Author Topic: 70% don't reach the first payout (Read 11418 times)

rinderart · « **Reply #25 on:** September 18, 2008, 00:02 »

In my research writing the book "The Beginners Guide to Microstock photography" My Guess is 92% that submit Do fade away and or never receive or even ask for there money.
www.rindersmithphotography.com

Susan S. · « **Reply #26 on:** September 18, 2008, 00:33 »

Quote from: holgs on September 15, 2008, 01:51

Its pretty obvious to most that microstock isn't a way to get rich quickly. On the other hand there are a growing number of contributors who are making regular payouts. On my estimates there would be at least 1500 contributors making it to a monthly payout on the major sites. You have to remember that this isn't from casually uploading a handful of images every now and then, it comes from a regular and systematic approach that starts to resemble normal work.

Must be a lot more than more than that on istock alone, I would have thought - just from the number of silver plus exclusives - if I can make payment every month then most of the other silvers can (and some will do a lot better). It' s pretty easy to get to a stage of making 100-200 dollars a month on istock if you have attention to detail and a few hundred images. I've been doing that for more than two years. Getting more than that is what takes the hard work in my view! To do better than that you need to start doing the full time job thing, rather than the ten files a month or less I average.
On the other hand I image that a lot of decent but not attentive to detail photographers will get bored pretty quickly with nit picking technical rejections (I know a few who started and decided it wasn't for them) - you have to have either a thick skin to ignore the rejections or be naturally anal retentive about what you upload to enjoy the experience (I'm in the latter camp)

Don McGillis · « **Reply #27 on:** September 19, 2008, 07:12 »

I have yet to make a payout.

I was accepted at IS in May 07 but then I didn't upload anything for 11 months.

When I did begin uploading it was at a slowish pace (well under < 15/week) and my current acceptance rate runs at ~55%. I don't see a payout in sight for a long long time and my portfolio has only 37 images (with some that simply aren't all that salable). BUT, I have become a much better stock photographer along the way. I spend about 8 hours a week working on this and it's costing money like crazy. I've also read that a full time (traditional) photographer should not expect to be in a profit position for five years (two years longer that most other small business startups).

I have a day job that I spend 50+ hours a week at. When I factor in the money and time and effort (and thickening skin I'm developing) there's nothing I'd rather be doing with that spare time and money. I do have a plan (a five year plan) and it's working slow and steady despite the first year set back. I sell about one image a week and that's just fine for me now. I've wanted to be a stock photographer for 15 years and as far as I'm concerned, this counts, I'm a photographer; solving the same problems and looking at the same details.

I love every minute behind the camera or in front of Lightroom & Photoshop. I suspect I'm not unique. BTW MSG has some great contributors, really inspiring - Thanks to all of you.

zstoimenov · « **Reply #28 on:** September 19, 2008, 07:19 »

@Don McGillis - Man you are like telling my own story. I have the same issues and plans

I really hope to get my first payout from IS till the end of the year, but my port is not so sellable and big as I wish.

Regards to all in the forum

Pixart · « **Reply #29 on:** September 19, 2008, 09:59 »

It took me a year to earn my first $100 and one month to earn my next. Just keep uploading "stock" photos. Earnings really changed once I was accepted at SS. And Istock is worth every tear of frustration, you can earn more than $100 in a month from just one good photo there, they tend to "catch on fire" (if they don't start on page 15 of most recent). IS is my 2nd earner and they less than 20% of my photos.

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Author Topic: 70% don't reach the first payout (Read 11418 times)

rinderart

Susan S.

Don McGillis

zstoimenov

Pixart

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