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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: sdeva on July 02, 2014, 14:12

Title: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: sdeva on July 02, 2014, 14:12
Or should we call it - Getting better control of one's work.

As stock agencies have evolved there have been all different types of resellers, API, partners and suchlike - who resell content uploaded by a contributor to an agency.

This impacts a contributor in at least two ways:

Firstly, loss of control of the works. It is amazing how far and wide I have found my content.  At times in hands of shabby looking 'little' websites, which may or may not be a suitable representation of one's hard, professional work.

Secondly, the compensation per sales usually drops big time. There is suddenly yet another agency between the contributor and the first stock agency - who are also taking a nice and hefty portion of the cut.

And - thirdly, I am not sure how good is the sanctity (including the terms and conditions under which the sub agency resells the works), and whether it is even broadly at par with the contributors first stock agency.

So where does all this leave a contributor?

Except of course at loose ends with control of work, and a lesser share of revenue.

Over time and in some recent months I have therefore opted out from all partner/ reseller/ API sites wherever such option is possible.  There is few stock agencies that do not allow that!  In such case I have stopped uploads to some of them.  There is still one or two out there where the income generation did not warrant a fast decision. 

But in pretty much all cases I am now either opted out or in close monitoring.  My awakening :) in this regard came from the DP- Shotshop mess of course!! 

I know that most longstanding contributors are already well aware of this issue and make their decisions as they think best.  But I feel that many contributors (like me) are not aware enough or care enough about this issue - except till a time when some shotshop type 'deal' comes around to jolt them.

Maybe its time for all contributors to reawaken to this issue and and to raise better awareness about it!   


 
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: PixelBytes on July 02, 2014, 14:52
Did you notice any change in your sales volumes or income, either good or bad, after opting out?
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: Ariene on July 03, 2014, 00:52
Months ago, after DP action I opted out everywhere I could. Then I closed many micro accounts where I had doubts.
Now if I want to joy any new agency I make sure I have control over my work, they must be not less than 50% com., and I'm not interested in $1 for DL. No partner programs again!

Did I see any changes in income? Yes, for better. It was worth to leave some low % payers to get more somewhere else... I wrote about it in other thread.
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: r2d2 on July 03, 2014, 04:08
me too. I get more control, time and a good feeling by shutting down some unethical scam agencies. ;D
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: sdeva on July 03, 2014, 11:57
Did you notice any change in your sales volumes or income, either good or bad, after opting out?

I would say not significantly, except at one agency.  In another case my RPD has gone up but volume has declined leaving more or less similar revenue. 
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on July 03, 2014, 12:17
Did you notice any change in your sales volumes or income, either good or bad, after opting out?

The problem is that you don't/can't know given the lack of complete and detailed sales reporting.

I see variations from month to month when I haven't changed anything, so unless I knew which sales had come from a partner site in the past, I couldn't really gauge any changes. And the even harder one to know is if an agency has participation in something as a factor in search criteria so your sales on the main site could be affected by an opt out. DT, for example, had at one point in the past said that forum participation was a factor in search ranking (I think that's ridiculous, but then it goes along with other factors DT has mentioned are search factors at one time or another).
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: PixelBytes on July 03, 2014, 12:21
Thank you for answers on income.  I am surprised there was mostly no difference or slight improvement.   Seems like being choosy does not destroy income.
Title: Re: Decision-making and the art of Opting Out!
Post by: sdeva on July 03, 2014, 15:07
Jo Ann's comment is in very good standing.  Due to lack of sufficient reporting its hard to precisely pin an increase or decrease in sales to isolated factors.  An amount of guesswork is therefore involved based on the general sales trend after a change.