I'm totally agree with your thoughts on this Madelaide, but unfortunately DT treats such threads with an iron fist.

Anyone want to guess how many posts it will be before the thread on DT is locked?

I will guess that it will be locked once DT gets up in the morning.

My subscription sales at DT have increased a lot in February, and average earnings per sale has gone down to 0.94 from 1.14 and 1.22 in December and January. I don't like this at all.

All my files are downsized to minimum at all sites that propose subscriptions. I opted out at StockXpert. Paying $0.25-0.30 for high resolution file is a joke.

Quote from: GeoPappas on February 25, 2008, 19:19

I will guess that it will be locked once DT gets up in the morning.

Since sub images seem to be downloaded for comps and most aren't actually used, it's a good suggestion to exclude the larger sizes from sub sales.

Hi Hugo,

I find this a bizar statement.. why..?..

If the subs are used for comp mostly, than why are 95 % of my subs sales maximum size.?..
No no and no, subs are for every use.

Patrick.

Adelaide,
The forum-* are really active at DT these days. Both your and another thread about the theme appear to have be removed completely.

I made a couple of points in the other thread, particularly about vectors. The two last dl's of one of my most popular vectors there have been subs. A normal dl of those generate a profit of $5.00. That's 16 times more than a sub (and sometimes the subs go even cheaper, my record the last week is $0.21).

The interesting aspect about that, apart from the low price, is that my vectors are very unlikely to be used as comps, since they are mostly garments used for testing out colours and logos for promotional clothing. In other words: my loss of 94% is absolute and irrevocable, and the gain for the customer likewise. By downloading less than 10 vectors, he has already received value corresponding to his complete monthly fee, while the creator receives between 5 and 10% of what he would usually get. Still, the customer can download 290 more images, creating a very healthy image archive for future use.

For DT, the risk is zilch. Even with customers who download their full quota, their loss is only a maximum of $0.01. Very few customers probably do download all, since the advantage of having a subscription is so enormous. And for every not downloaded image, DT earns another 30 cents. Tick tack, tick tack, tick tack.....

You are brave Adeleine to have started a such tread on DT Rule #1 on DT forum: Dreamstime is the best agency in the world

I was disappointed with DT closing the thread since there was no agression towards the site, just suggestions.

They could even pay 100% commission in subs sales, they're still too cheap for the buyer.  Unnecessarily too cheap. 

Regards,
Adelaide

DT seem to be very sensitive about anyone discussing the subscription-sales issue on their forum.  Seems to be a very raw and exposed nerve with them.  Whyever so???  Why should it be such a sensitive topic that they would need to close so many threads about it??   I guess if you want to discuss anything about DT's subs you just have to search their forums as they tell you to, where it has been discussed so many times.  And there you are supposed to find your answers.  (I haven't found any answers there but I'm still searching....)
Well, I can't complain too much about DT's early sales, as at first they were pretty good.  Lately, though, they're really sinking lower and lower for me every month.  I've decided that unless they give us an opt-out for subs, I'm dropping them as soon as my lock-in period is over.  I sure hope a lot of other contributors do as well.   And once again, many kudos to StockXpert for making their sub program optional.  I think by now they've heard the undeniable voice of their contributors.

Isn't it obvious why the won't have any discussions about subs? It generates a big profit for DT, and a very low profit for the photographer. My subscriptions sales at DT are going up, particularly for vectors, which usually generate a $4.00+ commission, and my profits there seem to go down. Not so strange really, when subs pay a fraction of the price of regular downloads.

Agreed.  I hate to see them falling behind, but they seem to be plugging their ears to their contributors, at least on this issue.  Hopefully they'll listen soon.  Buyers are important, but without good-quality contributors, the buyers will eventually go elsewhere.

but i have to wait until may, because of their rules of keeping images for 6 month.

Have you tried emailing them and asking them to let you go early? It would surely be against their reputation to keep you against your will. Whatever any actual rules. I can't believe that they would do that - it would be so old fashioned and pointless.

The web way of doing business is that you keep your customers and contributors because the relationship works for everyone. It's about you all liking each other. Companies that don't do it like - well they don't get it IMO.

Is Dreamstime a US company in any sense?

Quote from: Aurelio on March 16, 2008, 06:45

but i have to wait until may, because of their rules of keeping images for 6 month.

Have you tried emailing them and asking them to let you go early? It would surely be against their reputation to keep you against your will. Whatever any actual rules. I can't believe that they would do that - it would be so old fashioned and pointless.

The web way of doing business is that you keep your customers and contributors because the relationship works for everyone. It's about you all liking each other. Companies that don't do it like - well they don't get it IMO.

Is Dreamstime a US company in any sense?

I phone them for few times,  same answer,  yes you have to wait for 6 month
Dreamstime is Romanian company with one office based in US, but most employers are in Romania where they have head office

I am really surprised to hear anyone wanting out of DT because of subscription sales.  They make up such a tiny portion of the overall earnings on the site, at least from my experience.  My per sale average there has been consistently over $1/DL since November and goes up a bit each month. 

My per DL average climbed well above $1 last autumn, and stayed there until January. In February and March, after the subs sales started to increase and dug into my vector sales, I'm down to $0.90 per DL.