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Agency Based Discussion => General - Top Sites => Topic started by: Graffoto on December 10, 2007, 18:57

Title: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Graffoto on December 10, 2007, 18:57
So, my sales this month are pretty much non-existant.
OK, I don't have a large portfolio on any one site, so I know that is a handicap. Still, I usually do a bit better than this.

Am I alone here or is the Holiday season putting a major crimp on sales.
Also, if this is the case, has anyone noticed this pattern year after year?
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: a.k.a.-tom on December 10, 2007, 19:08
For sites that give very little sales... about the same..  for sites that sell well for me, I'm up a little across the board in December.   8)=tom
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Whiz on December 10, 2007, 19:16
Shutterstock has been low this month, but iStockphoto is doing well so far. The others are about normal.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: vonkara on December 10, 2007, 19:44
Shutterstock- very low  >:(
Istock- a bit lower :(
Fotolia -completely down  >:(
Stockxpert- very low  >:(
dreamstime- completely down  >:(
Bigstock- not too bad  ;)

That is compared to October and half November earnings.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: madelaide on December 10, 2007, 19:49
I had a great start at IS - something like 30% of November's earnings in the first week only, higher than normal sales per day - I was excited!  Now things have slowed down, and in all sites.  It's not a disaster, but even extrapolating current numbers (which are likely to slow down at the end of the month) this doesn't look like a good month.

Regards,
Adelaide
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: jsnover on December 10, 2007, 21:09
Shutterstock- very low  >:(
...

But you have such a small portfolio - 37 images at SS, for example - that you really can't draw conclusions about sales in general. I'm not a statistics expert, but regular sales at any time of the year typically come with a larger portfolio and greater range of subject matter.

Generally December is not as good as November, but now is a good time to get some Valentines, or Spring or other seasonal images going...
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: sharply_done on December 11, 2007, 01:29
But you have such a small portfolio - 37 images at SS, for example - that you really can't draw conclusions about sales in general. ...
That about says it ... you shouldn't expect any sort of sales regularity until you have at least a few hundred images online. There'll be a lot of too and fro until then.

This month's going okay for me - about the same as last month, maybe a few percent better. I'm just waiting for the bottom to drop in a week or so. After that I don't think I'll be selling much until the first full week of January.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: sharpshot on December 11, 2007, 03:39
A good December so far.  I have had a few EL's that have boosted earnings.  Looking at last year, I didn't see much of a slow down until Christmas/New Year week.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: ptlee on December 11, 2007, 07:48
So far is ok. IS is picking up from a poor November for me, but still no EL sales since October.  ::)
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: vonkara on December 11, 2007, 10:13
Shutterstock- very low  >:(
...

But you have such a small portfolio - 37 images at SS, for example - that you really can't draw conclusions about sales in general. I'm not a statistics expert, but regular sales at any time of the year typically come with a larger portfolio and greater range of subject matter.


It just was a simple comparison between October and half November, I was not pretending in any way to have a decent portfolio there. Everybody can make their own conclusion and see what append whit different portfolio size. Yes I forgot to say the size of it, but the link is not there for nothing. I don't think I have to remember everyone the size of this portfolio each time I write something.

Finally, in this period of time, yes my sales there was consistant and now drop, even whit this portfolio. I wasn't going to write about if they were not consistant
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: stokfoto on December 11, 2007, 11:11
Sales seems to be fine so far but I expect a decrease at the end of the month as we can say this month is just 24 days (due to holidays) I hope things will pick up in january
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Kngkyle on December 11, 2007, 11:29
Doing good so far. No slow down noticed yet.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: snoozle on December 11, 2007, 11:34
Everything has gone a bit haywire this month so far for me, the sites where I normally struggle have been doing well, I have already had BME at Fotolia (aided by my first ever EL), 123RF & Crestock, but not so well at Shutterstock and IS which have consistently been my best performers each month for the year that I have been dabbling with stock photography

As my portfolio only runs to a couple of hundred at most on any site, I am most probably more prone to fluctuations than most on here.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: UberLens on December 12, 2007, 16:00
Funny thing happened to me: on Saturday I applied to Shutterstock, got approved with 7 images out of 10, 3 days later I have 130 downloads.
True: half of downloads, of 2 photos, are Christmas ornaments.  I guess some of you who see a slowdown know why now:-)

I start uploading some Valentine hearts and they seem to pick up pretty good on Shutterstock as well.

I have a small portolio of about 30 images and growing on the other micros that do not sell much while iStockPhoto gives me a hard time with approval . Just puzzled.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: MicrostockExp on December 12, 2007, 16:13
SS way up  :)
FT way down :)
IS up :)
DT same
CT down >:(
123RF down :)
probably a BME because of SS....

L
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: epixx on December 12, 2007, 18:23
SS is slowing down, but that has been the trend for a while. IS, DT and StockXpert are doing well, FT too, and the others are following nicely. I even had a 0.30 sale at LO, the first one in two months   ::)
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: anonymous on December 12, 2007, 21:38
everything flat except 4 Els at FT..not a good month so far. On the other hand, have landed several very nice web design projects so I'll likely be downloading everybody elses images...merry xmas  :)
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: ludesal on December 12, 2007, 22:20
everything flat here too...
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Clivia on December 13, 2007, 02:57
It is my 3rd December in Microstock. It has been a flat month every year, dropping to hardly anything for the last week of the year.  :(
Lets look forward to January.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: leaf on December 13, 2007, 04:26
yep same as clivia.  third christmas in microstock, every year there is a a bit of a peak in late Nov, or early dec, then it slowly works it's way to basically nothing starting sometime around now :)
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: budgaugh on December 20, 2007, 21:33
I will have a record month at Shutterstock and will be about average at Fotolia maybe a little bit up.  Depends how things go through the holidays.  I've been uploading  photos regularly though.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: yingyang0 on December 20, 2007, 21:49
I had a great start at IS - something like 30% of November's earnings in the first week only, higher than normal sales per day - I was excited!  Now things have slowed down, and in all sites.  It's not a disaster, but even extrapolating current numbers (which are likely to slow down at the end of the month) this doesn't look like a good month.

Regards,
Adelaide
Exact same for me. First week in December was best week ever by far, then dropped off.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: jorgeinthewater on December 20, 2007, 22:09
Slow for me on most sites even SS. I wonder the reason is since most users of SS [this from that thread on website visits/country posted a while ago] are from the US and we are heading for a double long weekend. Maybe alot of people are going on vacations?
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Pixart on December 21, 2007, 00:02
Boy, slow days this week.  I don't know what is going on at DT though, I have been selling all kinds of photos there, and have already matched last month.  They may be my highest earner in Dec.  Too bad the rest of the year will be a total writeoff. 

I seem to remember someone saying that it may be slow now until March?  I wasn't too active last year at this time to know.
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: faber on December 21, 2007, 00:55
per day sales is down 23% compared to November (was BME).
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: ff on December 21, 2007, 04:49
DT has stopped still for me (also high rejection rate)

FT has slowed down considerably

SS is ok

and I'm going to start my shopping list now...

Lina
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Smithore on December 21, 2007, 08:24
Yes, slow also for me at shutterstock (30% less)
IS, DT and FT are almost equal november

Nothing happen at Lucky Oliver since one month!!! ???

Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: stokfoto on December 21, 2007, 08:29
indeed a slower month for me as well.

IS doing well
SS fine but there is a drop  here as well
FT  way slower than my average sales.(lack of  EL's  effected my overall income  badly)
StockXpert not too bad but slower too
DT slower
BS slow as usual
123 I have already reached my monthly  big 10  buck so I don't expect more to come
Crestock I don't upload anymore I get very rare sales with a portfolio below 100 photos

in a few days I expect sales to completely stop so I call December finished
Fingers crossed for new year.
good  luck everyone


Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: Fred on December 21, 2007, 14:28
I am pretty much the same across the board.  SS is my highest earner but much lower than November.  SS and DT only ones that aren't really keeping up with last month.  I am kind of small potatos though so probably not a good indicator. Two biggest portfolios showing 0's though - strange.  My numbers below.

FT -- 6/4.29 -- 36 images       -
IS -- 19/15.47 -- 58 images   
DT -- 5/3.60 -- 45 images   
SS -- 106/26.90 -- 44 images
BS -- 0/0 --  69 images
LO -- 0/0 -- 188 images

Have a happy!
fred
Title: Re: December Sales Flat?
Post by: takestock on December 22, 2007, 13:49
My best month ever at DT!