Author Topic: I am Looking for New Microstock Site to Join (Read 11653 times)

colecom · « **on:** March 17, 2010, 02:07 »

Hello everyone. I have grown increasingly frustrated with iStockPhoto and I am considering leaving them for someone else.

I have been with iStockPhoto.com for 5 years now and I have been a contributor for the past few years. Recently the interest in some of my stock illustrations has peeked and has me becoming more focused on my Stock "career". The frustration with iStock is that the very images that sell the best for me are the same ones they reject virtually every time. Once I receive the rejection notice, I then have to contest the rejection notice, which usually results in iStockPhoto deciding to accept the image. The problem with this process is that I can submit dozens of images per week, but only contest 3 per month.

Long story short, I am looking for feedback on other Stock sites who may be easier to deal with and still yield good sell-through.
Here is a link to my work: http://www.istockphoto.com/colecom [nofollow]

Thanks for your feedback!

Clivia · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2010, 03:17 »

Have you tried Dreamstime? They accept all my illustrations, and they sell really well. They are my number two earning site at the moment.

Please use my referal link:http://www.dreamstime.com/resp13097-dreamtime

CofkoCof · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2010, 03:29 »

All of the Big 4 sites on the right site are good, even their order seems correct (when comparing with my stats). SS does very well for me and my illustrations, it has a fast uploading process and rarely rejects good images. I highly recommend it.

My referral for shutterstock.

leaf · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2010, 03:36 »

You'll have a hard time finding a site with better returns than iStock, but the 'big 4' sites are all pretty decent earniners. I would sign up with all of them and try them out. Start from the top of the list and work your way down until you feel you have enough sites to keep you busy

sharpshot · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2010, 03:46 »

Shutterstock do better than istock for me because they accept more non vector illustrations and are also more lenient with photos. istock reviews are strange for me, they often reject images that make hundred of dollars on the other sites. Using scout takes a long time and I sometimes don't bother. I like using lots of sites and these have all been worthwhile SS, FT, DT, 123rf, BS, CanStockPhoto, VMP, PM, YAY, Rodeo and recently GL are looking promising.

iclick · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2010, 05:54 »

Great Portfolio Larry

As said above you could not go wrong by signing up to SS, Dreamstime and possibly Fotolia you will see very good returns there with a nice variation of Files preferred so you would be hedging your bets so to speak and imo opening doors to more possibilities and growth

All the best

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2010, 07:44 »

Quote from: colecom on March 17, 2010, 02:07

I have been with iStockPhoto.com for 5 years now and I have been a contributor for the past few years. Recently the interest in some of my stock illustrations has peeked and has me becoming more focused on my Stock "career". The frustration with iStock is that the very images that sell the best for me are the same ones they reject virtually every time.

You've uploaded 5 3d renders since last July. The rest of your 3d is mostly on the same subject. Your flow backgrounds are nice, but mostly the same. If you work a bit harder at iStock, doing a variety of 3d and working harder at your photography and not just vacation photos, it will likely pay off. You'll find the subscription sites require you to really churn out the work, which it doesn't appear is your workflow.

Klauts · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2010, 07:56 »

Quote from: sjlocke on March 17, 2010, 07:44

You'll find the subscription sites require you to really churn out the work, which it doesn't appear is your workflow.

Not necessary true. Take Anja Kaiser for example. She has about 150 vectors and submits 1-2 a month yet, half of the top weekly sellers on SS are hers.
On topic: IMHO, you should join the top 6-7 agencies if you have the time to submit. If you want to stick with just one I think IS is still your best choice.

FD · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2010, 08:14 »

You should certainly upload to Shutterstock. I won't give you my referral link since this is an honest advice. You will enjoy a honeymoon period at Shutterstock up till 6 months after registration. Use that period well, and upload at least 50/100 images per month, not more. Extend your exposure by giving them 20-40 images per week after that. Resist the tempatation to upload your full port at once.

MicrostockExp · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2010, 08:16 »

Please feel free to browse my blog http://microstockexperiment.blogspot.com/ to look at the agencies I submit too. I send only photos though. I think you could do well at Graphic leftovers with your work, easy upload as well
Good luck
L

RacePhoto · « **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2010, 14:38 »

I'm only spamming the thread because you asked, but 3D studio may be interesting to you? They aren't big however they seem to pay a fair percentage well when people do get sales.

http://www.the3dstudio.com/default.aspx?id_affiliate=474369

Edit: I'm on five sites and one of those is Alamy, two of them are not DT or FT!

Four micros of the six that count.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2010, 17:32 »

Funny... I just got done asking Race this question in a private email...LOL
I'm only really active on DT, BigStock, SS & IS, the only 4 where any money is coming in on a regular basis.. StockXpert was sending me checks... but no more... on 3 others but no money to be made for me there.
Been down the road on many many more....some I eventually dropped, others shriveled up and blew away ....
I too am looking for something new, something fresh. Anyone with any ideas, I'm all ears.

=tom

lisafx · « **Reply #12 on:** March 17, 2010, 17:43 »

@ Tom, I am on 7 sites, down from 9 after dropping Crestock and Veer. But the only ones that produce any kind of steady returns are the top 4.

MicrostockExp · « **Reply #13 on:** March 17, 2010, 17:59 »

Tom, Graphicleftovers is quite fresh I think, got few sales already and upload is very easy especially with Isyndica

L

Anita Potter · « **Reply #14 on:** March 17, 2010, 19:29 »

Definitely if you have 3d renders go to http://www.the3dstudio.com also Graphic Leftovers http://www.graphicleftovers.com is good too but email support and ask for an ftp account as contributors have had problems with the html upload system (I found this out the hard way). I'm currently apart of SS, DT, FT, GL, 3d, Cutcaster and deposit photos. I'm part of another one but am going to drop them as they rejected almost half of my portfolio esp the ones that sell well on the other sites.

Good luck with what you decide to go with.

Anita

microstockphoto.co.uk · « **Reply #15 on:** March 18, 2010, 10:17 »

Quote from: colecom on March 17, 2010, 02:07

Hello everyone. I have grown increasingly frustrated with iStockPhoto and I am considering leaving them for someone else.

Unless you're really angry at them for some reason, why not just leaving your pictures there and joining other sites as well?

Exclusivity (whichever site you choose) is hardly profitable in my opinion; the only advantage is less work uploading.

If you stick to the major sites (ss, ft, dt, is), you can earn more with a little additional work.

stockastic · « **Reply #16 on:** March 18, 2010, 11:25 »

You absolutely have to be on several sites or you're wasting your time. Even if exclusivity earned a much higher return, reviews are getting steadily tougher so you can't count on getting enough images accepted at one place.

I just submitted some images to DT, SS, and FT and the results were wildly different. SS rejected half. FT accepted the ones SS rejected, and rejected what SS accepted; DT accepted them all. The images were really not that variable in quality. I used to submit to IS only the ones that DS, SS and FT all accepted; now even that won't work.

And the rejections at all the sites have become stranger: "artifacts" on level 12 JPGs, "too feathered" on images that were never postprocessed, "focus" on tack sharp images, etc. One site sees noise, others don't. And all of the sites are rejecting more for "aesthetic quality", "common subjects", and what they perceive as possible trademark issues.

Here is my suggestion to these microstocks: promise exclusives that their rejection notices would include A CLIP OF THE PROBLEM AREA so they at least have a chance of ultimately getting a high percentage of images accepted.

louoates · « **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2010, 11:58 »

Talk about strange...now ALL of my uploads are being ACCEPTED! I must have gotten suddenly super-good.

I agree that faced with so many off-the-wall rejections and quickly contorting stock sites you'd have to be nutty to go exclusive with any one site. Like selling all your product to Walmart--you're out of business and not even know it.

IMHO our only strength (read: security) is in the number of decent (top 6) outlets.

PowerDroid · « **Reply #18 on:** March 18, 2010, 12:00 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 17, 2010, 17:43

@ Tom, I am on 7 sites, down from 9 after dropping Crestock and Veer. But the only ones that produce any kind of steady returns are the top 4.

+1. Exact same answer.

Kone · « **Reply #19 on:** March 18, 2010, 13:21 »

Quote from: a.k.a.-tom on March 17, 2010, 17:32

Funny... I just got done asking Race this question in a private email...LOL
I'm only really active on DT, BigStock, SS & IS, the only 4 where any money is coming in on a regular basis.. StockXpert was sending me checks... but no more... on 3 others but no money to be made for me there.
Been down the road on many many more....some I eventually dropped, others shriveled up and blew away ....
I too am looking for something new, something fresh. Anyone with any ideas, I'm all ears. =tom

Hi,
After the loss of StockXpert I researched market and picked Canstockphoto. But the only ones that produce steady returns are the top 4 same as for Lisafx.
Good luck with what you decide to go with.

Kone

melastmohican · « **Reply #20 on:** March 18, 2010, 13:35 »

Top4 + 123RF :-)

microstockphoto.co.uk · « **Reply #21 on:** March 18, 2010, 16:10 »

Quote from: Kone on March 18, 2010, 13:21

Hi,
After the loss of StockXpert I researched market and picked Canstockphoto. But the only ones that produce steady returns are the top 4 same as for Lisafx.
Good luck with what you decide to go with.
Kone

the big 4 are in a class in their own;

besides those:

canstock has few sales, but luckily some pictures sell at about $20 (from fotosearch partners);
even 123RF and BS are not too bad - worth a try;
some sales on veer, but I'm a bit disappointed; furthermore, rejections are very random on that site

I'm sorry to say that the other sites I tried are probably a waste of time:
crestock (very few sales), yaymicro (almost no sales), cutcaster (no sales at all), mostphotos (no sales at all)

colecom · « **Reply #22 on:** March 18, 2010, 21:17 »

WOW! Thanks for all the feedback. I do have one other question... I have an exclusive with iStockPhoto.com, but that only applies to images that they have accepted right?? I mean, just because I have an exclusive there doesn't mean I can't submit different images somewhere else does it? Thanks!

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #23 on:** March 18, 2010, 21:35 »

Quote from: colecom on March 18, 2010, 21:17

WOW! Thanks for all the feedback. I do have one other question... I have an exclusive with iStockPhoto.com, but that only applies to images that they have accepted right?? I mean, just because I have an exclusive there doesn't mean I can't submit different images somewhere else does it? Thanks!

You cannot sell royalty free licenses anywhere else while you are exclusive. This applies to rejects and to things never submitted to them.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #24 on:** March 18, 2010, 21:45 »

Quote from: colecom on March 18, 2010, 21:17

WOW! Thanks for all the feedback. I do have one other question... I have an exclusive with iStockPhoto.com, but that only applies to images that they have accepted right?? I mean, just because I have an exclusive there doesn't mean I can't submit different images somewhere else does it? Thanks!

Sort of. Exclusive means you are an exclusive contributor for Royalty Free images and that you only submit RF licensed images to them. You can submit Rights Managed images elsewhere but you need to be careful because there's some loosely worded restrictions. Like for similars as an example.

cidepix · « **Reply #25 on:** March 18, 2010, 22:07 »

Oh now this has become another "Pimp your referral link" thread! Why not just help out for the sake of helping out people?

colecom,

Don't expect to easily replace istockphoto if that's what you want.

It's either exclusivity at istockphoto, or non-exclusivity with at least 10 sites. Both options are pretty much equal moneywise.

I am a non-exclusive and I like it this way.

Thanks to my non-exclusivity, I never worry about this or that agency and their policies and only take it as it is. No other route will make you more money. Feel free to try any other options, but if you want a short cut rather than trying and losing time, then pay special attention to the bold sentence.

Quote from: colecom on March 17, 2010, 02:07

Hello everyone. I have grown increasingly frustrated with iStockPhoto and I am considering leaving them for someone else.

I have been with iStockPhoto.com for 5 years now and I have been a contributor for the past few years. Recently the interest in some of my stock illustrations has peeked and has me becoming more focused on my Stock "career". The frustration with iStock is that the very images that sell the best for me are the same ones they reject virtually every time. Once I receive the rejection notice, I then have to contest the rejection notice, which usually results in iStockPhoto deciding to accept the image. The problem with this process is that I can submit dozens of images per week, but only contest 3 per month.

Long story short, I am looking for feedback on other Stock sites who may be easier to deal with and still yield good sell-through.
Here is a link to my work: http://www.istockphoto.com/colecom

Thanks for your feedback!

colecom · « **Reply #26 on:** March 18, 2010, 22:51 »

OK, it is official.... I am ready to "Open Up My Options"... So here is my question... When I drop my exclusivity contract with iStockPhoto.com, what are the repercussions? (What am I giving up?)

Also, if I drop my exclusivity status with ISP, can I immediately apply to other sites with the same portfolio that I currently offer at ISP?

Thanks so much, this forum has proven to be a real help!

elvinstar · « **Reply #27 on:** March 18, 2010, 23:17 »

I don't know the exact numbers, but you are going to take a commission cut and have less upload slots each week. You certainly can apply with your same portfolio to all other sites. I would not upload them all at once however. It will work out better for you in the long run if you upload batches of twenty or so. Welcome to the rest of the microstock world! Good luck!

Suljo · « **Reply #28 on:** March 18, 2010, 23:19 »

Quote from: colecom on March 17, 2010, 02:07

Hello everyone. I have grown increasingly frustrated with iStockPhoto and I am considering leaving them for someone else.

I have been with iStockPhoto.com for 5 years now and I have been a contributor for the past few years. Recently the interest in some of my stock illustrations has peeked and has me becoming more focused on my Stock "career". The frustration with iStock is that the very images that sell the best for me are the same ones they reject virtually every time. Once I receive the rejection notice, I then have to contest the rejection notice, which usually results in iStockPhoto deciding to accept the image. The problem with this process is that I can submit dozens of images per week, but only contest 3 per month.

Long story short, I am looking for feedback on other Stock sites who may be easier to deal with and still yield good sell-through.
Here is a link to my work: http://www.istockphoto.com/colecom

Thanks for your feedback!

I really dont understand how someone can catch up on exclusive programe on istok in that early stage.
In you place I will break this devil contract with istok and take finally big free breath without any limits.
As other in post above suggest you sign up on first 5 or 6 sites and disperse all rejected works to them, ou account on iStok will be active but I think that you will earn more than now.
You will be loose some minor %revenue as exclusive at iStock but other sites will compensate you much more.

Suljo · « **Reply #29 on:** March 18, 2010, 23:31 »

Quote from: colecom on March 18, 2010, 22:51

OK, it is official.... I am ready to "Open Up My Options"... So here is my question... When I drop my exclusivity contract with iStockPhoto.com, what are the repercussions? (What am I giving up?)

Also, if I drop my exclusivity status with ISP, can I immediately apply to other sites with the same portfolio that I currently offer at ISP?

Thanks so much, this forum has proven to be a real help!

When you drop you exclusive status on IS you are free to spread all you work (included all rejected from IS) to other sites.
So for ShuterStock you need to send there 10 different images.
For DreamsTime you can send 1 or more without any stupid review.
Feel free to join FREE microstock...

FD · « **Reply #30 on:** March 19, 2010, 00:13 »

Quote from: colecom on March 18, 2010, 21:17

WOW! Thanks for all the feedback. I do have one other question... I have an exclusive with iStockPhoto.com, but that only applies to images that they have accepted right?? I mean, just because I have an exclusive there doesn't mean I can't submit different images somewhere else does it? Thanks!

No, you can't. That's the real bad thing about exclusivity, especially if you're an illustrator. You can let your rejected work rot forever on your hard drive, unless you're uploading it RM somewhere.

FD · « **Reply #31 on:** March 19, 2010, 00:16 »

Quote from: elvinstar on March 18, 2010, 23:17

I would not upload them all at once however. It will work out better for you in the long run if you upload batches of twenty or so.

Yes that was my initial advice too, especially for ShutterStock that likes to be fed constantly.

FD · « **Reply #32 on:** March 19, 2010, 00:20 »

Quote from: colecom on March 18, 2010, 22:51

OK, it is official.... I am ready to "Open Up My Options"... So here is my question... When I drop my exclusivity contract with iStockPhoto.com, what are the repercussions? (What am I giving up?)

A less favorable position in the best match, so you will have less sales.
You will suffer a commission cut.
Your upload quota will fall back to 15 per week.

colecom · « **Reply #33 on:** March 19, 2010, 00:47 »

FD, what do you mean "A less favorable position in the best match, so you will have less sales."?

BTW, I did it! I canceled my exclusivity contract. It is a bit scary, but I think it will be better in the long run. It takes 30 days for my contract to be terminated. However, once it is terminated, I plan to submit to Shutterstock and to Dreamtime.

Wish me luck!

Susan S. · « **Reply #34 on:** March 19, 2010, 00:56 »

Quote from: colecom on March 19, 2010, 00:47

FD, what do you mean "A less favorable position in the best match, so you will have less sales."?

BTW, I did it! I canceled my exclusivity contract. It is a bit scary, but I think it will be better in the long run. It takes 30 days for my contract to be terminated. However, once it is terminated, I plan to submit to Shutterstock and to Dreamtime.

Wish me luck!

While istock don't publicise their best match sort it is widely supposed that exclusives get some favoritism in the search - and exclusive larger files are much more highly priced than the same sized files for a non exclusive. And you lose the ability to take part in the Vetta program (while I've only got a couple of Vetta images, you have to love the Vetta large download payments!).

Since the beginning of the year when the exclusive payments went up, I'm averaging well over $3 a download. I'd have to do extraordinarily well elsewhere (especially as I only have a small portfolio and this is only a hobby for me) on other sites to make anything like that with so little effort.

Susan S. · « **Reply #35 on:** March 19, 2010, 01:01 »

Having a quick look at your istock port and the stuff you upload - the 3D stuff is perfectly fine stock, but there are a million people doing similar stuff - you are likely to get images lost in the big subscription sites (as I understand it) unless you increase your productivity dramatically. One of the main reasons I've never gone independent is my slow rate of uploading - it just isn't worth it when already uploaded images on istock keep on paying with so little effort.

colecom · « **Reply #36 on:** March 19, 2010, 01:15 »

I think it is funny that many of you are looking at my portfolio and commenting on my 3D stuff... the 3D illustration work gets approved almost every time at ISP. However, my best performers are my digital backgrounds, and they are rejected every time I submit them at ISP.

In fact, with the exception of one or two, each of my best performers were submitted to ISP, rejected, and then overturned by Scout. This process is a pain in the butt and takes weeks if not months....

My plan is to start putting a LOT of focus on my creation of stock, working on it a few days a week. This will be a combination of Digital Illustration, 3D illustration, and Photography. The problem I am facing now is that each time I really get cranking out the work, the momentum gets stalled by the submission and approval process at ISP.

My suspicions are that much of what ISP has rejected will be picked up by other sites once my Exclusivity contract is terminated. (I hope I am right.)

FD · « **Reply #37 on:** March 19, 2010, 03:21 »

Quote from: Susan S. on March 19, 2010, 00:56

Since the beginning of the year when the exclusive payments went up, I'm averaging well over $3 a download.

I had a quick look for March and on IS I had a RPD of 0.67$ (the same RPD as on SS), and on DT with 1.06$ I'm on my way to a record low. Exceptionally, I had a medium size sale on IS yesterday, and that one made me 1.14$. For March, my revenue on SS is 4 times more than on IS, and I didn't even feed the SS beast in over a month.

If your average RPD is 3$+ on IS, you are totally right to stay there.

sharpshot · « **Reply #38 on:** March 19, 2010, 03:28 »

SS have accepted most of the digital backgrounds I have uploaded, DT used to but have become a bit more picky. FT don't accept as many but they sell quite well at the larger sizes there. The initial 10 images test with SS could be tricky, just don't send them any photos with visible noise or shallow focus, they don't like that.

I would upload everything to SS, not holding anything back. They might put your portfolio in their new artists lightbox and that really boosts sales. It might seem like a good idea to hold images back and upload them over a long period of time but they don't sell on your hard drive and with a relatively small portfolio, you might need as many images as possible to be competitive.

Susan S. · « **Reply #39 on:** March 19, 2010, 04:20 »

Quote from: FD-amateur on March 19, 2010, 03:21

Quote from: Susan S. on March 19, 2010, 00:56
Since the beginning of the year when the exclusive payments went up, I'm averaging well over $3 a download.
I had a quick look for March and on IS I had a RPD of 0.67$ (the same RPD as on SS), and on DT with 1.06$ I'm on my way to a record low. Exceptionally, I had a medium size sale on IS yesterday, and that one made me 1.14$. For March, my revenue on SS is 4 times more than on IS, and I didn't even feed the SS beast in over a month.

If your average RPD is 3$+ on IS, you are totally right to stay there.

You don't need too many 14 credit vector sales (around $6 - which is what most of my vectors sell for) or Large Vetta downloads (up to $17 ) to make up for the XS and smalls (and remember for a silver exclusive even a small pays around $2.00). The higher prices and higher percentages for exclusives makes a huge difference in istock payouts.

The downside is that the number of downloads has gradually been dropping in response to the increased pricing - but my total income has still gradually risen over the last year, despite only having uploaded about 20 images to istock (most in the last two months) in that time.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #40 on:** March 19, 2010, 16:06 »

Quick thanks to those that responded to me... much appreciated.
I suppose I was looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow... alas... in my case as well, the only real producers over time were/are the big four.
However, I may stick my nose into a couple of those suggested (with a small port).... see what happens.. ha ha ha or what doesnt happen..

=tom

crazychristina · « **Reply #41 on:** March 19, 2010, 17:17 »

Quote from: FD-amateur on March 19, 2010, 03:21

Quote from: Susan S. on March 19, 2010, 00:56
Since the beginning of the year when the exclusive payments went up, I'm averaging well over $3 a download.
I had a quick look for March and on IS I had a RPD of 0.67$ (the same RPD as on SS), and on DT with 1.06$ I'm on my way to a record low. Exceptionally, I had a medium size sale on IS yesterday, and that one made me 1.14$. For March, my revenue on SS is 4 times more than on IS, and I didn't even feed the SS beast in over a month.

If your average RPD is 3$+ on IS, you are totally right to stay there.

I'm a bronze exclusive with no Vettas and max size XL and I'm averaging $2/dl at the moment (past few months, not overall).

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Author Topic: I am Looking for New Microstock Site to Join (Read 11653 times)

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