Author Topic: on DT Delete images over 4 years or give them away? (Read 22415 times)

tab62 · « **Reply #50 on:** April 27, 2013, 20:51 »

I will admit in my early days I allowed CanStockPhoto to use one of my pics for free (okay, slap me until I wake up!) but here is the kicker- that particular image is my best seller by almost double the next best seller on CanStockPhoto. Plus that image didn't even get accepts by Shutter, DT or Fotolia. Go figure...

pancaketom · « **Reply #51 on:** April 27, 2013, 21:09 »

While there may be some merit to Lisa's judicious and limited donation of free images the default should be set to delete. (and all of mine have been deleted).

fotografer · « **Reply #52 on:** April 28, 2013, 06:27 »

I've done the same as Lisa. I delete most of them but the occasional one that comes up and hasn't sold anywhere else for years goes to the free section. I have probably only got about 3 images for free.

Mantis · « **Reply #53 on:** April 28, 2013, 06:27 »

Quote from: gillian on April 27, 2013, 20:21

Quote from: Mantis on April 27, 2013, 13:02
Quote from: stockastic on April 27, 2013, 12:00
A few weeks ago I got the DT 'email of death' on a photo that had just sold as an EL on SS a couple of days earlier. I'm not giving DT anything.

Exactly. These sites by in large already are making big bucks off of us and I see no reason to help them further that by giving them free images even if those images don't sell well anywhere.
sweet, so while you are helping them fill out the free section, I won't. I don't disagree with the idea of the free section, it's that if all of us contribute we could probably make an entire stock library with our castoffs. Agree, a somewhat low quality library... and if you look in the free section there is a lot of junk there, so i suppose it can have the added bonus of sending a buyer to make a purchase of something good. maybe. it's a risk that we take, not DT.

I think you misread my post, we are essentially saying the same thing. I do not advocate giving them free images at all, in fact the exact opposite. However, the logic you give "i suppose it can have the added bonus of sending a buyer to make a purchase of something good" is the logic that DT has used in the past. The new microstock mantra, "give us free images and we will make you money", like the promise that an introduction of subscription they FORCE us into will make us more money. They all make this statement, a promise of more revenue for more free stuff kind of message.

Livingstonatlarge · « **Reply #54 on:** April 30, 2013, 12:09 »

I'm with TAB62 I know that my oldest images on DT are the ones where I was still learning a lot (I'm always learning SOMETHING) and some are of lesser quality. That being said, I sold one of the very first images I uploaded this morning.

On the subject of free. I never, ever put in the free section. I don't know if it's my tight-fisted Scottish nature, or that I'm afraid I'll cross over something in a free section that someone else is paying for on another site and that's not fair.

I have however, used a free image (for what, I don't remember). Then, when I needed an image I purposely went back to the same person and bought one. I doubt thought that a lot of people think that way. I am a lot more conscious because I am a submitter.

Dan · « **Reply #55 on:** June 04, 2013, 06:15 »

I had one that hadn't sold and i donated it for free (even though i said at first i would delete it). I thought sales had dried up for me on DT but had 2 sales since donating the free pic. One was a sub and the other an 11 credit sale. So who knows the free one might have awaken sales for me again. It can never hurt to try.

Mantis · « **Reply #56 on:** June 04, 2013, 07:23 »

Quote from: Dan on June 04, 2013, 06:15

I had one that hadn't sold and i donated it for free (even though i said at first i would delete it). I thought sales had dried up for me on DT but had 2 sales since donating the free pic. One was a sub and the other an 11 credit sale. So who knows the free one might have awaken sales for me again. It can never hurt to try.

Dan,

With all do respect, and in my opinion, donating free images only helps cheapen this market further. We (me included) do a lot of complaining in here about sales drops, decisions made by MS agencies that we contributors get the short end of the stick, etc. and giving free images is yet another way to give agencies something that they should rightfully pay for. The should have a marketing budget that constitutes "free images" for which we contributors get paid for at full rate if downloaded. We simply fuel the fire for cheaper and cheaper images if we stoop so low as to give away freebies thinking it will grow our sales. There is not a single speck of data that suggests otherwise.....and to quantify sales that actually result from the free section is undoable, pure speculation. Don't get me wrong. I've contributed to the free images sections seven years ago and ultimately pulled my pics. But after the many, many slaps in the faces we've received from the agencies, I'd never do it again. It's hard enough to make any money without giving away images. Even crappy images have a cost associated with them.....time being the primary factor, but prop costs, models (if that applies), equipment, etc.

Dan · « **Reply #57 on:** June 04, 2013, 07:43 »

Mantis
To each his own. The free image has no views or dl's. Maybe the free image had nothing to do with the 2 sales. But coming from no sales to a start of 2 sale - makes you wonder. With only 9 images online at the moment what else could it be?

fotografer · « **Reply #58 on:** June 04, 2013, 10:54 »

Quote from: Dan on June 04, 2013, 07:43

Mantis
To each his own. The free image has no views or dl's. Maybe the free image had nothing to do with the 2 sales. But coming from no sales to a start of 2 sale - makes you wonder. With only 9 images online at the moment what else could it be?

You can't come to any conclusions based on 2 sales. If you gave away images and your sales went from 200 a week to 400 a week you might be on to something but 2 sales are just random and the images could have been found for any reason

Dan · « **Reply #59 on:** June 04, 2013, 12:48 »

fotographer
I know 2 images are a smalll number but my free image hasn't been up long. Maybe eandom - time will tee if i have more sales.

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #60 on:** June 04, 2013, 13:21 »

I manually disable images with 2 years of no sales; just to be sure I don't miss one. Disabled count is up to 369.
I do this ONLY at DT after a heated debate with Serban over "stealing" files.

Anita Potter · « **Reply #61 on:** June 04, 2013, 13:58 »

My default is set to disable. I've been getting the old files emails since last month. This month I'll probably have a few more then I won't get any of those emails for another 8 months.

sdeva · « **Reply #62 on:** June 04, 2013, 16:18 »

Delete would be my choice too! With rates around microstock sites plummeting to an insultingly low level already, freebies on one pretext or another is about the last thing I want to support.