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Author Topic: Which Are Really The Big 6? And Which Ones Are Really Worth The Time?  (Read 26353 times)

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« on: May 07, 2009, 14:30 »
0
I have read various MS forums and blogs and each one lists the top 6 MS sites in different order.

I would place the top 4 as iStock, Fotolia, Shutterstock, and Dreamstime. As for the next 2 slots I thought the first one should be StockXpert, but I have put up so many images with minimal results so I think StockXpert is not really in the running anymore. Since most of my sales are coming from the top 4 sites I am thinking of adding 2 more possible sites.

Yuri has been writing recently about Can Stock and I have heard some good things about Big Stock. But neither of these are listed in the top 6 on this forum. Instead you have StockXpert and 123RF in the top 6. As I said, I have not had good results from StockXpert and I have heard 123RF is not really worth the time.

I would appreciate some good feedback on what other 2 sites you would contribute to if you were already contributiing to the top 4.

Many thanks...


« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2009, 14:35 »
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There are no big 6, that's what's confusing.

SS
DT
IS
FT

That's the top 4.  Beyond that, you're stretching.

BigStock
123
StockXpert
CanStockPhoto

That's the next level - stuff you can occasionally get money from.

CS, FP, YM, MP, ZM, SV, etc. are all the "good luck" places.  That's just how it generally shakes out.  Everyone's port is different but that's the basics.

« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2009, 14:52 »
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There are no big 6, that's what's confusing.

SS
DT
IS
FT

That's the top 4.  Beyond that, you're stretching.

BigStock
123
StockXpert
CanStockPhoto

That's the next level - stuff you can occasionally get money from.

CS, FP, YM, MP, ZM, SV, etc. are all the "good luck" places.  That's just how it generally shakes out.  Everyone's port is different but that's the basics.

Right, except StockXpert. It belongs to Top 5.

In fact the truth is: (in no particular order)

IS
SS

then;
DT
StockXpert
FT

then;
123rf
BigStock
maybe CanStockPhoto

then the rest...
« Last Edit: May 07, 2009, 14:54 by cidepix »

« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2009, 15:07 »
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Thanks guys, but I am afraid I am getting a bit lost in the abbreviations  ::)

Anyway, if you were to put say Big Stock, Can Stock, and 123RF in an order from 1 to 3, how would that shake out?

Thanks...

« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2009, 15:17 »
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My benchmark for an agency being worthwhile is its ability to consistently earn a minimum of $100 per month. The only agencies to pass this mark for me are SS, IS, FT, DT, StockXpert, and 123. So there's your 'Big Six'. Promising sites are Veer and Canstock, but the jury's still out on those two.

« Reply #5 on: May 07, 2009, 15:20 »
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Anyway, if you were to put say Big Stock, Can Stock, and 123RF in an order from 1 to 3, how would that shake out?

Over the last 6 months according to my spreadsheet, just using four agencies, not % of the total but % of these four:

StockXpert 33%
BigStock 25%
123 22%
CanStockPhoto 20%

Using the same scale, SS is at 100%, meaning equal to all 4 of those put together.  DT is at 55% and FT at 40%.  

« Reply #6 on: May 07, 2009, 15:24 »
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I'm doing reasonably well at SX.  It's reliably fifth, although it's running ahead of Ftl this month.  Over the last twelve months, BigStock brings in a little over half of SX, and 123 is a little over half of BigStock.

« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2009, 15:59 »
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I wouldn't take a lot if notice about what Yuri reccomends as I started uploading to Crestock based on his reccomendations.  That was the biggest waste of uploading time that I have ever spent.  I think he has ulterior motives when pushing sites.
I would go with Bigstock if I were you.  They are my 6th site after (in order) FT, IS,SS,DT and StockXpert but don't expect to get anywhere near what you can on the big 4.



Yuri has been writing recently about Can Stock and I have heard some good things about Big Stock.

Many thanks...

« Reply #8 on: May 07, 2009, 16:01 »
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Those 6 do it for me along with Bigstock that beats 123rf.

My benchmark for an agency being worthwhile is its ability to consistently earn a minimum of $100 per month. The only agencies to pass this mark for me are SS, IS, FT, DT, StockXpert, and 123. So there's your 'Big Six'. Promising sites are Veer and Canstock, but the jury's still out on those two.


« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2009, 16:13 »
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to me it's the big 4... in order

IS
FT
SS
DT

then

SX

then the rest

batman

« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2009, 16:17 »
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There is really no formula involved. Not unless you shoot the same stuff as us, and even then, there is no saying that because we are making money at xxx, and not xx site, that you too will find the same thing.
The only test is time and your own experience. Submit to all the sites you can, and the ones that give you consistent approval AND sales, are the ones you should concentrate.
 

« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2009, 16:30 »
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I agree with the big 4 concept, however for me they are IS, DT, StockXpert and FT.  I'm not in  SS.

« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2009, 16:40 »
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SS is the only one that's done anything for me.  DT, FT are way behind and IS has been a flop.  StockXpert is in trouble - may contributors (including myself) found that submissions after February of this year were getting no views. This issue is unresolved.

So at this point there is no big 4 for me.  SS, DT and FT are the only ones worth submitting to  - and only SS has generated any money - and that was almost all from subscriptions.


lisafx

« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2009, 17:42 »
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I agree with your first 4.  I would include Bigstock in the top 6 instead of 123.  My sales there have been stagnant for two years, despite doubling my portfolio.  I still barely make payout there each month, even with 4500+ images.

I still think StockXpert belongs there, but only if they leave our royalties alone.  If they lower them to match the proposed istock plan that would be the final nail in the coffin lid there as far as I'm concerned.

Canstock has actually picked up.  Nowhere near the top 6, but they moved from 0% of my income to 3%, passing 123 and Crestock this past month.  If the Fotosearch sales continue to build it could be a respectable moneymaker. 

batman

« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2009, 17:49 »
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I agree with your first 4.  I would include Bigstock in the top 6 instead of 123.  My sales there have been stagnant for two years, despite doubling my portfolio.  I still barely make payout there each month, even with 4500+ images.

what's the payout  at BigStock?

« Reply #15 on: May 07, 2009, 17:59 »
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I agree with the BIG 4:

iStockphoto
Shutterstock
Dreamstime
Fotolia

Then two sites that give me some money:
StockXpert (was recently in BIG 5, but has dropped quite a bit)
Bigstockphoto

And then a few that I get payments from, but needs a lot of patience because of the low earnings
123rf (easy upload)
crestock (easy upload)

Waste of time:
Featurepics
Stockphotomedia
Scanstockphoto
Snapvillage
Mostphotos
Canstockphoto




« Reply #16 on: May 08, 2009, 15:41 »
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I am not a huge player in this but for me bigstock has always been a steady performer. The low payouts are great as well.

« Reply #17 on: May 08, 2009, 16:10 »
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I am getting regular payouts (every month or every 2nd month) from 7 sites, but only two satisfy the ">$100/month" criterion (SS, IS). So, "big 2"?

Here is how it looked during last 6 months for my portfolio:
SS -   50.9%
IS -   21.1%
DT -   9.7%
FT -   6.2%
StockXpert -  5.8%
BigStock -  4.5%
123 -  3.2%

I am not sure if DT will stay on the 3rd place - my acceptance rate dropped there recently from 80+ % to 50% ...

« Reply #18 on: May 08, 2009, 16:20 »
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It's funny thread. People a describing in their own words what can be seen on the right side of the forum page :-) Obviously almost everybody got different Top 6. If having your top top icons would be mandatory you might take advantage of comparing what kind of pictures people who got similar results to yours have.

lisafx

« Reply #19 on: May 08, 2009, 17:04 »
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I agree with your first 4.  I would include Bigstock in the top 6 instead of 123.  My sales there have been stagnant for two years, despite doubling my portfolio.  I still barely make payout there each month, even with 4500+ images.

what's the payout  at BigStock?

I think $30.  Not sure though.  I wait until I have $100 to ask.

« Reply #20 on: May 08, 2009, 17:16 »
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I agree with your first 4.  I would include Bigstock in the top 6 instead of 123.  My sales there have been stagnant for two years, despite doubling my portfolio.  I still barely make payout there each month, even with 4500+ images.

what's the payout  at BigStock?

I think $30.  Not sure though.  I wait until I have $100 to ask.

You're right. It is $30.

For me it goes sorta like this, at least the past few months:

DT
IS
---- separation
SS
FT
StockXpert
---- separation
BigStock
123
CS
CanStockPhoto
« Last Edit: May 08, 2009, 17:18 by Kngkyle »

« Reply #21 on: May 09, 2009, 00:12 »
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Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. In answer to my question about BS, 123, and CanStock, it seems some people are getting decent results with 123RF as a second tier site, but most everyone is doing the best with Bigstock out of these 3. Of course, as a few mentioned, it comes down to your individual portfolio and some types of photos do better on some site than others. The only off-putting thing about BS is the fact that the picture submission process is so slow once you have uploaded your pictures via FTP. I guess if I start uploading there I will get used to it.

Oh, and as for CanStock, it seems that Yuri's better results as of late is not quite the same results that others are getting so I will probably give it a pass for now. 

« Reply #22 on: May 09, 2009, 02:06 »
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My "big4" is SS, DT, FT, StockXpert (close values between them)
Then comes BigStock, 123.

« Reply #23 on: May 09, 2009, 02:56 »
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My big 4 is.......totally irrelevant.  But this list will keep growing ;)

« Reply #24 on: May 09, 2009, 03:30 »
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Everyone is going to answer different, so there isn't one set answer.  Yes Canstock has improved tons the last two months, but they are far from being better than the top 4 sites.  Fotolia is 4th on the list here, but the big sellers like Yuri and Andresr have them as #1.

That is why the poll was created.  The list on the right isn't my or anyone else's random list. It is made up from a poll of well over 100 votes and taken the average.  So what the poll shows is the average ranking of the sites.

You can easily see that there is 5 sites that are pretty well agreed upon to be the top 5.  After that it is reasonably close between 123RF and Bigstock and Canstock and Crestock.


 

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