MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Cutcaster => Topic started by: Red Dove on September 28, 2009, 16:51
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I've had one of my images up on their front page this week where they have a revolving 5 feature pics - which is nice and might bring some buyers my way - but on balance I haven't made enough money to buy a new lens cap out of this site.
Is anybody selling here?
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I have almost 600 photos there and still nothig...
One of my clipfolders was featured for a 7 days on a front page and nothing...
I am still uploading there and I hope for a better days.
But how to expect payout before first sale... :P
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Zilch.
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I did have a few sales, some of them EL's and I had 2 payouts but it has been a long time since my last sale.
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Zero sales and the views are mostly my own. (yes, your own views count.) 440 images on site.
I like John but I am ready to give up
The mouse over views cut off 1/3 of the horizontal images and description. (needs to be fixed!)
-Larry
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nada (about three months)
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A complete waist of time!...1 sale a loooong time ago with 323 pics on the site :-\
I still upload some photos every ones in a while (not many), but I really don't see even that happening for much longer...
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I'm doing pretty well, with only 240 submissions. I seem to have 3-7 downloads from all of the big 6, everyday. Had 34 downloads from Shutterstock on Sept 24th. I concentrate on product illustrations. That's what I like to do, and I know that advertisers look for that stuff on microstocks. I'm uploading a couple a day, trying to build a bigger portfolio. My freelance career has taken a hit this year, so this is a good way to bring in a few hundred bucks a month. Hope that encourages others that are having a slow time!
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Rimglow, congratulation on your high count of downloads on the big 6, but it's not Shutterstock or any of the other top 5 sites that this thread is about, if you want to encourage any of the folks on this thread, please let us know how many of those downloads are coming from Cutcaster, then maybe we can all understand what part your post relates to this thread ;)
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Nothing for me either.
In my case it never looked promising.
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dead, dead like Zym or Yay.
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317 images on line. End of Oct will be a full year on the site. Not a single sale yet.
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Sorry, it was late and I didn't notice the thread was about Cutcaster. No sales from there and I gave up on them.
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No sales for me either with 1000 pics on line. Same thing for YAY and ZYM these days....
3DS is doing better for me with the same portfolio...
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No sales for me either with 1000 pics on line. Same thing for YAY and ZYM these days....
3DS is doing better for me with the same portfolio...
Your link to Cutcaster does not work. Your account with them is a number, not your user ID.
-Larry
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Ten months there, 300 images and one sale, last week. I think I'll take that sale as a big sign of hope ;)
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993 images and 9 sales in a year. I'll hang in there for a while longer and see what happens.
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oh well. I can see my views have jumped a little but I'm wondering, with most of my images priced at $10 plus, whether I ought to go in and drop the lot to around $5 (if I can find a way to do it in bulk).
It's either a pricing problem for potential buyers or there are no potential buyers - and I'm not going to wait around for much longer to find out.
Your feedback has been greatly appreciated.
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FeaturePics forced me to use lower prices and my sales have fallen there. I am sure the vast majority of buyers are not put off by $10 for an image they want. I have been getting a few sales with zymmetrical at higher prices than most of the micros.
The problem with cutcaster does seem to be that there are not enough buyers to keep us all happy. It was never going to be easy in this market but at least we don't lose any money if it all goes wrong.
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I put a few dozen images there months ago, to test the waters. So far no nibbles at $5. I don't upload there anymore but as long as CutCaster is still actively out there pitching, I'll leave what I have there alone.
CutCaster's model, in theory, should be the one for me. My 'niche' photos all sell on the big sites, but not often enough - at 25 cents - to make any significant money. I do believe that the people that want my images would pay a few dollars. Flexible pricing is what I want, but so far the big 4 are hung up on 'one size fits all' pricing.
But I don't see how a site like CC can get far with non-exclusive photos. Those of us uploading to CC also have the same files at the big 4 sites, with the same keywords. Duh. CC has to set themselvs apart, somehow.
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Very bad news... I was planning on uploading more there, already had around 12 images uploaded, but now I am wondering if it is worth the effort.
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If you're selling the EXACT same images on microstock sites for 1/10 of the price, that would be the reason there are less sales on the mid-stock sites..
I got a sale on Zym almost immediately, and I made sure I wrote in my profile that these images are not available anywhere else for cheaper, so if they want it, they may aswell get it now from there. Why don't you guys try uploading some exclusive content to these sites, different to the usual stock stuff, maybe some high quality unusual shots and perhaps you could say they are exclusive to that site in the description? It would massively help those sites, and I wish they would adopt an exclusive model to ensure their success!!
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Some sites do sell the same images for higher prices, so I don't think it is a big problem. Istock prices are quite high compared to some sites but they still sell more. Some of the sites that have undercut them have very low sales. That is why I think the buyers are not too concerned by a difference of a few dollars. The problem might be that the newer sites have much smaller collections because not many of us are willing to upload all our portfolios. Why should a buyer use a site that has less choice?
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Why don't you guys try uploading some exclusive content to these sites, different to the usual stock stuff, maybe some high quality unusual shots and perhaps you could say they are exclusive to that site in the description? It would massively help those sites,
I don't think many photographers here will be willing to sacrifice exclusive high quality photos that way, specially uploading them to a site that obviously does not have the buyers or customer traffic to begin with, just with the expectation that maybe one day someone will come along and purchased it...And that's not taking into account the lost revenue from those exclusive photos just sitting there.
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If you're selling the EXACT same images on microstock sites for 1/10 of the price, that would be the reason there are less sales on the mid-stock sites..
Remember that not everybody wants to buy a subscription, no matter how small the package. The idea of getting the image you need without having to worry about having to fulfill a subscription may be appealing to many people. Indeed, the3dStudio is using that approach and are selling more.
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Just received a message that another image sold. That was my fourth sale this year ... all exclusive to CC and all Editorial Only.
Linking to my "legends" folder from Google seems to help.
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Can't even get my photos on site. No need to try again.
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All it would take would be a couple of sales, and I would suddenly get really interested in CC.
I'm not giving up yet. Maybe I'll even start uploading again.
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All it would take would be a couple of sales, and I would suddenly get really interested in CC.
I'm not giving up yet. Maybe I'll even start uploading again.
Stockastic, I think those are everyones feelings on this thread, we all have this wishful thinking frame of mind about CC. But as you mention, a couple of sales would make all the difference in the world at this moment, at least to get folks interested in uploading again, I know I would not mind uploading the rest of my portfolio there, but not under the current conditions, I would need to see some kind of change in sales before I would spend more time uploading large amount of photos to CC, I would rather use that time to shot newer photos and uploading them to sites that are selling...so for now I'll just upload 1 or 2 images when I have the time, and hope for the best. I really hope things change I really like John and the site.
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Same thing here. :-[
I did have a few sales, some of them EL's and I had 2 payouts but it has been a long time since my last sale.
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Again, thanks for the feedback everyone. I like the premise of Cutcaster, as do most responders on this thread it seems. I also agree a few sales would be encouraging and would motivate me to upload more and more often.
Perhaps Cutcaster could give us some encouraging percentages around the following:
a) sales growth
b) client base
c) site visits etc
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Every midstock site needs to explain to their buyers, one thing on the front page...
Advantages of midstock RF over microstock RF....
What buyer gets more on Cutcaster or Zymm than usual on micros!?
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I was with CC last fall and had a port of about 600 images there for round 6 months. My top image had about 30 views but no sales. I originally had my prices set to around 20.00 but then asked John to set them to the CC algorithm in hopes of getting a few sales. That didnt work either so I ended up pulling all my images.
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Zero sales and the views are mostly my own. (yes, your own views count.) 440 images on site.
I like John but I am ready to give up
The mouse over views cut off 1/3 of the horizontal images and description. (needs to be fixed!)
-Larry
I changed my mind! I am not going to give up on John this early as he is a nice person; giving it his all and without us he cannot make it.
So I uploaded some more and will hope for the best for me, you, and John.
-Larry
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I have no timeline. Who knows where microstock will be in 2 years? Maybe CC will find a niche. They're not chained to an archive of 8 million clunky images, they can be flexible and maybe find a way to do something better that the others. I think I'll upload the rest of my gigantic portfolio of 100 images. Hey, but they're good ones and they all sell, now and then.
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I had on EL today at Cutcaster. Not sure what's happening, but lately I had one EL at Veer, one EL at Cutcaster, one EL at Fotolia... All three low earners for me
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Got an EL at Cutcaster today also:)
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Congratulations guys! :) Those are encouraging news from Cutcaster. I also had my second sale there the other day, let's hope some buyers are there to stay.
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congrats to those who's had some sales at cc. did you find exclusive photos had better sales pattern?
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I never sold anything there but now I am expecting...
Did you get a mail about sale report!?
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I also had another sale there the other day. It was a bid and I accepted it. ;D - $2.40 royalty - nice.
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Remember that not everybody wants to buy a subscription, no matter how small the package. The idea of getting the image you need without having to worry about having to fulfill a subscription may be appealing to many people. Indeed, the3dStudio is using that approach and are selling more.
3Dstudio sells nothing for me. You could differentiate not only by content, but also by size. Currently I have a 5DMKII but there is no way I'm going to upload the full sizes to unlimited-size subscription sites like SS, DT or FT. CC and ZYM wil get them.
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Definitely worth a mention here, that Cutcaster was actually my top earner for October. More in my blog http://microstockposts.com/2009/11/02/ive-been-passive-but-my-income-reaches-new-heights/ (http://microstockposts.com/2009/11/02/ive-been-passive-but-my-income-reaches-new-heights/)
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I have also noticed sales picking up at Cutcaster (http://www.cutcaster.com/studio/pub/684059189) with 4 sales last month. Not great but encouraging ;)
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Just sold three of my Motocross Legends images. After more that 1200 views of the clipfolder, things may be starting to pickup.
Payouts are Great. ;D
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I don't have any sales yet, but I have a very tiny portfolio there so no surprise :)
I wonder how the site is doing in general, didn't here much lately. How was 2009 and what are the expectations for 2010?
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The future for "midstock" looks very ominous. There has been Featurepics, Zymmetrical, LuckyOliver, Mostphotos and Cutcaster.
Featurepics had to change strategy drastically, added a volume plan, and is still critical; Zymm and LO had to stop; Mostphotos is a great backup; and Cutcaster is all that's left for now.
The midstock concept just didn't work, and all new sites that are popping up now play the low pricing game.
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I haven't any dl here with 670 images online...
Zymm is over, and many like before them...
What to expect?
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It is hard to be optimistic after what has just happened with zymmetrical. I do hope John can come up with something to surprise us. I think if Lucky Oliver had weathered the storm, it could of been in the big 6 now.
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$65 total sales. All editorial (motocross) images.
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Yes yesterday one sale after a long very long time.
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The future for "midstock" looks very ominous. There has been Featurepics, Zymmetrical, LuckyOliver, Mostphotos and Cutcaster.
Featurepics had to change strategy drastically, added a volume plan, and is still critical; Zymm and LO had to stop; Mostphotos is a great backup; and Cutcaster is all that's left for now.
The midstock concept just didn't work, and all new sites that are popping up now play the low pricing game.
I think midstock is very viable if properly executed. Istock's Vetta is an example.
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$65 total sales. All editorial (motocross) images.
You found a great niche there for your Editorial then. One of the reasons I quit CC is that CC denied my editorial since there were now and then children in it. If I'm doing lifestyle, travel and ethnic shots in the Philippines, it's impossible to avoid children when 1/2 of the population is below 20.
BigStock and SS refuse my Editorial now, since it's not "newsworthy" (they only seem to accept Obama headshots) but ethnic and cultural. I had no views on my Edorial at YAY. DT is the only place that still accepts it, if I'm lucky. I came to the conclusion that microstock and Editorial don't mix, although there must be a huge market for it in the media (less in the commercial word).
I'm still looking for a place to park Editorial, and I'm not so sure about Alamy, after what I read here.
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I think midstock is very viable if properly executed. Istock's Vetta is an example.
Yes but it's embedded in a traditional micro site. DT has "midstock" too, with their level 3+ images. What I mean is a midstock site with higher prices all across the board.
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Nearly 500 images and still zero sales.
The future of RF images does not look very bright to me. Too many .25 cent and free images. I am buying a new large format printer, mounts and frames and getting ready to hit the Art Galleries again. I have made more money there in one summer, than all the RF I have shot in the last 4 years.
This is the slowest December in four years.
I will soon delete all images on all sites that have never been sold to keep them out of the Free RF Market. I cannot take free to the bank.
I do not wish to work for such low wages!
All of the RF sites listed on the right side of this page are in a race to go broke by offering lower and lower prices. I think the crash has begun.
-Larry
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I think midstock is very viable if properly executed. Istock's Vetta is an example.
Yes but it's embedded in a traditional micro site. DT has "midstock" too, with their level 3+ images. What I mean is a midstock site with higher prices all across the board.
I don't think a midstock-only site is viable unless the site has a niche that hasn't already been filled elsewhere.
Otherwise the only buyers they'll get are the ones who already looked on all of the macro and micro sites and didn't find what they wanted. That ends up as one-sie two-sie sales and isn't viable. Maybe that's one reason Zym didn't make it.
Istock is slowly raising prices accross the board. They're primarily micro now but at some point they may end up mostly as a midstock site that's part micro. They already have the buyer base to pull this off. Then Getty would be the macro part.
Pricing for macro and micro is already moving toward a tiered model. This gives buyers a one stop shop for all images of all pricing. And it also gives photographers higher prices they need to justify their costs.
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$65 total sales. All editorial (motocross) images.
You found a great niche there for your Editorial then. One of the reasons I quit CC is that CC denied my editorial since there were now and then children in it. If I'm doing lifestyle, travel and ethnic shots in the Philippines, it's impossible to avoid children when 1/2 of the population is below 20.
BigStock and SS refuse my Editorial now, since it's not "newsworthy" (they only seem to accept Obama headshots) but ethnic and cultural. I had no views on my Edorial at YAY. DT is the only place that still accepts it, if I'm lucky. I came to the conclusion that microstock and Editorial don't mix, although there must be a huge market for it in the media (less in the commercial word).
I'm still looking for a place to park Editorial, and I'm not so sure about Alamy, after what I read here.
Alamy should be good, as they only reject for technical reasons and they sell to lots of editorial markets. It would probably take you a year to get sales going, it is much slower than microstock but the prices can make up for it. I don't think a lot of people here have given alamy a proper chance. They aren't going to sell many microstock style images that are much cheaper on the other sites. Looking at their forum and the alamy pro forum, there are some people doing very well with more traditional editorial photos that don't sell well on the micros.
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Woooow!
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!
I have m first sale here, and that is big one!!!!
* Photo
* 3648x2736
* Royalty Free + Extended License
- Electronic Items for Resale or Other Distribution - Unlimited Run = 60.00
* 4.74
*
Additional Cost: $60.00
Total : $64.74
My Payout : $25.90
Thanks John!
Cutcaster, live long and prosper!!!
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Just noticed they are in the green on the right....I haven't uploaded much since November, but will give this site another go. JG seems determined 2010 will be a good year.
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Nada, zero, nothing. Even my weakest performing agencies got few images sold.
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I can't remember if I posted in this thread or not. I think it might have to with not having some exclusive to Cutcaster images. I told John a week or so ago that I'd do that once I get back online. Since almost all of my vectors are on the 5 sites I'm on the chance of sales there with the same set of files isn't gonna work since buyers can get them elsewhere cheaper. Might be worth the time to give them a few exclusive images to test it out.