pancakes

MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Searching for a site  (Read 6777 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« on: January 07, 2015, 17:27 »
0
I was browsing trough forums but lost a lot of time today so maybe I better ask...so

A site that would be something like this:

-Not huge previews , decently watermarked

-Decent Upload Process

-Possibility to create few galleries

-Custom Price Setting  and no subs

-Approval: Not some "we have enough of those" or "select only best in series"  rejections


I was searching trough forums and Macrografiks was closest to what I had in mind but unfortunately as they have come to the end as I can see.


Highest payout rate is main priority and the site traffic is not so important 


Any comments are more than welcomed and thanks in advance :D






« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2015, 17:54 »
+1
Mostphotos, for most of those things (except the pricing/subs). 

Pond5. 

GraphicLeftovers.  (although not accepting new images at the moment)

I'm sure there are a few more.

« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2015, 18:31 »
0
Well, MP and GL are surely out, first because subs/pricing and second one because its closed end even if its open 40 images limit turn me off especially if I have few thousands images to upload.

Pond5 is ok and was in my favorites but I'm thinking is there anyone similar offering more than 50%


The thing is that sometimes i have opportunity to promote my work and thats the purpose of this site search

 If I own the image and bring the customer, well than 50% is not a fair share.

The best thing I have for now is that FAA licensing site with 70% or so, but I don't think the content I would sell would mix nice with my artsy stuff for prints there.

If I recall good there was another site offering 70 or even 80% but I don't remember which.


ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2015, 18:54 »
0
The best thing I have for now is that FAA licensing site with 70% or so, but I don't think the content I would sell would mix nice with my artsy stuff for prints there.
I think, but don't know, you'd need to try it out, that you could upload files to FAA, set RF or RM pricing, remove image pricing and presumably (???) it would show up only on pixels.com  where the stock files sell. If that works (and I don't see why it wouldn't, but I've never tried) you can set your own price, which is good if you are pushing buyers there. I'm not sure how many 'random' stock sales they're making - I only read of one here on msg.

I see what you mean about why should the agencies get such a big percentage if you're sending your own buyers there, but also consider that a small percentage of a larger amount is still better for you in fact, if not in principle.

« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2015, 19:00 »
+3
But what is 70% of nothing?   Even 25% commissions with tons of sales trumps 75% with zero sales, all day every day.  Work smarter, not harder.

« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2015, 19:06 »
+1
But what is 70% of nothing?   Even 25% commissions with tons of sales trumps 75% with zero sales, all day every day.  Work smarter, not harder.

What do you mean nothing ?

I would use it for sending my buyers there, Im not counting on their traffic at all, Im counting only on sales I bring there directly.

« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2015, 19:08 »
+5
But what is 70% of nothing?   Even 25% commissions with tons of sales trumps 75% with zero sales, all day every day.  Work smarter, not harder.

What do you mean nothing ?

I would use it for sending my buyers there, Im not counting on their traffic at all, Im counting only on sales I bring there directly.

Host them yourself then.

« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2015, 19:13 »
+4
What Sean said.  ktools photostore, photoshelter, etc... choose a service. 

I thought you were talking about finding a wonder magical dream site with amazing commission levels, who also had amazing sales.  Such a place is difficult to find.  You can find agencies with generous commissions, but usually this is just a tactic to get content.  Later on its jacked back down to piddly peanuts.  All I meant was, that if you find a place to host your work with amazing commissions, there's probably a really good chance your images will just sit and rot... if you're driving the traffic yourself, then just self-host your own photo site. 

« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2015, 19:15 »
0
The best thing I have for now is that FAA licensing site with 70% or so, but I don't think the content I would sell would mix nice with my artsy stuff for prints there.
I think, but don't know, you'd need to try it out, that you could upload files to FAA, set RF or RM pricing, remove image pricing and presumably (???) it would show up only on pixels.com  where the stock files sell. If that works (and I don't see why it wouldn't, but I've never tried) you can set your own price, which is good if you are pushing buyers there. I'm not sure how many 'random' stock sales they're making - I only read of one here on msg.

I see what you mean about why should the agencies get such a big percentage if you're sending your own buyers there, but also consider that a small percentage of a larger amount is still better for you in fact, if not in principle.

Thanks ShadySue

About FAA thing...yes it works I already tried  it BUT...

All images will show in main FAA sit and artist website also, so if you want to sell design elements, textures and stuff like that together with printing portfolio that's already a problem because when someone visits your images site will see a huge mix of everything...

Plus their preview sucks big time, people can grab almost mid sized non watermarked stuff just like that


I agree on second opinion also, but higher % of larger amount is even better, so when I allready may choose where to send somebody who contacts me for a image licence I want to make sure I send him at place which benefits me most.

Thats why I asked here :D



« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2015, 19:18 »
0
But what is 70% of nothing?   Even 25% commissions with tons of sales trumps 75% with zero sales, all day every day.  Work smarter, not harder.

What do you mean nothing ?

I would use it for sending my buyers there, Im not counting on their traffic at all, Im counting only on sales I bring there directly.

Host them yourself then.

Too much of a problem with accounting here, that's why I gave up of my symbiostock site

« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2015, 19:20 »
0
What Sean said.  ktools photostore, photoshelter, etc... choose a service. 

I thought you were talking about finding a wonder magical dream site with amazing commission levels, who also had amazing sales.  Such a place is difficult to find.  You can find agencies with generous commissions, but usually this is just a tactic to get content.  Later on its jacked back down to piddly peanuts.  All I meant was, that if you find a place to host your work with amazing commissions, there's probably a really good chance your images will just sit and rot... if you're driving the traffic yourself, then just self-host your own photo site.

Haha, sorry I have built and ruined  the dream in few minutes... :)

« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2015, 19:34 »
0
I loved clustershot for this "back in the day", but the new buyers let it go to crap/ignored it.  Not even sure it loads anymore.  It had really amazing commissions, and no cost or subsription plan to pay.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/10/stock-photo-site-clustershot-avoids-the-deadpool/

Clustershot sold for $25k.   
« Last Edit: January 07, 2015, 19:37 by ArenaCreative »

« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2015, 19:52 »
+2
If you are bringing your own buyers than someplace like PhotoShelter.com, PhotoBucket.com, or PrintRoom.com might be the ticket.  I've used Printroom and believe you can set very reasonable prices for digital downloads and turn on print sales if you like, or not. However, these are not geared to semi-random people coming buy and finding stock work to buy.

« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2015, 21:59 »
0
SmugMug.com

« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2015, 00:53 »
0
http://ezmediart.com/?aff=7677 is offering 99% at the moment and 70% in general.

« Reply #15 on: January 08, 2015, 03:38 »
+1
http://ezmediart.com/?aff=7677 is offering 99% at the moment and 70% in general.

99% ? They must really need new stuff... Did anyone sell anything here?

« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2015, 03:59 »
0
All the sites hosted with godaddy are too slow.
Whats about your connection speed to ezmediart?
If iam a buyer i wouldnt wait..


« Reply #17 on: January 08, 2015, 04:11 »
+1
http://ezmediart.com/?aff=7677 is offering 99% at the moment and 70% in general.

99% ? They must really need new stuff... Did anyone sell anything here?


0 Sales for me. But according to a newsletter they wanted to start an advertising campaign in December.

And the TO didnt ask for a site that sells, he wants to point his buyers there.

« Reply #18 on: January 08, 2015, 04:12 »
0
All the sites hosted with godaddy are too slow.
Whats about your connection speed to ezmediart?
If iam a buyer i wouldnt wait..

Ive got no problems with connection speed.

Uncle Pete

« Reply #19 on: January 09, 2015, 11:32 »
+1
Someone bought the name for $25K and the site doesn't load, but it's just down while they are "temporarily suspended" - since 2011?  ;D

70% of nothing is always going to be much less than 20% of something.

No matter how many times this question comes up, (and I might add if I found a working 50% site, I'd be all over that and uploading), the places that offer best commissions, 50% - 70% or set your price, have never panned out to producing sales or income. Not for what I shoot. Others might do better?

There are some smaller exceptions, Clipartof is great for illustrators and is closed to new artists. Nice work, and best wishes. There could be other smaller specialty sites, maybe topical or style oriented, for photos. Isn't that what Stocksy does? I'd love to see more of these coming back and getting into the market with limited, high quality collections.

But in general, any Microstock site, entering now, offering 50% commissions, and sales, is just a happy dream. There's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you catch an Elf you don't get their fortune... there's no magic Microstock site that gives good commissions AND has suitable income from volume of sales.

The best parts of Symbiostock, were networking and really well designed SEO. The main problem was, one account signup (if I was a buyer) otherwise the idea is brilliant. People drive business to each other and make links to people who they want to be associated with. Ideally, you shoot flowers? You would link to someone who shoots birds, and another who does food and maybe someone who does something else. Less overlap, more diversity, everyone is partners and little competition between each.

I read Photoshelter the most here. I don't know. I'm not interested in paying to market my images. But maybe that's just me and maybe my work isn't as good, or suitable, for what's needed for that kind of service.

If I went self hosted, with PayPal payments, I'm not sure what the big complications are. Taxes and sales tax and treaty tax? Yeah, that would stop me dead. But I'm in the US and already pay self employment taxes and deal with the state sales tax, so it's not new for me. I can understand just fine, how that would be daunting and troublesome. For me, it's not an issue. For others, just getting in - it could be.

So what's left? I just listed four or five options and for myself, the easiest and the one that makes the most return, for the least effort is Upload to SS and IS and watch the change drop from the sky as I grovel on the pavement for small change.

Self hosting is the answer for anyone who wants 100% and can drive customers to their own site. It will take work, but the rewards are the highest possible, in percentages.

But there isn't a single site, small or new, that pays a fair commission and has good image sales, for general Microstock.

I loved clustershot for this "back in the day", but the new buyers let it go to crap/ignored it.  Not even sure it loads anymore.  It had really amazing commissions, and no cost or subsription plan to pay.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/10/stock-photo-site-clustershot-avoids-the-deadpool/

Clustershot sold for $25k.

« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2015, 15:23 »
0
http://ezmediart.com/?aff=7677 is offering 99% at the moment and 70% in general.

99% ? They must really need new stuff... Did anyone sell anything here?


0 Sales for me. But according to a newsletter they wanted to start an advertising campaign in December.

And the TO didnt ask for a site that sells, he wants to point his buyers there.


It's far after Dec. so I'm asking, if they did start it? I don't see any movement here especially...
Stockbo, Stoctal etc new agencies died before got alive. How about Ez? Is it another one point to delete from the future (possible income source) list?
« Last Edit: March 12, 2015, 15:26 by Ariene »

« Reply #21 on: November 01, 2015, 16:18 »
0
Hmm..., Ariene, I've looked at your portfolio there and I gotta say your prices are way to high, I don't think that someone would pay $85.00 (standard) and $340.00 (extended) for 'Beige canvas textured cloth', for example. I have some pictures there, 21 sales. I'm not very high level photographer, but I believe not much worse than you, and my prices way lower. Just saying, it's not of my business, of course.

« Reply #22 on: November 02, 2015, 02:34 »
0
Hmm..., Ariene, I've looked at your portfolio there and I gotta say your prices are way to high, I don't think that someone would pay $85.00 (standard) and $340.00 (extended) for 'Beige canvas textured cloth', for example. I have some pictures there, 21 sales. I'm not very high level photographer, but I believe not much worse than you, and my prices way lower. Just saying, it's not of my business, of course.

Thank you for your interest and suggestion. For your information I have sales for more than above and I wouldn't set up that high pricing if I new it will not work for my images. In other thread I already said that after taking my images away from micros my income over doubled in first 6 months. I didn't do stats for next period yet, but it looks even better month by month.
To answer all the questions where to sell - there is no answer, just do test all of the agencies and libraries and choose best working for you. All agencies are already included in this forum. Test your ground people and don't complain you must set up only low pricing to have sales... (if you offer high quality of course!)
Btw, I'm not sitting on this forum that often anymore so I won't answer all the questions in all threads.

Sorry for the OT.


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
5 Replies
4879 Views
Last post May 29, 2011, 18:37
by fritz
32 Replies
10365 Views
Last post September 05, 2011, 10:16
by Morphart
0 Replies
2519 Views
Last post January 22, 2014, 01:34
by hairybiker777
8 Replies
3366 Views
Last post March 12, 2014, 18:31
by cg3dphoto
2 Replies
2851 Views
Last post February 19, 2019, 04:28
by Year of the Dog

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors