Not!

I read a blog today at Dt "  What do you like most about DREAMSTIME? ".  People are saluting this site, and many seems to be exclusive.  

Nothing against Dt at all exept lack of sales,  but what I read in the blog is beyond my understanding.   Exclusive at Dt?  

Can anyone please shed some light on this mystery?   I�d cut my earnings 20 times if I dropped the rest

Can anyone please shed some light on this mystery?   I�d cut my earnings 20 times if I dropped the rest

Same here. You gave me quite a shock when I read the title lol.
Can't understand it either. Not to mention that, if I'm not mistaken, I recall that if you're exclusive with DT you can't even sell RM with other agencies.

This blog post you talk about have been made by a contributor with 20 overall sales

http://blog.dreamstime.com/2010/07/06/what-do-you-like-most-about-dreamstime-_art32831

Do not base your choice on this

in my opinion, the only advantage of esclusivity is a simpler workflow

in terms of earnings, I doubt one can be profitable going esclusive with any site (not even IS)

Still, Exclusivity at IS at least offers substantial benefits and probably, for some contributors, higher earnings or at least comparable.

Yeah 2 reasons to go exclusive on Dt, to sell your images without jumping around all over the place and the second because you love the site. I think Dt sends majic messages via the internet and the mentally weak become spell bound. They'll probably come out of it in a few years time being unable to comprehend how it is possible to love a site. They'll immediately want to come out of being exclusive, but they'll have 6 months to wait, by which time dt will hypnotize them again and they'll go back to being exclusive.

Seriously though, I can't understand how a photographer can contemplate never being allowed to sell his/her images. You can't sell your images which you want to keep as RM, you can't sell rejected dt images. Talk about being shackled.

@Komar: It took less than one month for me to quit the exclusivity status, not 6.

Why I was exclusive? I didn't know the back from the front of the camera when I started, and the staff of DT were very helpful during my learning process. Also, they "felt" safe and reliable. I was happy as an exclusive then, I'm happy as an independent now. But I'll never be more than a hobbyist.

DT exclusivity means a larger commission. On the other hand, when I learned not long ago they require full exclusivity, not even letting RM like other sites do, I was very shocked. And even more shocked when they suggested these RM images could be sold as editorial - they really miss the point.

Exclusivity at FT has the advantage of setting higher prices, with exclusives reporting a higher RPD and higher total earnings. Plus, you can opt out from subs.

Well, I think it's time for a different opinion.
I'm a die hard independent, but if I ever grow strong enough to go exclusive with one site, it will be Dreamstime.
No question about it.
I might be mentally weak (up for debate), and I'm definitely not a professional. I'm not even a photographer.
I'm a hobbyist and from time to time, when and if things go the right way, I like to cheer Dreamstime on. I'm not sure what's wrong with that.
So far I seem to fit the profile to a 'T', 'Dreamstime Exclusive' - hobbyist, cheerleader and mentally weak
But then again, there are many hobbyists and cheerleaders at IStock as well. Some have even reached gold and above.

I like Dreamstime for many reasons, (including the blogs and the forums), but let's have a look at the numbers. Numbers don't have opinions and don't lie.
- acceptance rate at DT - 96 %
- acceptance rate at IS  - 85 %
- sales at DT - 127
- sales at IS  -  43
No room for debating.

Not to mention that I have a nagging feeling that the true 'IStock Exclusive Contributor' is a dying breed. From now on we have to take into account the many sisters and brothers plastered all over IStock and part of the great Getty family.
In my books Dreamstime is a better agency, but we're all different and to each its own.

I keep seeing these "blog" posts from DT at the top of MSG.  It appears people are mistaking their blogs for a forum post, or maybe it's just a cry for attention.  "Look at me!  X uploads" "Check out my new downloads" etc.  Mostly nonsense.

"It is a great pleasure that i have 198 sales now. ... Now ,i will share some of my little experience to you. ... Firstly,i think a good camera is needed. I know some blogger in DT saying camera is not important."



http://blog.dreamstime.com/

LOL!!

almost as bad as istock, "I became exclusive today, gee all those independants suck, how dare you question istock, only exclusive people know how to a take photo.... "

@Magnum,
upload more photos to IStock?
Gladly!
Except there's a slight problem.
Their upload system.
Judging by IStock's forum it seems a variety of errors keep on bugging it down. 
I guess there's not much else I can do, but wait a lill' bit longer.
Will do.

@Rene,
absolutely.
IStock is a professional agency dedicated to professional photographers. No denying.
Not a place for someone like me.
I'm not a photographer, I'm not a professional and I certainly don't dream to *feel* like one.
I like Dreamstime's site, sales, numbers, community and blogs.
You don't.
Fair enough.
Luckily you're a professional, an IStock exclusive and you don't have to.
Wishing you the best of sales,

FWIW I am not a hobbyist.  I do stock FT and I also like Dreamstime.  I am not a cheerleader for them (unless simply by liking the site you get that label), but I do find them consistent in both sales and the way they treat contributors.  

It's also worth noting that DT has implemented a number of large site changes in recent years (and I believe is in the middle of another one) yet always managed to keep the site functioning well so that sales can continue even in the midst of the upgrades.  Unlike Istock, for example, where there are so many glitches anytime an upgrade is done, that buyers report giving up and going to other sites to buy.  Quite a few end up at good old reliable DT

I think you are almost as sensitive as the DT crew, Lisa.  Almost ...   

This thread:
http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_22870
is a good example of what to expect if one should dare to criticize DT.  Note that FOUR admins jumped on this person before anyone was able to suggest that the OP's post was really quite funny. 

The cheerleaders are the ones who are so quick to offer kudos for any change, no matter how insignificant, just to preserve their "good contributor" reputation.  Just notice how often intimidated contributors offer a slight criticism followed with the qualification ... "but it was probably my fault."  Or, "I'm not complaining, but..."

Or, note how often admins will suggest that bad behavior will "Not be Tolerated."  or, "We will not tolerate ..."   

It is an atmosphere much reminiscent of Fotolia.  Censorship never creates a feeling of trust in my camp.   

Can you back up your words about buyers leaving IS for DT by some real facts? And I highly doubt that IS is in any way comparable to DT. Bear in mind that you're one of the few that do really good at DT, and one of the much fewer that do better at DT than at IS.
Reliable DT - c'mon you HAVE to be kidding. Try again their search engine and have a good laugh.

All I have is anecdotal evidence from buyers who have told me over the past couple of years that they had to get images from DT because Istock's search was messed up or because of price rises.  

One buyer told me this very recently, but they are by no means the first.   I have heard it from others numerous times over the years, both in e-mails and posted in the IS forums (back when buyers bothered to complain - nowadays they just leave).   Judging from sales it is more like a trickle than a flood of buyers leaving, but it's a trickle Istock should be worried about.  Like all of us, I don't have access to the stats, but I believe buyers when they tell me things like this.  

As far as reliable - yes, absolutely.  The search results may not always be perfect on DT, but at least you GET search results every time.  When was the last time you tried to search on DT and got no results at all, or the last time you logged in and got an error message?  I am sure it must have happened on occasion, but I don't remember it.   The no results thing happens so much on Istock I have given up count. 

Sorry for jumping in with a differing opinion and upsetting your b*tchfest