Kone, I have read quite a few people suggesting that Fotolia requires regular uploads or they drop your images even further back.  I don't know if it's true.  I've been uploading around 40/month and my sales are still slipping, but I don't know if it would be even worse if I stopped. 

Kone, I have read quite a few people suggesting that Fotolia requires regular uploads or they drop your images even further back.  I don't know if it's true.  I've been uploading around 40/month and my sales are still slipping, but I don't know if it would be even worse if I stopped.

I have stopped uploading and my sales have dropped by about 30%. Also a FT representative told me I would be punished in the search when I told her I stopped uploading because of their latest price cut for old files

I hope that's what it is so they can change it back the way it was. I'm having my worst october month ever at SS.

It's the same story here. I am emerald with 20k images. I am still uploading more than 200 images every month. Sales droped down to 20% of the BME what happened back in 2010.  I am sure they are not dying but they are dead for me.

Amen!

Yes, it's a really strange and confusing situation... The earnings fell down since summer... and now it's October... 

Quote from: lisafx on October 16, 2013, 22:30

Kone, I have read quite a few people suggesting that Fotolia requires regular uploads or they drop your images even further back.  I don't know if it's true.  I've been uploading around 40/month and my sales are still slipping, but I don't know if it would be even worse if I stopped.

I have stopped uploading and my sales have dropped by about 30%. Also a FT representative told me I would be punished in the search when I told her I stopped uploading because of their latest price cut for old files

Thanks for confirming this Ron.  I better get my next batch ready

Here is an observation the is concerning me slightly when it comes to FT.
I regularly read a certain magazine when waiting at my hairdresser. For months I've seen it illustrated largely with images from FT.
Today, I looked at it again - and about 5 in that 100 page magazine were FT - the rest were largely IS/TS.
So FT seems to be loosing market share in Germany, where it used to have a strong showing for years.
Of course, the observation is not representative, but maybe suggestive. It seems to suggest that FT and IS/TS fight over the same market segment/ customer base and FT seems to be on the losing end (hmm with those search results not surprising). I guess this also gives a bit of an explanation why FT seemingly follows IS' price strategy/ race to the bottom.

OF course - it could also be a faulty conclusion as it was made on just one observation.

I have a decent-sized portfolio of 2000-3000 photos on Shutterstock, istock, Dreamstime, Fotolia, Canstock, 123rf, Bigstock, and Depositphotos. For many years (since 2005), every month Fotolia was usually my third or fourth best selling agency. However, this year, they are my sixth best selling site and statistically not that far from the bottom. Also, after not adding photo to any sites for several years, I've added about 700 this year . . . . for some reason, my photos just aren't selling on Fotolia. Typically, Shutterstock, istock, and Dreamstime make up 70-80% of my sales.

so true OM, well said!

    If you keep shooting yourself in the head, eventually it has to have an effect. For years now, Fotolia seems to be at the forefront of anti-contributor actions- cutting royalties, subs taking over, changing searches to benefit them, not us, and at least in my case, an arrogance in communications that has left me unwilling to upload any more.
    Most of my work is video now, and the prices they pay for a sale are absurd. I don't even bother checking in there more than once a month, and sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can forget they exist for even longer.

Somebody said this about them very recently, not on this forum though

It's true, Fotolia is still one of the most open minded libraries around, and one of the friendliest

    If you keep shooting yourself in the head, eventually it has to have an effect. For years now, Fotolia seems to be at the forefront of anti-contributor actions- cutting royalties, subs taking over, changing searches to benefit them, not us, and at least in my case, an arrogance in communications that has left me unwilling to upload any more.
    Most of my work is video now, and the prices they pay for a sale are absurd. I don't even bother checking in there more than once a month, and sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can forget they exist for even longer.

If you don't like the price they sell video clips, why supply them?  I have 327 video clips on Pond5 and zero on FT.

Quote from: jbarber873 on October 25, 2013, 20:24

    If you keep shooting yourself in the head, eventually it has to have an effect. For years now, Fotolia seems to be at the forefront of anti-contributor actions- cutting royalties, subs taking over, changing searches to benefit them, not us, and at least in my case, an arrogance in communications that has left me unwilling to upload any more.
    Most of my work is video now, and the prices they pay for a sale are absurd. I don't even bother checking in there more than once a month, and sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can forget they exist for even longer.

If you don't like the price they sell video clips, why supply them?  I have 327 video clips on Pond5 and zero on FT.

   I don't. The only thing they have are stills, and the only reason I keep them there is inertia- I'm too lazy to figure out out to kill the whole thing.