MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: visceralimage on March 11, 2011, 21:11
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I will be returning to USA (from Far East Russia) in June; no way I can live on the limited income I make from wildlife photography in USA ($300-500/month). So, it looks like I need to do the isolated on white and other type of shots (business, food, et al...).
What is the approx. return on new uploads; for example, say I upload 100 images-what would be an approx average amount of money to make from each 100 uploads/month. I will upload to all sites, IS excluded as they will only allow limited uploads.
I have worked as a portrait photographer in the past, done some product and commercial photography and have the needed equipment. I expect my images will be solid; not earth-shattering great but solid.
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25$ Dollar if your are real good. After some month.
Less than 10$ if you are averrage.
Less than 5$ if you don't have a clue how this business works ( that means not to know how a good foto should look like, it means not to know what customers at mircro buy. They didn't buy good fotos at all.)
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25$ Dollar if your are real good.
It could be much more, but it could be much much less. If I were starting today, I would have VERY LOW expectations.
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25$ Dollar if your are real good.
It could be much more, but it could be much much less. If I were starting today, I would have VERY LOW expectations.
With all due respect, I am looking for some numbers from actual experience of members. Hopefully, I can get some real work feedback of their experiences. I know it will vary from port. to port.
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25$ Dollar if your are real good.
It could be much more, but it could be much much less. If I were starting today, I would have VERY LOW expectations.
With all due respect, I am looking for some numbers from actual experience of members. Hopefully, I can get some real work feedback of their experiences. I know it will vary from port. to port.
And I gave you an approx amount of money you can make from each 100 uploads/month ;D
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25$ Dollar if your are real good.
It could be much more, but it could be much much less. If I were starting today, I would have VERY LOW expectations.
With all due respect, I am looking for some numbers from actual experience of members. Hopefully, I can get some real work feedback of their experiences. I know it will vary from port. to port.
And I gave you an approx amount of money you can make from each 100 uploads/month ;D
I had always heard that regular type of images sold much more than wildlife. At $25/100 is the same as approx. $250/1000; I am making more than that from wildlife images. I am hoping some of the other experienced members will also add comments.
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100 uploads per month won't make you much money unless they're vectors.
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100 uploads per month won't make you much money unless they're vectors.
I just picked that number to have a frame of reference; I have been uploading a couple hundred wildlife images per month; I think I can take a few more studio images in a months time.
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Totaling all the sites, I'm doing close to $4 per image per month these days, but I expect that will dip to more like $3 from April to August or so, if the past few years are any indication, then come back to current levels in Sept. So if you're doing what I'm doing, you should get $300-$400 per 100 images.
But this number is on the high side, from what I've read here. I believe the average was more like $1 per image per month. But of course, it all depends on what you're uploading. Expect more for vectors (assuming you know what subjects sell). And if you're doing photos, and don't know what sells, you could do more like $.50 per image per month... meaning most photos don't sell at all.
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Totaling all the sites, I'm doing close to $4 per image per month these days, but I expect that will dip to more like $3 from April to August or so, if the past few years are any indication, then come back to current levels in Sept. So if you're doing what I'm doing, you should get $300-$400 per 100 images.
But this number is on the high side, from what I've read here. I believe the average was more like $1 per image per month. But of course, it all depends on what you're uploading. Expect more for vectors (assuming you know what subjects sell). And if you're doing photos, and don't know what sells, you could do more like $.50 per image per month... meaning most photos don't sell at all.
Thanks, encouraging numbers; even $1/image/month would be good for a start.
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Totaling all the sites, I'm doing close to $4 per image per month these days, but I expect that will dip to more like $3 from April to August or so, if the past few years are any indication, then come back to current levels in Sept. So if you're doing what I'm doing, you should get $300-$400 per 100 images.
But this number is on the high side, from what I've read here. I believe the average was more like $1 per image per month. But of course, it all depends on what you're uploading. Expect more for vectors (assuming you know what subjects sell). And if you're doing photos, and don't know what sells, you could do more like $.50 per image per month... meaning most photos don't sell at all.
These are incrediable numbers I doubt many people can match. I think Yuri stated his RPI is 3$ and and can tell you that our RPI is ~40c, so you numbers are no less then fantastic.
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@ Stockmarketer are you talking about illustrations or photos with those numbers?
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this kind of topics will never reach a great conclusion.. unless you are going to do some beautiful work, if you are going on the average with less preparation, less props, less "exciting models" 100 pictures wonīt be major.. it will about pulling more and more every month, getting pictures highly ranked and get downloads everyday to earn a few more $..
if you are going to do letīs say 100 pictures (models, portraits, etc) I would say only at SS like 10 to 15 sales daily.. but again this is not "100% right" could have 5 or 6 or 20.. but I can tell you that if you upload 100 and more 100 and more 100 it will be up at least in terms of sales.. will they stay up like that? maybe not.. but if you keep pulling more stuff and trying to improve your work you will do better and better..
you are a great wildlife photographer, I am sure will do fine, again prepared pictures, all very nice will do better than tons..
try yourself, do it for 3 months and you will see how it goes
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Maybe if you keep asking the same question you'll get the answers you want to hear http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/projected-revenue/ (http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/projected-revenue/)
My answer is the same as before. And I'm experienced.
And I'm confused. A month ago you said
I am converting from exclusive at Dreamstime to multi-submissions. I have 808 files on Dreamstime (hopefully will have that up to 1000 by months end), monthly income of roughly $70-100.
and then today
At $25/100 is the same as approx. $250/1000; I am making more than that from wildlife images.
How'd such a big change happen in a month?
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Maybe if you keep asking the same question you'll get the answers you want to hear [url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/projected-revenue/[/url] ([url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/projected-revenue/[/url])
My answer is the same as before. And I'm experienced.
And I'm confused. A month ago you said
I am converting from exclusive at Dreamstime to multi-submissions. I have 808 files on Dreamstime (hopefully will have that up to 1000 by months end), monthly income of roughly $70-100.
and then today
At $25/100 is the same as approx. $250/1000; I am making more than that from wildlife images.
How'd such a big change happen in a month?
Actually, last time I was asking the projected revenue of wildlife images. This time I am requesting projected revenue of regular microstock type images.
Your response last time was
You have some nice wildlife images but I don't think wildlife sells as well as some of the more popular stock categories.
With your 800 images at the top four sites I would say $250 - $350 per month.
That was spot on; my current projected revenue for this month seems to be in line for approx. $300
My answer is the same as before. And I'm experienced. \
So you are saying the projected revenue for regular images would be the same as wildlife?
Nevertheless, you are correct, no need to ask the question; time will tell the outcome. Just nervous about the projected relocation.
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Depends on what "regular" images means. $0 to $1,000 and anywhere in between. Leaf's survey showed .75 per image per month so using that, $75. But, the most common response I've seen here is. 50 per image per month. You would need to have some excellent stuff to be making $1 PIPM and the $4 PIPM I'd say is for the elite which there are a very small percentage of.
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I can give you some stats regarding my experience, letīs say January 2011 (only top 5 agencies)
- average portofolio 1970 files
- earnings 413.57$
which means RPI = 0.21$
check my portfolio:
http://www.shutterstock.com/g/luissantos84 (http://www.shutterstock.com/g/luissantos84)
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I'd suggest you do more then just isolated shots. Go to your local airport, harbor, industrial parc, etc,etc. And shoot as much as different subjects as you can. Than upload small batches a couple of times a week with 1 or 2 shots per subject. That's how I do it. I have almost no isolations and people shots (except editiorial events) and still make about $1 per image per month.
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Either do it, or don't. Just don't come in doing isolated pears and apples and then complain it doesn't support your wildlife habit.
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$1 per image per month would be pretty good.. $4 is VERY exceptional.. Your wildlfe images are good, so it's obvious you know how to use a camera.. Can that translate into a studio setting? well that depends on your knowledge of lights, picking good subjects etc. Studio stuff is a lot different from wildlife outdoors.. I think average photographers are closer to $0.50 per image or maybe less, better photogs with more detail and attention to composition and props will be upwards from there.. Like was mentioned before Yuri mentioned he makes about $3 p/image and he also mentioned that those numbers are in decline as well, so take that into consideration..
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...don't forget that you start at the lowest percentage for each download at any agency. You can't expect to get the same RPD as someone who is uploading since years.
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$1 per image per month would be pretty good.. $4 is VERY exceptional.. Your wildlfe images are good, so it's obvious you know how to use a camera.. Can that translate into a studio setting? well that depends on your knowledge of lights, picking good subjects etc. Studio stuff is a lot different from wildlife outdoors..
Well, he already said he is experienced at doing portraits and commercial work, so I'm going to assume he knows his way around studio lighting. ;)
I think $1/image/month sounds accurate, on average. Some make more, some make less.
I think the problem you are going to have is that all the "stocky" stuff has been done, and done to death. Your isolated objects and models on white will be competing with literally thousands of others almost exactly like them. Finding a way to make your stock-oriented images stand out from the multitudes, or alternatively discovering an under-covered niche will be your best bet.
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Well, he already said he is experienced at doing portraits and commercial work, so I'm going to assume he knows his way around studio lighting. ;)
I expect your right.. Sorry, that is me reading to fast and the short term memory thing from my younger years ;)
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Either do it, or don't. Just don't come in doing isolated pears and apples and then complain it doesn't support your wildlife habit.
Tomatoes, sliced, diced, isolated, red, yellow and green. That's the ticket. Everyone needs more tomatoes. ;) I have two tomato shots in my gallery and they are on a pizza, that's my limit.
Here's a previous thread related to RPI which ends up pretty much the same as here. It depends on the people, agency and subjects. Some people make 21c some people make a dollar, and some people have found that uploading more, the average will go down, even though the income goes up. As in, RPI drops but bottom line increases.
http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/agencies-average-rpi/ (http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/agencies-average-rpi/)
My conclusion from reading the advise and helpful stats of others is, there is not a one to one relationship between the number of images and income. The more you upload, the lower the RPI will be. Also if it matters, someone can delete images that don't sell after a year and their RPI will go up. RPI is a measurement not and end result. Some people may want to look at time vs returns on the smaller sites. Others seem to think their time editing and uploading is free. Fair enough.
Income, after expenses, is the important number.
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Thanks all, great answers. i don't plan to do any pears, apples, strawberry, et al isolated on white; i do have some ideas for some new stuff; as a former scientist i have some ideas in that arena also.
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Thanks all, great answers. i don't plan to do any pears, apples, strawberry, et al isolated on white; i do have some ideas for some new stuff; as a former scientist i have some ideas in that arena also.
Scientists shaking hands?
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Goldfish in lab coats!
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Goldfish in lab coats!
Thanks for the idea.. I'm off to shoot before anyone gets these images uploaded.!!
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Goldfish in lab coats!
i like it
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Either do it, or don't. Just don't come in doing isolated pears and apples and then complain it doesn't support your wildlife habit.
Correct. Shoot Kiwi.
I haven't tracked Return Per Image / Month since before I went exclusive in the summer of 2009. Back then I recall averaging about $0.80 per image per month. I would suspect it is much lower these days as libraries have expanded greatly while I have been less active.
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John, just in case you find that traditional microstock shooting a little soul s*cking..... (LOL, the forum automatically removed that word that rhymes with f.... so I had to add an asterisk)
Are you comfortable with Photoshop at all? I am going to go out on a limb here and toss you another option suggesting that you can experiment a bit with your current library.... You really have some exceptional shots, but what about turning them into commercial concepts? Have you seen John Lund's work? www.johnlund.com (http://www.johnlund.com) He does this crazy, amazingly creative work with animals - elephants meditating on mountaintops, or surfing in the ocean kinda stuff. Dogs drinking coffee, or opening presents at a birthday party. He must spend hours in photoshop, but man his work is fun and very memorable.
Keep your pure nature portfolio - but maybe think about recycling your shots AND you can even use some culled shots that you originally found awkward or with poor framing etc. for some photoshop concepts. I didn't dig too deep into your library, and I'm not going to hotlink to your photos to mess up your ranking but I've inserted the direct links.
http://www.visceralimage.net/cpg/albums/userpics/10002/normal_mcwfxar-000742~0.jpg (http://www.visceralimage.net/cpg/albums/userpics/10002/normal_mcwfxar-000742~0.jpg)
This photo could be turned into a Christmas theme - separate the wolves a bit and have them fighting over a nicely wrapped christmas present OR a big bone with a ribbon. Change the background to a nice eye popping graduated blue sky with a colourful Christmas tree and/or Santa's sleigh etc... then swap the background out with a fireplace with Christmas stockings and garland.
Or this one http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-coyote-image13644580 (http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-coyote-image13644580)
Place your wolf on a larger canvas, turn it to night and have a full moon in the opposite corner with a big spread for copy. Then turn your wolf into a sillhouette and place her directly in front of a big full moon. It's really a spectacular nature photo, a wild animal in a natural environment, doing that howling thing we all hear about and it is exactly the kind of shot you would look for if looking for a wolf - but, unfortunately other than that it's not terribly "commercial". That doesn't diminish how wonderful it is.
Since you've done the work isolating that wolf and repainting in hair etc. you would want to use it as many times as you can with as many different concepts. Take this other wolf, throw her in a tower, maybe with one of those pink princess hats with a flowing ribbon and he can be the Romeo below singing to his Juliette in the tower. http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-coyote-image13644557 (http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-coyote-image13644557)
Then you can sell them as greeting cards on Zazzle too - so you've developed another revenue stream.
Sometimes it doesn't have to be elaborate photoshopping either - dropping in a sky or making the canvas larger for example can really change the look and make it more useful for a designer. Photoshop isn't the idea of fun for a lot of people, and someone who goes to the extremes that you do to get such fabulous and pure nature photos may be dead against it - but I'm guessing that (in microstock) one well executed concept created in photoshop could equal maybe 30 good nature shots.
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Really great suggestions Pixart!
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^^^ Now that is such a good idea.
I can't remember the photographer's name but he and his wife used to complain bitterly on the old Yahoo microstock forum about microstock in general. Anyway he had a port containing many very ordinary images of zoo animals (I assumed) on Alamy and other places. One of his images sold last year, if I remember correctly, of an elephant superimposed on a surfboard at something like $20K. It wasn't even particularly well executed (massive understatement) but it certainly didn't have much competition.
I'm sure one of m'learned friends here will be able to identify the original story.
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Pixart and others;
Thanks; really, Thanks! That post took alot of thought and time; really helpful. You are correct, my preference is time in the field not time behind the computer. One look at my images and you can see they are pretty raw and direct from the camera, minor tweaks for white balance or saturation but basically directly out of the camera.
I have never been a fan of photoshop as I just do not like the time behind the computer; but then again, I like to eat food and I like to drive my car (when I get one) to sites to take pictures, so much easier than walking or riding the bus with a 600mm, camera body, heavy tripod and head, etc-so-I should try some of these on a rainy day.
I like to think of concepts and parodies; so this is right up my alley. Now, if I could team up with a designer; that would be the perfect thing.
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^^^ There's a lot of PS expertise available from places like India at relatively cheap prices. Just Google it. The difficult bit might be finding one who is used to working to microstock quality standards.
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^^^ There's a lot of PS expertise available from places like India at relatively cheap prices. Just Google it. The difficult bit might be finding one who is used to working to microstock quality standards.
Thanks but really not interested in forging a relationship with someone in India.
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Really great suggestions Pixart!
+1 gazillion
amazing
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^^^ There's a lot of PS expertise available from places like India at relatively cheap prices. Just Google it. The difficult bit might be finding one who is used to working to microstock quality standards.
Thanks but really not interested in forging a relationship with someone in India.
You don't need to work together with them, just use their time and services for the isolation work.
I tested this company : http://www.clippingprovider.com/CP_II_EU/Welcome.html (http://www.clippingprovider.com/CP_II_EU/Welcome.html)
You can send them 4 to 5 test files for free. Send them a few of your best shots, and choose difficult isolation cases, like the wolf.
Later on, you can sell (1) the wolf on white and (2) the wolf-against-the-moon like already suggested.
They even add the clipping path.
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Thanks but really not interested in forging a relationship with someone in India.
Since designers are our primary customers, maybe you can hookup with somebody in the design forums at one of the micros.
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Thanks but really not interested in forging a relationship with someone in India.
Since designers are our primary customers, maybe you can hookup with somebody in the design forums at one of the micros.
Thanks lisa, i thought about that and have contacted the lady that came up with the idea; waiting for her reply with acceptance or denial before I contact others.
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Had enough of Russia?;-)
Return per image per month - 1-2 dollars on average, unless you do only highly conceptual shots and then it could be up to 5-7.
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Had enough of Russia?;-)
Return per image per month - 1-2 dollars on average, unless you do only highly conceptual shots and then it could be up to 5-7.
Thanks Elena; I still love Russia and photographing the wildlife here but it is a very difficult environment to work in, difficult to get around and near the animals, and difficult for an American with all the border patrol checks, security checks, registration issues, et al. Nevertheless, major reason for return is to seek treatment for my eyes and digestion. I am yearn for American food and Mexican food; neither is available here in Far East Russia.
Elena, $1-2/image; is that per month. I assume so; with a port. of roughly 10,000 images, one could be looking at 120K per year; I understand there are many cost involved but that is still respectable.
For others that may be reading, here is my return for wildlife images. Approx. 1000 images across all sites (except IS, only 30 images on IS); return is approx $300/month or roughly $0.30 per image/month. The market for wildlife is a bit less so I am not disappointed with these results; especially considering the clothing styles and other considerations do not change for wildlife; they pretty much wear the same clothes year to year; so hopefully the images will keep a constant sales rate year to year.
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Had enough of Russia?;-)
Return per image per month - 1-2 dollars on average, unless you do only highly conceptual shots and then it could be up to 5-7.
Thanks Elena; I still love Russia and photographing the wildlife here but it is a very difficult environment to work in, difficult to get around and near the animals, and difficult for an American with all the border patrol checks, security checks, registration issues, et al. Nevertheless, major reason for return is to seek treatment for my eyes and digestion. I am yearn for American food and Mexican food; neither is available here in Far East Russia.
Elena, $1-2/image; is that per month. I assume so; with a port. of roughly 10,000 images, one could be looking at 120K per year; I understand there are many cost involved but that is still respectable.
For others that may be reading, here is my return for wildlife images. Approx. 1000 images across all sites (except IS, only 30 images on IS); return is approx $300/month or roughly $0.30 per image/month. The market for wildlife is a bit less so I am not disappointed with these results; especially considering the clothing styles and other considerations do not change for wildlife; they pretty much wear the same clothes year to year; so hopefully the images will keep a constant sales rate year to year.
I think any business plan that takes into consideration 1$-2$ RPI is wrong. I am not saying there aren't people who don't achieve this but it is well above average as you can see for yourself in this un-official and unscientific survey.
When you make a business plan you take into account the most probable outcome, in your case be it 30c. If you get more than that, well that's a bonus. (You should also consider what will happen if you're RPI will drop! will you be able to sustain yourself)
In addition if I where you I would invest time and effort in trying to upload more to IS. Even with all of the negative feedback, for that vast majority of people here they seem to always be in the top 3 earners.
Not submitting to them is a mistake IMO.
Your assumption that if you have 10x port size you will make 10x money is wrong. The rule of diminishing returns applies here. In addition in large portfolios there is always self-cannibalization of your own work.
IMH you should not worry much about statistics and numbers. Do what you are GOOD at and do what you LIKE DOING. Think of MS as a business (think Yuri) and start submitting like crazy (yes also to IS).
Quality and quantity is the name of the game, do this and the $$$ will follow. It's working for us so far...
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Thanks Aeonf;
I am submitting to IS but they only allow 18/week
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my humble opinion is that if you aim for 50/month instead of 100 you will double your RPI
eta typo
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my humble opinion is that if you aim for 50/month instead of 100 you will double your RPI
eta typo
Even if that where true, why would one do that ? The end goal is to make money with the lowest risk and volatility possible, not to have a high RPI.
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if he doubles his rpi with 50 over what he would make with a 100 he would get the same amount of money, wouldn't he?
only for the time saved with keywording it would be worth it ;D
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My conclusion from reading the advise and helpful stats of others is, there is not a one to one relationship between the number of images and income. The more you upload, the lower the RPI will be. Also if it matters, someone can delete images that don't sell after a year and their RPI will go up.
Nonsense. That's like saying the more you work, the lower your hourly rate is. If that's happening to you, you'd be crazy not to QUIT.
In my experience, my RPI has gone UP over time, not down. I've been doing this for three years. In my first months, my daily RPI was about 10 cents per image. It's steadily risen, and today stands at 14 cents. I have not deleted ANY images from my port. My goal is not to increase RPI but to increase revenue. Watching my RPI tells me whether I am doing things right, and helps me forecast for the future. Yes, I could delete my worst selling images and RPI would increase, but that would defeat the purpose! If my RPI is gradually increasing, that means I'm creating less images like my worst selling images. You use RPI as a learning and forecasting tool, not bragging rights!
If your RPI is falling, you are doing things wrong. Maybe you're not learning as you go along. Maybe you're uploading more of the same that is simply competing with your existing images. Either way, why are you doing it? RPI should be flat or growing, or you're wasting your time.
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When you make a business plan you take into account the most probable outcome, in your case be it 30c. If you get more than that, well that's a bonus. (You should also consider what will happen if you're RPI will drop! will you be able to sustain yourself)....
Your assumption that if you have 10x port size you will make 10x money is wrong. The rule of diminishing returns applies here. In addition in large portfolios there is always self-cannibalization of your own work.r...
First part... yes, make a business plan. Forecast a "probable outcome" over weeks, months, years. This will give you a good target to shoot for. Assume a certain RPI, like 30 cents in this example, and project it out against a set number of daily uploads. Hitting this revenue target should be your goal as time goes on. This is what I did three years ago, and I'm right where I'd projected I would be now. (Some months like April - Aug I lag a bit under the goal line, but in great months like Jan - Mar, I'm riding well over it.)
Second part... if you are doing things right, you can increase your port 10x and make 10x the money. But as you can tell by the majority of responses here, very few can make this happen. The big risk, as many point out, is cannibalizing your own work. You have to constantly cover new subject matter. Plus, if you are perceptive, you will learn pitfalls to avoid -- stylistic techniques that don't sell, subjects that are overcovered or not worth covering -- and this will help you maintain or grow your RPI. People who tell you that maintaining RPI is impossible just haven't figured out how to do it. They close their eyes and ears to those who are doing it and say "na na na, can't hear you! Can't be done!" You need to recognize these folks when you see them, take their words with a grain of salt, and stay on task.
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But as you can tell by the majority of responses here, very few can make this happen.
This sounds about right. It's tough. Expect road blocks, walls and delays. It would be nice to do it perfectly, but it may not come out that way. Especially if you are like me, and like to do things that aren't popular. But, what's the fun in doing it someone else's way when you can do it the wrong way your own way. ;D
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My RPI continued to grow for the first 4 years I was doing this. Only started lagging in year 5 & 6.
While it may be theoretically possible to keep your RPI growing, it isn't very likely. Dilution of the market is a huge problem, and the more successful you are, the more you are likely to feel it. Also a big problem - three of the top four sites have lowered royalties. There is no amount of cleverness, skill, or planning that can prevent that from having an effect on your RPI.
Whenever I see anyone extolling the possibilities of an infinitely growing RPI, it's a dead giveaway that they are either not a high volume or successful contributor, haven't been at it very long, or are just talking out their ass. Or all of the above. ::)
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If you read my message, I was referring to OTHERS and the general trend from many people on this forum. Not myself. Over and over there are messages here about diminishing returns where people find more images, they don't find they have the same sales levels and RPI as when they had less images.
So go poke someone else, some very successful and active here and tell them they are doing things wrong, wasting time and should quit. Thanks!
I don't measure RPI, views, or a bunch of other after the fact irrelevant indicators. I watch the bottom line income and what images of my own, sell. Pretty simple which matches my efforts. ;)
But since someone asked what to expect, I answered what people here have said and others have personally answered what he can expect. Different people, different agencies, different images. There are variations. But very few have ever said on the forums that their RPI went up, with more photos, just counting the number of photos. If someone improves and take better suited or more marketable shots, of course it should go up.
My conclusion from reading the advise and helpful stats of others is, there is not a one to one relationship between the number of images and income. The more you upload, the lower the RPI will be. Also if it matters, someone can delete images that don't sell after a year and their RPI will go up.
Nonsense. That's like saying the more you work, the lower your hourly rate is. If that's happening to you, you'd be crazy not to QUIT.
In my experience, my RPI has gone UP over time, not down. I've been doing this for three years. In my first months, my daily RPI was about 10 cents per image. It's steadily risen, and today stands at 14 cents. I have not deleted ANY images from my port. My goal is not to increase RPI but to increase revenue. Watching my RPI tells me whether I am doing things right, and helps me forecast for the future. Yes, I could delete my worst selling images and RPI would increase, but that would defeat the purpose! If my RPI is gradually increasing, that means I'm creating less images like my worst selling images. You use RPI as a learning and forecasting tool, not bragging rights!
If your RPI is falling, you are doing things wrong. Maybe you're not learning as you go along. Maybe you're uploading more of the same that is simply competing with your existing images. Either way, why are you doing it? RPI should be flat or growing, or you're wasting your time.
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My conclusion from reading the advise and helpful stats of others is, there is not a one to one relationship between the number of images and income. The more you upload, the lower the RPI will be. Also if it matters, someone can delete images that don't sell after a year and their RPI will go up.
Nonsense. That's like saying the more you work, the lower your hourly rate is. If that's happening to you, you'd be crazy not to QUIT.
In my first months, my daily RPI was about 10 cents per image. It's steadily risen, and today stands at 14 cents.
Daily RPI? So you're saying your monthly RPI is over $4?
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Nobody has a RPI over 4$ a day only he have only 10 images online and one or two special shots what do there job as cash cows, and even then it means over 1460$ p.a. with 10 Images. Or over 14.600$ with a hunderet. I don't believe this without any proof.
My best is a RPI of 34$ over 34 month at one agency, and this is really unusual.
My RPI overall is at 13,61 EUR and my RPD is at 1,4$ at the moment (after 34 month in business, was doubled the high at my beginning). And nobody should tell me that this isn't a number for beeing in there since 34 month.
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I've started publishing my income per site and the number of files on each site so you can work out my performance. I have continued to add about 100 files a month over the last year and have almost doubled my income and hope to get $600 this month. Not enough to live on though! I don't take many studio type shots - I find good quality travel and location shots sell pretty well. Isolated bengal cats are good sellers for me as well!
Steve
http://www.backyardsilver.com (http://www.backyardsilver.com)
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Whenever I see anyone extolling the possibilities of an infinitely growing RPI, it's a dead giveaway that they are either not a high volume or successful contributor, haven't been at it very long, or are just talking out their ass. Or all of the above. ::)
RE: Infinite growth... I don't expect my RPI to grow infinitely. Started at 10 cents daily RPI and now at 14.5 cents three years later. I don't expect that will grow at that rate forever, but I've managed to grow it while weathering all the commission cuts that Lisa mentions. Flat is a goal, anything above it is gravy. Will I see the decrease in the coming years? I'm still a nube compared to Lisa, so I'll defer to her experience on that.
Lisa is a contributor I admire and respect. She's hugely successful and clearly knows this industry, so I'll take my licking. I probably deserved it.
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Lisa is a contributor I admire and respect. She's hugely successful and clearly knows this industry, so I'll take my licking. I probably deserved it.
Aww. Thanks very kindly for that. I am afraid I have been pretty cranky lately. Nothing to do with you, BTW. The stuff at Istock has me frazzled.
I hope your RPI does continue to grow, or at least not shrink. I will see what I can do about mine... :)
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but, to have a look back to the start of this thread. I've had a look at the images of viserceralimage at his microsites, at his homepage and read the thread. I'm more shure than at my first post on this thread that my expectations are a good hit.
Some of you gave him hints and very good suggestions, what he denied. He soundet so much disappointed, he should have been helped. But, as always, he don't need help.
He don't need PS, he don't need help, he only asked for affirmation of his hope and expectance.
2/3 of his images need to be improofed by digital work to be sellable at micro, don't talk about macro - what he declienes.
The studio work is solid for personal and individual interests but not to sell at micro or macro.
...as Irving said: you can love someone, but you can't help.
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Some of you gave him hints and very good suggestions, what he denied. He soundet so much disappointed, he should have been helped. But, as always, he don't need help.
Dear Bad, are you speaking about this thread; I believe the only advice I did not encourage was working with someone in India. I am not disappointed, I am completely excited and enjoy my photography career.
He don't need PS, he don't need help, he only asked for affirmation of his hope and expectance.
Actually, I have PS CS5, have been using PS since PS-5 (about 10 editions ago). I have re-read this post and do not see anywhere that I requested affirmation.
Furthermore, I appreciate the critique of the general quality of my images. I went to your profile so I could get an idea of your qualifications (anyone can offer an opinion; some are qualified to offer an critique); guess what, no images linked to your profile, no name, no age, nothing-just hiding behind some screen name.
Nevertheless, you are entitled to your opinion.