Author Topic: If you were me and had to chose one other stock agency... (Read 5273 times)

Roger Mitsom · « **on:** July 16, 2020, 21:31 »

I just started with this a few months ago. Bad timing I know. Im with AS, SS, IS, and Alamy.

I've had a number of sales. I get about $25/ month from everyone but Alamy. Alamy zero. (What's the deal with getting a sale on there?)

I'm thinking I need to upload all this content to another site since after high hopes starting out with Alamy not even ONE sale.

I know everyone has issues with SS now and rightfully so. So I'm just kinda keeping what I had there for now despite the slap in the face of a $.10 sale.

If you were to pick one more site, which would it be? I'm only wanting to upload stills. I don't want to manage more than 4 sites.

Mimi the Cat · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2020, 02:40 »

I wouldn't bother the rest are crap

spc · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2020, 03:15 »

I left IS a few years ago so I can't tell exactly but from what I've heard they aren't doing better than ss. So why stop uploading to ss and continue with IS? is your RPD there actually better?

Sorry, I can't recommend any other agency. I have portfolios on a few other sites because they brought decent earnings in the past but I wouldn't bother uploading now. Sales have dropped a lot and it's not worth the effort.

ShadySue · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2020, 07:01 »

Quote from: Roger Mitsom on July 16, 2020, 21:31

I just started with this a few months ago. Bad timing I know. Im with AS, SS, IS, and Alamy.
I've had a number of sales. I get about $25/ month from everyone but Alamy. Alamy zero. (What's the deal with getting a sale on there?)

Alamy doesn't really sell the sort of traditional micro images which sell at the micros. They are much more focussed on editorial.
Also, buyers can report three months or more after the actual 'sale', (and the same again before paying), so there can be a long lag.
I was on Alamy about eight months and had over 800 images there before I had my first recorded sale there.
Unless you are accepted for Live News and work at that full time, it would be very difficult to make a living there as a sole 'tog. I know personally two Live News togs there who are at least 'surviving' on their Live News earnings, for now.

icemanj · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2020, 07:40 »

I would choose Dreamstime next. They're still pretty decent for me.

Roscoe · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2020, 07:46 »

There is not really an alternative to the big three, I'm afraid.

Sales at BS, DT, DP, 123RF and P5 (images) are very slow, and for some it might take you months, depending on you profile, to reach payout.

If you consider adding an additional one, I'd play it via Wirestock, and use them to submit your images to the minions.
Saves you the hassle of managing several accounts and you'll get paid way faster.

marthamarks · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2020, 08:09 »

Quote from: icemanj on July 17, 2020, 07:40

I would choose Dreamstime next. They're still pretty decent for me.

Same here, and recently both the number of sales and the royalties paid for them have been going up.

If DT keeps improving and doesn't roll back its 10% raise, it could become a much bigger player going forward.

qunamax · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2020, 09:11 »

Also I find Dreamstime submitting process rather fast, categories auto populate and are rather accurate and interface is generally responsive.

pics2 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2020, 09:16 »

If you have just started, and as you can see from the previous comments, there are not any more good earners except Adobe, I would suggest Istock exclusivity. Adobe and exSS were in line with Istock exclusivity, and now, I think Istock exclusivity is better option. For a newbie especially, since you don't have a big portfolio yet that you have to remove from all the agencies prior becoming exclusive. For an old contributors with a large portfolio it is almost not an option, since you are left without your monthly earnings overnight.

Asthebelltolls · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2020, 10:12 »

I would also dismiss Depositphoto. Their payout is decent at $50 unlike Dreamstime at $100. Something to consider if you're just starting out but you rarely get anything more than their standard $0.31us. My last 30 sales ranging from "small" to "extra large" and "subscription" to "on demand" are the standard $0.31us. They pocket the profit but they don't reward the supplier.

Chichikov · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2020, 10:58 »

McDonald's

cascoly · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2020, 14:21 »

DT & 123 - neither is great, but submission at both is easy

medveh · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2020, 14:50 »

123RF or Dreamstime

Roger Mitsom · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2020, 18:43 »

Thanks all. When I initially started Dreamstime was part of the mix. I uploaded just a handful of images and then based on reviews here thought I'd narrow my 5 agencies down to four. Sounds like the tides with Dreamstime may have changed and I should reconsider.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2020, 21:52 »

Quote from: Bad Robot on July 17, 2020, 02:40

I wouldn't bother the rest are crap

Thinking about how this has changed, I mean the drop from SS, I see that all of them are more the same. Of the best, there is no longer anyplace that stands out. I don't mean this in a mean way, but most of them are just another agency.

Quote from: Roger Mitsom on July 16, 2020, 21:31

If you were to pick one more site, which would it be? I'm only wanting to upload stills. I don't want to manage more than 4 sites.

Pick the one that you like, for what you do. That's the answer to the other agency. Match what you make or match something you like about them.

Looking for magic is over, they are all just another agency

cascoly · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2020, 19:17 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on July 18, 2020, 21:52

Quote from: Roger Mitsom on July 16, 2020, 21:31

If you were to pick one more site, which would it be? I'm only wanting to upload stills. I don't want to manage more than 4 sites.

Pick the one that you like, for what you do. That's the answer to the other agency. Match what you make or match something you like about them....

right, that's why it's important to use multiple sites - you never know which will work best for your portfolio.

and it's easy to choose multiple agencies that take little time to manage - easy submission is the key

ravens · « **Reply #16 on:** July 21, 2020, 04:45 »

OP, drop SS altogether. Don't compete against yourself.
My pick for the new site would be Dreamstime also. (Seen a good amount of sales recently even for older content.)
Alamy is best for news and editorial, give it time.

spc · « **Reply #17 on:** July 22, 2020, 05:16 »

Quote from: ravens on July 21, 2020, 04:45

OP, drop SS altogether. Don't compete against yourself.

I already asked on this thread but got no response. Is IS (non exclusive) better than SS for you? I can't compare them myself since I don't currently have an IS account. I have seen a lot of people complain about low comissions on IS but lately everyone seems to only have a problem with SS.

ShadySue · « **Reply #18 on:** July 22, 2020, 05:58 »

Quote from: spc on July 22, 2020, 05:16

Quote from: ravens on July 21, 2020, 04:45
OP, drop SS altogether. Don't compete against yourself.

I already asked on this thread but got no response. Is IS (non exclusive) better than SS for you? I can't compare them myself since I don't currently have an IS account. I have seen a lot of people complain about low comissions on IS but lately everyone seems to only have a problem with SS.

It's because people liked iS, then we were shafted.
Then the general feeling was that SS was wonderful, even though they were determined to hold prices down when iS was trying to raise them. Then SS shafted its contributors too, so that's the current heavy grievance.

50% · « **Reply #19 on:** July 22, 2020, 07:52 »

Quote from: ShadySue on July 22, 2020, 05:58

even though they were determined to hold prices down when iS was trying to raise them.

very true many people forgot about that

Roscoe · « **Reply #20 on:** July 22, 2020, 08:16 »

Quote from: spc on July 22, 2020, 05:16

I already asked on this thread but got no response. Is IS (non exclusive) better than SS for you? I can't compare them myself since I don't currently have an IS account. I have seen a lot of people complain about low comissions on IS but lately everyone seems to only have a problem with SS.

Hard to say nowadays. Both are race to the bottom agencies and the criticism on both agencies is very valid from my point of view. IS has horrible 2$c and tiny connect commissions which are compensated with 1$+ and even higher commissions. SS is mainly driven by subs, and higher commissions are more of an exception than they are at IS. Both agencies will offer you the most downloads though. Before the change of earnings structure at SS, my RPD was slightly higher there than it was at IS, which was my second best earning agency. I don't have enough data to compare, because my portfolio was disabled at SS, but needlessly to say that RPD and earnings at SS took a deep dive, making IS my best earning agency now, before AS (where I don't have editorial, important side-note) and then SS.

ravens · « **Reply #21 on:** July 22, 2020, 11:59 »

Quote from: spc on July 22, 2020, 05:16

Quote from: ravens on July 21, 2020, 04:45
OP, drop SS altogether. Don't compete against yourself.

I already asked on this thread but got no response. Is IS (non exclusive) better than SS for you? I can't compare them myself since I don't currently have an IS account. I have seen a lot of people complain about low comissions on IS but lately everyone seems to only have a problem with SS.

spc, I'm no longer in either race to the bottom agency. Can't recommend them to anyone, either! Of the micro only Adobe and Dreamstime matter to me, plus Alamy.

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Author Topic: If you were me and had to chose one other stock agency... (Read 5273 times)

Roger Mitsom

Mimi the Cat

spc

ShadySue

icemanj

Roscoe

marthamarks

qunamax

pics2

Asthebelltolls

Chichikov

cascoly

medveh

Roger Mitsom

Uncle Pete

cascoly

ravens

spc

ShadySue

50%

Roscoe

ravens

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