Author Topic: I want to expand to one more site, but which one? (Read 8150 times)

Peter · « **on:** January 12, 2008, 03:28 »

Curently, I am selling on Fotolia, which is best source of money for me, I have over 300 sales per month on FT, and it is working great for me. I have over 4000 images online.

My second site which is very good is ShutterStock. It generates 30+% of all income. I have over 1000 images online.

And the third one is DreamsTime, which so slow for me. In 3 months I earned only 70$, with 600 images online. That is a disaster. Total failure. Maybe 1% of my income is in DS. Not good site for me.

_________

Now I want to expand to one more site. But which one? I do not want slow seller like DS, I want something more like fotolia.

I do not like istock, because it has poor uploadong metod, one by one, and limited number of images per week. I have hundreds (thousands!) of images to upload to new site.

I heard stockxpert is too strickt, they decline good images, and sales are not too good either...

So what would you recommend me, and why? Thank you.

null · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2008, 04:16 »

I'm amazed you're not doing well on DreamsTime, since Fotolia is slower in general. You should upload more to DreamsTime, since IMHO, it's the best MS site around for sales-per-picture. They are utterly professional, they have a stable site, and they have a very good strategic view.

The best subscription site of course is ShutterStock, with fast and easy sales of recent images, so it helps your cash-flow. You can leave DT alone for 3 months and keep your income. You can't do that on SS.

A site I would recommend is FeaturePics, which isn't really competitive to DT and SS if you use it properly.

Because:
- You are totally free to set your pricing (don't go below 6$ please)
- You are totally free to set the license type (RF,RM,RF-extended)
- The upload process is just 1-click (or 2 clicks in case of a MRF); there are no categories.
- They let YOU decide what content you upload - it's YOU that decides what is commercial or not.
- They give you a flat 70%.

But only if:
- You are prepared to down your own marketing. That means you will have to have your own website and use FP as a glorified shopping cart.
- If you are not prepared to do that, there won't be many sales on FP, as people here found out.

You can also consider BigStockPhoto which is slow but steady, and gives about 50% of DT for normal sales. I never had an EL on BigStock however, and I had some on DT. So in terms of $, DT makes much more.

leaf · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2008, 05:11 »

well you don't have too many choices. Stockxpert or 123RF, but according to my sales, and obviously other peoples sales, stockxeprt is the way to go. i wouldn't be too afraid of their rejections. They are not really more strict than others, but a few people have been unlucky and voiced their experience. I would give them a try - you may be pleasently surprised.

It looks like the average person earns more on stockxpert than they do on fotolia.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2008, 05:33 »

my 2 cents.... I also do not find StockXpert any more restrictive than IS or SS, yeah, I've had 'good' pix rejected there, but I've also placed pix there that SS & IS rejected... go figure... goes with the biz. I'm happy with my sales there...
I'm a big fan of BigStock too. I won't get rich at BigStock, sales are slower, however sales are steady. BigStock has a relatively easy upload and very low rejection rate (I'm 97%) and I like the folks there. I also find that my old stuff (over a year) still sells on BigStock. For me, a no hassle site. Upload, sit back, cash the check when it comes, no problems.
LO, 123rf, .... at least for me, not too much going on there, been over a year and no cashout.

=tom

fotografer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2008, 05:51 »

DT I think tend to be most peoples 3rd best selling site so I would definitly upload more there and the more downloads an image gets the more you get paid per DL so you can end up earning a good ratio of average earnings per download. I think my average is about 1.4$ per Dl. No other site comes near to that for me.
I would reccomend IS as your next site as they are most peoples first or second best earner but if you are really against that them stockxpert as they seem to get better and better and they are a really nice site to work with. I get about the same amount of rejections there as most other sites. I never upload in large batches which seems to be where most people have problems. Maybe you could take time to get your portfolio up there a bit at a time to aviod the batch rejects that occasionally happen.
Good luck whatever you choose.

digitalfood · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2008, 09:28 »

featurepics, featurepics 70% commission need I say more.

tommroch · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2008, 10:39 »

I have just signed up with featurepics, and have just uploaded a small initial batch, waiting approval. I am expecting a wait before my first sale, though I feel from listening to other contributors on various forums that this is the one we should give support, commitment and a little patience to.

Uploading is simple, with ten at a time via the website. FileTP is available, though I have not applied for that yet. After upload, the submission process seems a little daunting, but this is only because of the licensing choices and pricing options - once we get used to the system it will be second nature and quicker than DT and FOT.

I am still brand new to Featurepics, so can't tell you too much, so I might be wrong in what I say next - you can't see how many downloads images are making. This is info I would find useful as a relative newbie to microstock in general because it gives me an idea of the type of images that sell, the other reason I like to see this info is that it would give me an idea how well the site is making sales on our behalf

I don't think it will do you any harm to add Featurepics to your list of sites, and as I said earlier we microstockers should make an effort to publicise this site, for allowing us to choose the price.

madelaide · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2008, 13:38 »

Got three sales there today. Small size this time (800x600), which is in fact not very usual. I guess they were all purchased by the same person, as they are the same subject (roses).

Regards,
Adelaide

Peter · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2008, 13:54 »

I can not advertise my images (do not have time for that), so featurepics are out of game.

I want some site where I can earn at least 100 USD per month. So far, Fotolia is giving me triple that amount, and SS almost double. DS is so slow for me, I do not know why. Maybe they bill improve.

Maybe I should try ar stockxpert.

I had an account at BigStock, and have about 20 images, for a month, never sell anything. lol. I asked them to close my account, and delete images. Also, I think they do not have Moneybookers payout. MB is my only option for payout, btw.

Also I asked iStock to close my acc (5-6 months ago), I did not like them either. hhhh.

I have opened account at StockXpert, maybe I'll give it a try.

stokfoto · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2008, 14:47 »

StockXpert is a great site and definitely worth while,I'd say you made a good choice.

GeoPappas · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2008, 15:19 »

Quote from: Chode on January 12, 2008, 13:54

I can not advertise my images (do not have time for that), so featurepics are out of game.

IMO, sites that give a 70% royalty should be supported by all artists.

The only way that buyers will go to FP (in mass), is if they have lots of quality images. The only way that FP can achieve a library of 1 or 2 million quality images, is if all of the artists join them.

maunger · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2008, 15:37 »

I've joined FP and uploaded a bunch of images... nothing yet (and don't want to put too much effort into it i'm afraid)

I guess i should really upload more to Fotolia, i get maybe 3-4 sales a month there yet everyone talks like it is going gangbusters... do they put my images on the back of the heap if i don't regularly upload??

andresr · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2008, 15:47 »

Stockxpert without a doubt ........ is my 3rd earner after Fotolia and Shutterstock.

Peter · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2008, 17:09 »

GeoPappas, what is good of 70% if I have 1 sale per month?! If I dont earn at least 100 dollars per month, than it is not worth the time of uploading, keywording and stuff...

leaf · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2008, 17:34 »

Quote from: Chode on January 12, 2008, 17:09

GeoPappas, what is good of 70% if I have 1 sale per month?! If I dont earn at least 100 dollars per month, than it is not worth the time of uploading, keywording and stuff...

my thoughts exactly. Good in theory, but not good in concrete results.

vphoto · « **Reply #15 on:** January 12, 2008, 17:36 »

yes, Chode, what surprises me that many people are excited if they get 1-3 dls per month from a site that they hope will grow fast to make them rich soon.

vphoto

vonkara · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2008, 17:48 »

In my point of view, the market is saturated by new microstock agencies. It's the same as when there's 5 barber shops on the same street. Finally 3 of them close in the same year...

Peter · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2008, 17:51 »

Quote from: vphoto on January 12, 2008, 17:36

yes, Chode, what surprises me that many people are excited if they get 1-3 dls per month from a site that they hope will grow fast to make them rich soon.

vphoto

yes, but If I make 350 dollars on fotolia, and 150 on SS per month, than I do not want to waste my time on some site for 10 dollars a month... it is just not worth it.

Dreamstime is a big dissapointment for me. I expected a lot more. But maybe it will improve.

Also I'll test my luck on SX, so we shall see what it does for me, in 6 months test period.

leaf · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2008, 18:10 »

if you use the mass edit function on stockxpert it is really no work at all to upload there, so it should go pretty quick to get your portfolio online.

vonkara · « **Reply #19 on:** January 12, 2008, 19:30 »

I like Stockxpert and that's a good move for anybody I guess. I was also hoping that Dreamstime will be a good earner, but now I'm very disapointed also. I give them a full year and then it will be more easy to compare...

madelaide · « **Reply #20 on:** January 12, 2008, 19:40 »

I agree that StockXpert is a better choice than FP, and I definitely recommend it.

I must add however that although sales are slower in FP, I make more money there than in 123RF, CS and CanStockPhoto (and CS+CanStockPhoto!). To be fair however, I have just about 70 images in CS, but then the subs sales don't estimulate me to upload more.

Uploading to FP is even easier than to StockXpert (no categories). IPTC data reads well in both sites, so title/description/keywords are filled in smoothly.

Regards,
Adelaide

stock_fan · « **Reply #21 on:** January 12, 2008, 21:29 »

My income ranking is
SS
IS=DT
FL=StockXpert

so StockXpert is worth it.

However, to support FP with their photographer friendly 70% return, I would recommend to upload a "top selection" (eg top 100 pics) to FeaturePics. I have set the price similar to IS pricing. Upload is easy there.

erwinova · « **Reply #22 on:** January 12, 2008, 23:21 »

stock_

I love your signature

"Support FeaturePics. RF Photos For Reasonable Prices And A Fair Share For Photographers.
http://www.featurepics.com/"

High acceptance rate there too, my experience what approved in fotolia also approved at featurpics, if you have 4000 pics at FP I believe you can make 100 USD permonth.
My experience StockXpert is very strickt.
Remember, larger porfolio has more chance to sell..this is the rule of this bussiness.

null · « **Reply #23 on:** January 13, 2008, 00:10 »

Quote from: Chode on January 12, 2008, 17:09

GeoPappas, what is good of 70% if I have 1 sale per month?! If I dont earn at least 100 dollars per month, than it is not worth the time of uploading, keywording and stuff...

Don't tell me you don't have your keywords in your IPTC! Featurepics reads those of course, along with image title/description. You don't waste time uploading: it's just an extra tab in your FTP client. A minute to "cook" your shots on the site: set license type, price, etc... and then just once click to go: no categories.

To Leaf: 3 sales per month is not much, but when you price at 10$, it's still 21$ for no sweat at all. For a poor guy like me, that's still 1/4th of an average month at SS... for no sweat.

The main advantage with FP is that you can use it as a hotlinking host to your portfolio on your own site, thus skimming the long tail of the market of occasional photo buyers, and saving you bandwidth and the hassle of putting up a shopping cart.

If you treat FP just like another MS site (upload, sit back, and wait) and if you price your images just at 2$, then don't do it. For Chode, it's not an option. He is used to 100$/month and more.

null · « **Reply #24 on:** January 13, 2008, 00:17 »

Quote from: Chode link=topic=3319.msg30689#msg30689

Dreamstime is a big dissapointment for me. I expected a lot more.

Dreamstime works in depth. Unlike SS, I never sell recent photos there, only older ones (at least 2-3 months online). Your sales won't plummet on DT when you don't upload for 2 months. DT is a hell of a long-term investment.

If your time is limited, the most rational thing to do is to upload your full portfolio on Dreamstime first, and judge after 6 months. In general and for most people, Dreamstime is better than Fotolia, given the same port size.
You have 4000 on Fotolia and 600 on Dreamstime. The comparison is not fair.

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Author Topic: I want to expand to one more site, but which one? (Read 8150 times)

Peter

null

leaf

a.k.a.-tom

fotografer

digitalfood

tommroch

madelaide

Peter

stokfoto

GeoPappas

maunger

andresr

Peter

leaf

vphoto

vonkara

Peter

leaf

vonkara

madelaide

stock_fan

erwinova

null

null

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