Author Topic: My total sales per photo per site. Is this typical? (Read 9225 times)

geokeenan · « **on:** June 13, 2009, 13:26 »

I have only been at this for about 3-4 months. I have uploaded about 400+ photos to all of the big 6 and canstockphoto. My accepted portfolios run the range from a low at Istockphoto of 63 images up to a high of 316 at stock expert. I have not gotten a payout yet but my total earnings is about $85. I am now making about $1-2 /per day. My goal is to get this up to about $10-20/day to feed my photo gear habit.

One of the stats I am tracking is how much do I make on average at each site per photo in my portfolio at that site. There is a very significant difference with Shutterstock WAY ahead of the others ( I have 175 photos accepted there).

So is this typical? Does it indicate some typcial Shutterstock customer and my style ( If I have a style) images?

Anyhow I thought it was surprising and thought I would see what you all think about this.

puravida · « **Reply #1 on:** June 13, 2009, 13:43 »

It may be only coincidental , but I noticed that the average seems to be 20% $ : portfolio size. What I mean is 6000 images should earn you $1200.

sharply_done · « **Reply #2 on:** June 13, 2009, 14:12 »

What you are referring to is called Revenue per Image (RPI). This varies a great deal in this industry, but I think a broad line can be made between amateurs/hobbyists, who typically earn something in the $1-1.50 per image per month range, and pros, who earn $2+ per image per month. Looking at your chart, and assuming that the y-axis measures $ per photo per month, it appears your RPI is about $0.47 ($0.22 + .09 + .06 + .04 + .03 + .02 + .01), which means your income is well below average for the size of your portfolio. It's even worse if the y-axis measures total $ over a 3-4 month period.

Phil · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2009, 22:50 »

Hi,

very common, many people find SS as there highest earner initially, overtime the others catch up. at one point SS was almost 50% of my earnings, now its my 4th highest and this month only making 1/2 of DT.

IMO RPI is really a poor model (but most people use it), if three people did similar shoots, 1 person may choose 5 images (esp in macro world), the next 50, and another 200 images. Overall the income may be the same, but the RPI is wildly different. it is also dependant on your style subject content etc etc.

Phil

PixelsAway · « **Reply #4 on:** June 14, 2009, 00:11 »

Here in my RPI from IS and SS portfolios during my 15 months at microstock from a blog post
A Reverse Look at Microstock Sales from My iStock and Shutterstock Portfolios:

Stefan · « **Reply #5 on:** June 14, 2009, 06:05 »

Your graph looks like mine. In terms of the quantity accepted, I think its pretty standard. In my book, there are only 2 big. IS and SS. IS aims much more towards quality than the others. SS differs from the others in that the moment you stop uploading, things go down.
I think that Veer will join the big 2 very quickly.

null · « **Reply #6 on:** June 14, 2009, 07:55 »

Quote from: sharply_done on June 13, 2009, 14:12

What you are referring to is called Revenue per Image (RPI). This varies a great deal in this industry, but I think a broad line can be made between amateurs/hobbyists, who typically earn something in the $1-1.50 per image per month range

As an amateur, I don't even make 1/3 of that.

Talanis · « **Reply #7 on:** June 14, 2009, 10:40 »

Quote from: sharply_done on June 13, 2009, 14:12

What you are referring to is called Revenue per Image (RPI). This varies a great deal in this industry, but I think a broad line can be made between amateurs/hobbyists, who typically earn something in the $1-1.50 per image per month range, and pros, who earn $2+ per image per month. Looking at your chart, and assuming that the y-axis measures $ per photo per month, it appears your RPI is about $0.47 ($0.22 + .09 + .06 + .04 + .03 + .02 + .01), which means your income is well below average for the size of your portfolio. It's even worse if the y-axis measures total $ over a 3-4 month period.

I think your numbers are off a bit. With those numbers, someone with a portfolio of 500 images would make between 500 and 750$ a month for a hobbyist. I don't know anyone who does that. With a portfolio between 200 (iStock) and 700 (DT), I'm averaging 250$ a month which I think isn't bad. From what I read, people get RPI more close to 0.20 to 0.50$ RPI a month. If we talk about RPD, I'm more in your range of 1-1.50$/download average.

gbcimages · « **Reply #8 on:** June 14, 2009, 10:53 »

If I could make $1 to 1.5 per image on average every month I would be content. But as is ,no way.

disorderly · « **Reply #9 on:** June 14, 2009, 11:20 »

As others have already said, RPI is a poor measure of success. It depends way too much on what you shoot and how you submit. My early submissions were a combination of scenics, architecture and still life. Typically, I'd submit one or two shots of a given subject. If they were accepted and had sales, the average RPI would be high. Now I'm shooting a lot more people, mostly in studio but sometimes on location. The shoots are more expensive, with studio and model fees, and I'll submit as many good shots as I can. So instead of one or two submissions from a shoot, I'll have dozens. RPI will be a lot lower, even as I hope the aggregate revenue to be higher.

Put another way, I'm trying to optimize total revenue, not revenue per image.

Phil · « **Reply #10 on:** June 14, 2009, 16:25 »

if you look at Jonathon's Paca presentation his figures for a days shoot

rm - 20 images return $1000 each (20k)
rf - 50 images return $400 each (20k)
micro - 200 images return $80+? each (16+k)

the RPI is wildly different but the return for the shoot is similar.

basti · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2009, 00:57 »

Phil: No its not. Total revenue is about the same but return per image goes lower and lower... You can earn the same on micro but you MUST sell much more pictures to get the same.

Because of very difficult sorting which pictures will and which wont sell, the RPI provides you with some estimation how many pics you need to earn certain money. However the RPI for amateur/hobbyist with $1-1,5 should be for half year or even a year, not month!
Im on SS (270), IS (97) and DT (222) about 18 months and my total RPI is about $2-2,5. Its nature/travel and no people, thats why its lower by some others. However I do not think many ppl with aprox. 200 pics online do have much higher returns.

Phil · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2009, 05:12 »

Hi, sorry if I wasnt clear

I think I was trying the same thing as you've said. Total revenue for a days shoot is about the same but the RPI is very different because of different number of images (and markets). personally I get somewhere less than $10 / image / year (I just used rough figures so dont really know), but then I just do what I'm in the mood to do

MichaelJay · « **Reply #13 on:** June 15, 2009, 06:45 »

Quote from: Talanis on June 14, 2009, 10:40

I think your numbers are off a bit. With those numbers, someone with a portfolio of 500 images would make between 500 and 750$ a month for a hobbyist. I don't know anyone who does that.

With a portfolio of <700, I made between $600 and $1400 for the last 12 months. And I'm an amateur/hobbyist.

Ok, most likely that's because I am iStock exclusive and I would have uploaded 2500 images or more if I had to feed some other sites that require regular attention. In that case, my RPI probably would have been much lower as well.

Talanis · « **Reply #14 on:** June 15, 2009, 07:39 »

Quote from: MichaelJay on June 15, 2009, 06:45

Quote from: Talanis on June 14, 2009, 10:40
I think your numbers are off a bit. With those numbers, someone with a portfolio of 500 images would make between 500 and 750$ a month for a hobbyist. I don't know anyone who does that.

With a portfolio of <700, I made between $600 and $1400 for the last 12 months. And I'm an amateur/hobbyist.

Ok, most likely that's because I am iStock exclusive and I would have uploaded 2500 images or more if I had to feed some other sites that require regular attention. In that case, my RPI probably would have been much lower as well.

Read carefully, those numbers were per month, not per year ;P (or is it me that read you badly and you did 600$+/month over the last 12 months?)

MichaelJay · « **Reply #15 on:** June 15, 2009, 07:50 »

Quote from: Talanis on June 15, 2009, 07:39

Read carefully, those numbers were per month, not per year ;P (or is it me that read you badly and you did 600$+/month over the last 12 months?)

Yes, "between 600 and 1400" meant that the lowest month I made around 600, the highest month nearly 1400.

packerguy · « **Reply #16 on:** June 15, 2009, 07:50 »

I started microstock in January as a hobbyist, and have been submitting to seven sites since March. My portfolio size ranged for 130 to 226 images at the end of May. In May my RPI for one month was $1.27 up from $1.07 in April.

Talanis · « **Reply #17 on:** June 15, 2009, 09:16 »

Quote from: MichaelJay on June 15, 2009, 07:50

Quote from: Talanis on June 15, 2009, 07:39
Read carefully, those numbers were per month, not per year ;P (or is it me that read you badly and you did 600$+/month over the last 12 months?)

Yes, "between 600 and 1400" meant that the lowest month I made around 600, the highest month nearly 1400.

Quite an achievment! were you always exclusive or is it since you are that your RPI got higher?

MichaelJay · « **Reply #18 on:** June 16, 2009, 09:06 »

Quote from: Talanis on June 15, 2009, 09:16

Quite an achievment! were you always exclusive or is it since you are that your RPI got higher?

Nobody is "always" exclusive since you have to get to bronze level first. But I guess your question is aiming on something different... I have sold my first image license in 2002 when one of the first mid market RF agencies went online. Didn't upload to Micro until end of 2006, tried a few sites at that time but quickly discovered that uploading to many sites is too time-consuming for me and I appreciated the way of feedback I got from iStock's contributors and inspectors (yeah, even when I wasn't exclusive their "weird and unjustified" rejections taught me a lot...

).

My RPI wasn't that high before I was exclusive, though I don't see a high correlation. Just the fact that I learned a lot in the time before and after I turned exclusive. And I don't think I'm even close to the end of that road.

bad to the bone · « **Reply #19 on:** June 30, 2009, 21:20 »

Just started an excelsheet today because i'm testing some different agencies in the future to optimize the efford for uploading and keywording.
I'm on Microstock since 12 month, its my first anyversary today.
My RPI is yet at 3,2$, with roundabout 1200 images online (illustrations, no photos).
But i think it is right, to gain more earnings i have to accept lowering in RPI. But i split my portfolio i two parts: pictures for best RPI agencies and images for all the rest who sells most at subscribers. Because customers who pay less should get less.

And best and better artwork should go to midstock agencies next time...because micros lower the RPI at any change they do. Thats stupid, but if they need to ruin their own success, that's the same old well known game of most rookies in a new business.

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Author Topic: My total sales per photo per site. Is this typical? (Read 9225 times)

geokeenan

puravida

sharply_done

Phil

PixelsAway

Stefan

null

Talanis

gbcimages

disorderly

Phil

basti

Phil

MichaelJay

Talanis

MichaelJay

packerguy

Talanis

MichaelJay

bad to the bone

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