Author Topic: iStock Something Is Wrong!! (Read 7717 times)

jjneff · « **on:** November 13, 2012, 15:05 »

O.K. I know there was a holiday in both Canada and the USA on Monday. That being said I have never gone 4 days without a sale since 2006 no matter the holidays. I do this full-time and have a family to feed. Please tell me it will pass, I am actually scared.

asiseeit · « **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:12 »

it will pass... I think. I was under the impression that video was doing better than photos though, so who knows?

jjneff · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:16 »

Ahh thanks, Oct. was a good month for me but this is really strange

cidepix · « **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:20 »

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 15:16

Ahh thanks, Oct. was a good month for me but this is really strange

are you an exclusive?

Freedom · « **Reply #4 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:20 »

Sales are slow, no doubt, but I have had sales in the last 4 days. The past October was really bad for me though.

nicku · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:22 »

Quote from: cidepix on November 13, 2012, 15:20

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 15:16
Ahh thanks, Oct. was a good month for me but this is really strange

are you an exclusive?

Sorry to tell you... but as as a full time photographer EXCLUSIVE on IS is a very, very risky job this days. Hope your earnings will catch up this month; judging the last two years changing on IS ( sales, commissions, management) nothing good is on the horizon regarding this agency.

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:23 »

Sales are absolutely appalling today.

I don't how they've managed to drive so many full time exclusive artists into the ground, but they're intent on screwing us it seems.

JPSDK · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:24 »

Sales are better than usual for me. I think we are being (re)-cycled.

jjneff · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:25 »

I am exclusive, just someone saying it will pass is a help. If this trend continues I will have to drop my exclusivity! My port is linked below so you can see if my concern is legit or not.

www.istockphoto.com/jjneff

Amanda_K · « **Reply #9 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:28 »

Wow...if you can go four days without sales on a portfolio like that it's more than a bit scary. You have so many files I can see why dropping the crown would be a lot of work. I'm sure its something to do with search tweaks so hopefully it will come back around with the next adjustment! That was the scariest part of being exclusive for me.

Freedom · « **Reply #10 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:38 »

I see most of your files are videos. You have less than 500 photos. When I said I had sales in the last 4 days, I meant photos.

Today is extremely slow, but sometimes the sales got reported late in the day, if it could be a small comfort to you.

cidepix · « **Reply #11 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:39 »

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 15:25

I am exclusive, just someone saying it will pass is a help. If this trend continues I will have to drop my exclusivity! My port is linked below so you can see if my concern is legit or not.

www.istockphoto.com/jjneff

the idea of exclusivity is scary enough for me.. hopefully it's a temporary slowdown for you..

JPSDK · « **Reply #12 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:49 »

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 15:25

I am exclusive, just someone saying it will pass is a help. If this trend continues I will have to drop my exclusivity! My port is linked below so you can see if my concern is legit or not.

www.istockphoto.com/jjneff

Your consern is very legit.
Thats a port that should sustain a living.
Im impressed.

If I were you i would begin to read about legal entities.
Evt PM me.

lisafx · « **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2012, 15:57 »

I agree with others that your portfolio quality and subject matter should be selling well daily. Very scary indeed that it isn't!

You mentioned you are exclusive to IS. I understand how difficult it would be to upload all those videos to other sites. Have you considered going independent, just for photos? You could upload your existing photos and maybe devote a bit of time to building photo ports on the other sites. It might be a way to weather these sorts of stoppages at IS and try out independence without losing the bulk of your IS income... Just a thought.

cobalt · « **Reply #14 on:** November 13, 2012, 16:21 »

Well acoording to Alexa, istock traffic is just going down:

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/istockphoto.com#

And compared to shutter stock:

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/shutterstock.com#

If you combine both graphs you see that the istock downward trend is unbroken. Obviously all the recent problems don´t help to attract customers.

Freedom · « **Reply #15 on:** November 13, 2012, 16:22 »

By the way, I just clicked on a couple of ports of my friends. The ports showed 0 images. Maybe today IS is tweaking the site again.

Oops, one of the ports is showing now, but it took a while.

aspp · « **Reply #16 on:** November 13, 2012, 16:42 »

Quote from: Freedom on November 13, 2012, 16:22

By the way, I just clicked on a couple of ports of my friends. The ports showed 0 images. Maybe today IS is tweaking the site again.

Oops, one of the ports is showing now, but it took a while.

For me the site was loading very slowly today and with lots of timeouts and blanks. Was the same some days last week from various computers and locations. Even when it sort of works it is one of the slowest web sites I still visit.

hatman12 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 13, 2012, 17:14 »

The search function is broken. It's been broken since they made the site changes on Sept 4th. Lots of searches show page after page after page of files with zero downloads. Many best sellers have disappeared.

This problem is particularly noticeable in a search with more than one keyword. Try searching for Beach then adding Copyspace and see what results you get. Or try Ribbon + Gold.

Also, the keyword priority system is broken.

The entire system seems to have become corrupted when they implemented the site changes on Sept 4th.

These broken search results explain why so many people with popular files have experienced a sudden reduction in sales from Sept 4th, and why some contributors with lots of zero selling files have reported a healthy increase in sales.

The problems have been reported ad infinitum in the bugs and index threads, but istock seems unwilling or unable to do anything about it. They must be experienced disapppointing overall sales because many of the search results are nonsense. Buyers aren't stupid. But still they let the matter roll on and on.

The overall IT function at istock seems to be deteriorating. Very likely that they were starved of cash by H&F and are trying to run the ship with a server and database system held together by band aids and pieces of string.

Lots of criticism of the IT team, with daily crashes and server malfunctions, but it might be that they are simply struggling to hold the thing together and don't have any spare time to fix any of the database and structural problems.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #18 on:** November 13, 2012, 17:29 »

It's possible they think it's working as they intended it to - a case of we see a bug and they see a feature. Not arguing that it's good, but possibly that it's intentional.

Looking at a series of mine where some rather odd things happen on a best match search if you add a term to refine the search, it appears that the ranking of the newly added term in the keywords of the image affect placement. So, for one of your popular sand images with flip flops, copy space is lower down in the rankings for that image, so that probably accounts for positioning.

I would argue that if I'm refining something - in other words I got into the right ballpark with beach - I might not get the best results if the additional terms are ordered by overall ranking. But I think that's what they've done

jjneff · « **Reply #19 on:** November 13, 2012, 17:30 »

As you can see I would prefer to stay exclusive just because of the work involved. I am taking steps towards being independent in video but I am going to give it six months. Thanks for the kind words on my port!!! I have a lot less talent then a lot of you! I love shooting stock and even with the down trends I wouldn't trade it. The past 2.5 years have been amazing and I hope for many more. ShutterStock pays less for video files but I really love what they are doing with their site and advertising. I make a fulltime living on iStuck so if I drop exclusivity I can count on 70-80% income loss out the door. Pretty scary when you have a wife and two kids to feed!

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #20 on:** November 13, 2012, 17:47 »

Quote from: hatman12 on November 13, 2012, 17:14

<snip>
Lots of criticism of the IT team, with daily crashes and server malfunctions, but it might be that they are simply struggling to hold the thing together and don't have any spare time to fix any of the database and structural problems.

I still think they're trying to band-aid it and keep it running until they can finish working on how to adsorb it into Getty Images. Priority #1 is keep it running until the absorption plan and technology are done. Everything else isn't a priority.

I think we'll see another big announcement in 2013. Either IS will have a different backend technology, possibly the Gettyimages.com system, or IS becomes collections with GI.

Freedom · « **Reply #21 on:** November 13, 2012, 17:50 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on November 13, 2012, 17:47

Quote from: hatman12 on November 13, 2012, 17:14
<snip>
Lots of criticism of the IT team, with daily crashes and server malfunctions, but it might be that they are simply struggling to hold the thing together and don't have any spare time to fix any of the database and structural problems.

I still think they're trying to band-aid it and keep it running until they can finish working on how to adsorb it into Getty Images. Priority #1 is keep it running until the absorption plan and technology are done. Everything else isn't a priority.

I think we'll see another big announcement in 2013. Either IS will have a different backend technology, possibly the Gettyimages.com system, or IS becomes collections with GI.

I would agree there might be some truth in it.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #22 on:** November 13, 2012, 17:52 »

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 15:25

I am exclusive, just someone saying it will pass is a help. If this trend continues I will have to drop my exclusivity! My port is linked below so you can see if my concern is legit or not.
www.istockphoto.com/jjneff

One concern I'd have is your port seems to be heavy on video. Has video really caught enough momentum to produce high and stable income?

jjneff · « **Reply #23 on:** November 13, 2012, 18:02 »

Video is a very stable income

gostwyck · « **Reply #24 on:** November 13, 2012, 18:25 »

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 18:02

Video is a very stable income

Not that stable according to your opening post. Mind you, I suppose zero sales for 4 days does represent 'stability' of a kind. At least you're unlikely to go any lower than that __ and that must be of some comfort anyway.

cathyslife · « **Reply #25 on:** November 13, 2012, 18:25 »

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 18:02

Video is a very stable income

But you said you went 4 days without a sale. That doesn't sound too stable.

edit: gostwyck beat me to it.

ShadySue · « **Reply #26 on:** November 13, 2012, 18:48 »

Quote from: gostwyck on November 13, 2012, 18:25

Quote from: jjneff on November 13, 2012, 18:02
Video is a very stable income

Not that stable according to your opening post. Mind you, I suppose zero sales for 4 days does represent 'stability' of a kind. At least you're unlikely to go any lower than that __ and that must be of some comfort anyway.

<whispers>Refunds.

hatman12 · « **Reply #27 on:** November 13, 2012, 19:06 »

The other thing that's noticeable (and might relate to jjneff's predicament) is that sales drop sharply whenever an additional process has to be run. This happens to me and many others (and has also been reported in the relevant threads). Many people have commented on the volatility of sales, things chugging along for two or three days, then Wham a sudden down day of 30% or more. These 'bad days' seem to coincide with the index runs or other additional activities. For instance my own sales are always noticeably lower whenever they are running the PP payments.

This suggests that either the servers are configured incorrectly, or there simply isn't enough power in the system for it to cope with an additional process. So some of the servers or other functions have to be cut. Hence the drop in sales reported by many people. Reminds me of my old desktop computer which would occasionally pop up a message 'your system is running low on memory, please close some programs'.

My own sales drop whenever they run the index. And sales have been slow these last three days while the PP payments have been credited.

No surprise to find that jjneff's sales have dropped off a cliff exactly when they've been running the PP payments for the same three or four day period.

So: either the back end systems are inefficient, configured incorrectly, or the systems department has been so starved of cash that there isn't enough capacity to run everything at the same time.

Stacey336 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 13, 2012, 19:18 »

I sent a note to contributor relations about my frustration with the sudden drop in sales that started sometime in september october. The first response was a copy and paste explanation of best match. I sent a sort of rude follow up and received a snotty portfolio critique. Something has definitely changed. I wish it were easy to delete a portfolio and move it to another agency or agencies. Maybe next year.

Freedom · « **Reply #29 on:** November 13, 2012, 19:36 »

While I am not happy about the sales in November, keep in mind that a significant portion of E+ files have been moved to Getty. We may see some higher priced Getty sales either the end of November or later. Who knows.

mattdixon · « **Reply #30 on:** November 13, 2012, 19:54 »

Something is definitely wrong, I've been watching the sales drop over the last 2 months with an open mouth, November looks to decline further still. Can't quite believe what I'm seeing, I'm beginning to wonder if iStock will actually still be here next year.

jjneff · « **Reply #31 on:** November 13, 2012, 19:55 »

Stable as in the year which I am happy about! It's just I am seeing strange trends and have concern with iStock staying viable in the future. They pay the highest for video than all the others so staying is great if buyers keep coming! I am up about 25% over last year which is good.

ShadySue · « **Reply #32 on:** November 13, 2012, 20:02 »

Quote from: Freedom on November 13, 2012, 19:36

While I am not happy about the sales in November, keep in mind that a significant portion of E+ files have been moved to Getty. We may see some higher priced Getty sales either the end of November or later. Who knows.

Maybe 'a significant portion' of your E+s. Not mine nor some others I know. I did notice that others in the Exclusive forum said most of theirs were through. Not even a quarter of mine are transferred.
That's not the point anyway. Surely the idea is that any Getty sales should be over and above what we are earning at iStock, not replacing lost sales.
Getty sales can be ridiculously small. I've had one netting me $1.19, and I've seen lower. I can't even work out how that can happen. And whatever, they are only at 20% to us.

scottdunlap · « **Reply #33 on:** November 13, 2012, 20:30 »

I'm seeing a big drop also. Sept, Oct and Nov are way down. This month I am on track to make 1/2 of what I did last November (!)

I've seen ups and downs over the last 5 years, but not like this. Luckily I've socked away money knowing this might happen. I'm not going to stress with the holidays coming up, but will wait to see if there's the usual rebound early next year. If not, I will consider dropping exclusivity.

stocker2011 · « **Reply #34 on:** November 14, 2012, 07:15 »

I am also feeling the hurt this week with sales at istock. What gets me is their attitude with 'well, our financials are in line with our expectations'. But I always think to myself that if exclusives are complaining then there is definitely something terribly wrong at istock.

My advice would be if you are going to drop exclusivity next year now is the time to start planning. eg. which sites you plan on submitting to, upload processes, is it possible to start uploading now, what prices will you set your files at etc. If i were you i would also have a bit of buffer money in the bank to help ease the change over.

nicku · « **Reply #35 on:** November 14, 2012, 07:17 »

Quote from: stocker2011 on November 14, 2012, 07:15

I am also feeling the hurt this week with sales at istock. What gets me is their attitude with 'well, our financials are in line with our expectations'. But I always think to myself that if exclusives are complaining then there is definitely something terribly wrong at istock.

Good morning ....

thesentinel · « **Reply #36 on:** November 14, 2012, 07:29 »

Quote from: Freedom on November 13, 2012, 19:36

While I am not happy about the sales in November, keep in mind that a significant portion of E+ files have been moved to Getty. We may see some higher priced Getty sales either the end of November or later. Who knows.

3% of mine so far, so insignificant would be the word for me.

KB · « **Reply #37 on:** November 14, 2012, 10:31 »

Since the OP was about video sales, I thought I'd add my iStock experience this month.

I've had a total of ZERO video sales so far this month on iStock.

The longest I had to wait anytime this year for a sale before this month was in September, when I didn't get my first sale until the 4th of the month.

My port is nowhere near the size or quality of the OP's, but this seems highly unusual.

lisafx · « **Reply #38 on:** November 14, 2012, 11:54 »

Quote from: stocker2011 on November 14, 2012, 07:15

My advice would be if you are going to drop exclusivity next year now is the time to start planning. eg. which sites you plan on submitting to, upload processes, is it possible to start uploading now, what prices will you set your files at etc. If i were you i would also have a bit of buffer money in the bank to help ease the change over.

Most importantly, start (re)keywording your images in the IPTC with an eye toward how keywording works on other sites. For example you will need synonyms and plurals added, which isn't necessary with the Istock CV.

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #39 on:** November 14, 2012, 12:28 »

Do other libraries tend to have a 50 keyword limit as well?

lisafx · « **Reply #40 on:** November 14, 2012, 13:03 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on November 14, 2012, 12:28

Do other libraries tend to have a 50 keyword limit as well?

Some do. I'll be honest, I don't go over 50 on them because that's enough, and I don't want the hassle of removing them from the sites that limit it to 50.

Crestock now limits to 35, but it isn't really an issue because sales there are nearly non-existent.

Sadstock · « **Reply #41 on:** November 14, 2012, 13:04 »

50 is a pretty good rule of thumb as an upper limit. Note that a number of sites limit the length of titles so I try not to go over 40 characters.

jjneff · « **Reply #42 on:** November 14, 2012, 13:38 »

Back in the day I was a non-exclusive with SS and others. I know if I am dropping I can upload my port and keep it non active. I have a plan B and have had one for three years. You can bank on everything changing. The value I have is my work, there is always a need for good work :-) so we all should be in business for a while.

scottdunlap · « **Reply #43 on:** November 14, 2012, 14:32 »

Quote from: lisafx on November 14, 2012, 11:54

Quote from: stocker2011 on November 14, 2012, 07:15

My advice would be if you are going to drop exclusivity next year now is the time to start planning. eg. which sites you plan on submitting to, upload processes, is it possible to start uploading now, what prices will you set your files at etc. If i were you i would also have a bit of buffer money in the bank to help ease the change over.

Most importantly, start (re)keywording your images in the IPTC with an eye toward how keywording works on other sites. For example you will need synonyms and plurals added, which isn't necessary with the Istock CV.

Good suggestions. Luckily I only have 400 files, so it shouldn't be too painful. I'll probably poke around other sites, but I'm going to give it some time. For the last 5 years, this one included, iStock has been surprisingly consistent for me. My yearly totals don't fluctuate more than 10% or so. It's what happens in-between that's maddening! And I know that happens, but like I said, this one is bigger than usual. Fingers crossed it rebounds shortly.

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Author Topic: iStock Something Is Wrong!! (Read 7717 times)

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