null

dirkr

sharpshot

null

WarrenPrice

WarrenPrice

m@m

Clairev

WarrenPrice

packerguy

gostwyck

KB

makeanotherme

lisafx

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