This post is a post I just finished writing on my microstock blog.  It's a TON of info and since few people currently read the blog, I thought I'd share it here as well.  I hope it's of interest!

Method: I uploaded the same 28 images to all of my sites.  I timed the FTP (all were the same), the "processing" time on sites that have such a thing, and the actual time it took me with my current knowledge of each system to get through and submit them all for review.
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The first thing I learned after timing the FTP upload is that all sites were the same - they can accept our images as fast as we can push them.  So about 21 mins for 28 images all around seemed to be almost dead-on for every agency.

123RF
Processing time on site: 3 mins.
Categories & Submission: 2 mins.
Total: 5 mins for submission and 26 minutes for 28 images, start to finish.  Because there are no categories and I used IPTC data, there was really nothing to it.  Adding the two model releases were very simple and would be simple even if I had all 28 images as MR.

BigStockPhoto
Total: �File uploading has been temporarity disabled to allow us to reduce the number of files waiting review in the Approval Queue.�  Unfortunately due to a technical issue and backlog of files, BigStock was not available to do this test.  They are normally very quick and I am interested when they come back up to finish this.

CanstockPhoto
Processing time on site: 12 mins.
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 16 mins. While it took 16 minutes to process these images, I thought about my affiliation with Canstock.  As anyone who�s read this blog knows, I�m not fond of this site anymore.  I like Duncan.  I think he�s a nice guy.  16 minutes to process is 3 times as long as 123RF took and I make about 1/8th the money on the same images.   This is officially my last upload to Canstock until I have minions uploading for me.

Crestock
Processing time on site: 11 mins.
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 15 mins.  The processing time was long at Crestock and I know my approval rate is going to be low compared to other sites.  The process was EASY however and 4 mins to submit is fairly quick.  I don�t mind the upload process here so if I can get fewer rejections and more sales, I�ll be entirely happy with 15 mins per 28 images or roughly 120 per hour.

Dreamstime
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 12 mins.
Total: 12 mins. Dreamstime was a fairly quick submission process to me.  I dislike categorizing, especially on multiple sites because you need to learn what they each consider categories and there�s no way to embed categories.  Otherwise it�s not bad.  Considering how much income I�ll get from these 28 images compared to something like 123RF, spending 2.5x the time is worth it.  My income on Dreamstime this month is going to be roughly 20x my 123RF income.  So 3x the work is more than adequate although I�d love this to be a 3 minute upload of course.

FeaturePics
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 4 mins. If my current earnings weren�t $0.00, I�d say wow!  Right now I�ll say it�s simple.  It takes me 5 mins per 30 images to submit including a couple with MRs and all the smoke missing its IPTC data etc.  This is a site that 50 of a single theme could easily be submitted in 10 mins or less.  That�s extremely quick and I�m happy with FP so far this way.

Fotolia
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 9 mins.
Total: 9 mins.  Given my batch of recent rejections, I was actually hoping Fotolia would be a touch quicker.  I also HATE that I can�t figure out how to attach a model release if I forget it during submission.  That basically means I have a rejected photo and I have to reupload it.  It�s SOO infuriating when you WATCH yourself make a mistake and have no way to instantly fix it.  Other than that, doing batches at Fotolia is fast.  Doing a bunch of random stuff is MUCH more time consuming.  I did smoke and textures and then a few random ones - the smoke & textures flew in no time.  The random stuff took most of that 9 mins.

FotoMind
Processing time on site: 1 minute!
Categories & Submission: 7 mins.
Total: 8 mins.  FotoMind�s total is superquick especially when you consider two things: 1) they are getting new servers next week which should make the site move even quicker.  2) I messed up somehow.  My IPTC data was not on title for many of these images and I kept making a mistake of not removing the & keyword here so I had to resubmit the images some times 2-3 times.  I probably could have done the entire submission in 6 total minutes so that is very close to my 123RF time, which is fastest so far.   I�m very happy with the FotoMind upload procedure.  I also read something about we can categorize after acceptance?  I�m not sure how this works but if true, once FotoMind rejects more images, you could save SO MUCH TIME by categorizing only those that were accepted.  I�m amazed that other sites don�t let you do this.  (Chris if you want to comment, I know you�re going to read this - let me know what I�m meaning here�I know there�s something like this.)

Istock
Start to finish on Image Manager: 29 mins.
Total: 29 mins.  Ok, I�m going to share some honesty here.  I�m happy with 29 minutes for IStock.  I honestly would have guessed it taking at least 45 if not 60.  AND I think I can get faster.  I�m not used to using their system so I�m guessing 28 images could be done in 20 mins.  Given that I make a lot of income with them, I am actually going back on my word here and resuming Istock uploads effective today.  I will get myself a nice long queue going to submit 20 at a time.  I don�t hate Image Manager .5 as much as I did the last one.

LuckyOliver
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 4 mins. Blazing quickness!  The only reason this wasn�t 100% FASTER even was the same issue with the smoke�s IPTC data.  It must be incorrect as multiple sites have now had issues with it.  If the IPTC data was correct, this would have taken ONE MINUTE to do all 28 images.  LO�s speed is very very VERY hard to beat.

Shutterstock
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 4 mins.  Considering sales, considering everything else - Shutterstock is definitely one of the best �per hour� moneymakers on microstock.  BY FAR.

StockXpert
Processing time on site: 1 min.
Categories & Submission: 5 mins.
Total: 6 mins.  I think.  I�m still learning StockXpert�s site - I have 3 images that weren�t reviewed in my last batch.  No clue why.  I just �submitted� the 28 images, I think?  I have had sales there now so I did something right once.  IF I just did it correctly, same series and similar images are SUPER easy and StockXpert and different images are much more difficult.

I will be tracking my acceptance rates at these sites as well for this batch so you�ll know if I uploaded 28 to SS and all get rejected but I sell 10 of them next month at Dreamstime, what we actually make per hour including rejects.

Most important stuff I learned:

- REALLY check IPTC data before uploading.  I must�ve given myself an extra hour of work all total in fixing my mistakes.
- Istock isn�t as bad as I remember.
- Depending on rejections and income in the future, Crestock may not be the site for me.

Final Times for 28 images:
Lucky Oliver - 4 mins.
Shutterstock - 4 mins.
FeaturePics - 4 mins.
123RF - 5 mins.
StockXpert - 6 mins.
FotoMind - 8 mins.
Fotolia - 9 mins. 
Dreamstime - 12 mins.
Crestock -  15 mins.
Canstock - 16 mins.
Istock - 29 mins.
Bigstock - pending

I think we are not on the same page.

The first thing I learned after timing the FTP upload is that all sites were the same - they can accept our images as fast as we can push them.

I learned that - I understand upload and download speeds on my DSL.  I just didn't understand that all of them would be exactly the same.  Now I get that part although they all took 21 mins.  IStock's Image manager took 14 mins.  So somehow Istock DID take the images faster.

The rest of the times I'm talking about throughout the post are all the times from the time I start processing files until they're all submitted & ready for review.

I think the important thing is that AFTER they're uploaded, Shutterstock takes 4 minutes.  Dreamstime takes 12.  Should factor that into your $ per hour of doing stock. 

Processing is that thing that happens after you upload via FTP - on CanStock, you press "process files" right?

That part of the process took me 12 minutes - just waiting for it to categorize & add keywords. 

The part you're talking about - pressing submit basically, took me 4 mins for 28 images so roughly 7 a minute.  That part is fast enough - the processing definitely isn't fast.  Some sites process automagically - like Shutterstock.  Canstock doesn't - you have to tell it to process.  Like FotoMind, Crestock and 123RF - there's a delay between uploading on FTP, you pushing a button, THEN being able to categorize them.

dbvirago: dreamstime goes pretty fast if you can use the same catagories in a number of files - then it takes 2 seconds per image.

That's another thing - if this was a straight series of images I'd done, it would have been quicker on the slow sites but not much quicker on the fast sites.  So there is a margin of error - depends how fast you move/type and how much of a similarity there are between photos.  I did use all the tools available for this so when I did like 8 or 10 textures, I used Dreamstime's "Copy categories" and when I finish bigstock I will use "copy from previous image" as well.

1) Great job but you should add graphs. The text info alone is a lot to read. A graph would say more.

2) Yap you have to have your IPTC right or you can lose a lot of time reuploading or copypasting.

a) If you have Vista, you can activate the "tags" column in the explorer and see immediately where you forgot tags; not waterproof since you don't see title and description.

b) I always first FTP to FP, then go quickly through all the images there checking title, keywords, description at a glance. Correct in the file IPTC when necessary. So FP is my guinea pig to see whether all metadata are complete. They are very fast and it's easy to delete a file and reupload there. When all is well, I open about 10 tabs in SmartFTP, upload all at once, and take a shower or waste some time here 

1) Great job but you should add graphs. The text info alone is a lot to read. A graph would say more.

You're very right.  I haven't gotten too sophisticated with all this stuff yet - it's definitely "raw data."  I know I will need to make this sort of thing much more reader-friendly. 

b) I always first FTP to FP, then go quickly through all the images there checking title, keywords, description at a glance. Correct in the file IPTC when necessary. So FP is my guinea pig to see whether all metadata are complete. They are very fast and it's easy to delete a file and reupload there.

That's a good way to do it actually.  I haven't been smart enough to "check" the info first.    I'm not "new" to stock but VERY new to uploading this much and I just started using IPTC recently.  I definitely need to not mess it up. lol