Im just curious for a discussion on what would you do IF....... all the microsites suddenly dropped there commissions to 20 cents per download Like it was when I joined in 2004. No EL's, No OD's and no subscriptions,No referrals  just 20 cents per download payment.

Would you stay? would you give up? I know we would Pull our hair out but..Bottom line what would you do. Im asking this because i'm fairly confident that whoever left would be replaced in 2/3 weeks willing to accept this and in a short time [A few months] fill the shoes of those that left with some degree of quality and Quantity. Tell me what you think. Or do you think that what you do is that good and can never be duplicated.  Tough question, Just curious.

Commissioned photography... or something else. It's no way for a full timer to make a living in those conditions.

Im just curious for a discussion on what would you do IF....... all the microsites suddenly dropped there commissions to 20 cents per download Like it was when I joined in 2004. No EL's, No OD's and no subscriptions,No referrals  just 20 cents per download payment.

Would you stay? would you give up? I know we would Pull our hair out but..Bottom line what would you do. Im asking this because i'm fairly confident that whoever left would be replaced in 2/3 weeks willing to accept this and in a short time [A few months] fill the shoes of those that left with some degree of quality and Quantity. Tell me what you think. Or do you think that what you do is that good and can never be duplicated.  Tough question, Just curious.

I'd pull my port, not because I'm so wonderful but because I can afford to deny the greedy a33holes who'd make money off me the opportunity to do so. Let them go recruit and train some new sucker - that will cost the agencies time and money.

If I get to what I consider a no-win situation (for me the contributor) I'll make it as miserable and expensive for the agencies as I possibly can.

I'd still be selling via the collective site (WarmPicture) unless Dan gets eaten by a zombie and wants to suddenly pay 20 cents per

Commissioned photography... or something else. It's no way for a full timer to make a living in those conditions.

+1 Thanks

Quote from: rinderart on October 05, 2011, 15:13

Im just curious for a discussion on what would you do IF....... all the microsites suddenly dropped there commissions to 20 cents per download Like it was when I joined in 2004. No EL's, No OD's and no subscriptions,No referrals  just 20 cents per download payment.

Would you stay? would you give up? I know we would Pull our hair out but..Bottom line what would you do. Im asking this because i'm fairly confident that whoever left would be replaced in 2/3 weeks willing to accept this and in a short time [A few months] fill the shoes of those that left with some degree of quality and Quantity. Tell me what you think. Or do you think that what you do is that good and can never be duplicated.  Tough question, Just curious.

I'd pull my port, not because I'm so wonderful but because I can afford to deny the greedy a33holes who'd make money off me the opportunity to do so. Let them go recruit and train some new sucker - that will cost the agencies time and money.

If I get to what I consider a no-win situation (for me the contributor) I'll make it as miserable and expensive for the agencies as I possibly can.

I'd still be selling via the collective site (WarmPicture) unless Dan gets eaten by a zombie and wants to suddenly pay 20 cents per

So would I. And a great answer. Thanks.

there's another way besides staying or leaving completely

that is, staying but without too much enthusiasm, repeating the same cheap pictures over and over without investing too much time and inspiration: that's what they deserve in your 20% scenario. And it's already happening now in part, after many commission cuts

such sites will start losing buyers, and some better sites will replace them

I'd still be selling via the collective site (WarmPicture) unless Dan gets eaten by a zombie and wants to suddenly pay 20 cents per

Well it is almost Halloween, so you never know!  

there's another way besides staying or leaving completely

that is, staying but without too much enthusiasm, repeating the same cheap pictures over and over without investing too much time and inspiration: that's what they deserve in your 20% scenario. And it's already happening now in part, after many commission cuts

such sites will start losing buyers, and some better sites will replace them

One of the reasons this came to mind.

The reason I formed Warmpicture was as a preemptive strike against exactly this sort of thing happening.

FWIW the latest MSG poll results show Fotolia has fallen into the Middle Tier for the first time in years, exactly as many of us predicted. They drove away many fine contributors, while also accepting the risk that it would make for horrible P.R. with buyers who read blogs and forums. They have been replaced by an agency which pays 50% commissions and 36 cent subscriptions.

Look at the agencies which have attacked contributors with ridiculous commission structures over the last 2 years. Look at the MSG forums, which have a Google Page Rank of 4, suggesting that there are many people reading these boards besides contributors.

Have the agencies which attacked contributors gained, or lost, market share over the last 2 years? Independent polls suggest a pretty easy answer.

Quote from: luissantos84 on October 05, 2011, 15:18

this is absurd, you said here that you had 8 EL�s last month on a day, why on earth are you talking about this now? don�t see a point sorry

Hey man, try to stay focused. How I do and what I do has no bearing On my question and It affects me also. Im just curious. Don't answer. This is not an arguement like just about everything else on this site. This is a simple question or a poll if you will. I get out of this business exactly what I put in.

And my answer to my question would be I wouldn't upload anymore. and since I really don't consider this any more than 10/15% of my Income or what My Nut is every month as to where I live and my expenses. It won't matter that much. And if no one cares or answers this thread will just disappear anyway. As I said....Just curious.

sorry but I dont understand the fact that some (a lot here in this forum) top photographers talk about their income like microstock ain�t helping them but they spend all day on forum talking about a new BME or the current royalties on the different agencies and such.. I love the way you guys say you make only 10% on microstock and do 90% outside, if so why all the "stress"?

I would design my own website to sell just my own stock photos direct. 100% exclusive. That would be much more fun than seeing income streams drying up with no alternative. I love the name Warmpicture but I don't know much about it other than the mention earlier here and visiting the site briefly.

If it ever got to the stage where I wasn't able to make enough money through taking photos I'd start selling photography lessons.

That's a classic

I'm not wasting any time thinking about this.  I don't see this worst case scenario happening.  The sites that have cut commissions have dropped in the earnings poll.  Shutterstock hasn't cut commissions and is doing very well.  That gives me confidence that the current trend to cut commissions by a few sites wont last.  If they don't learn the lesson, I'm sure there will always be sites like alamy that offer a good deal for contributors and make it possible for us to earn some money.  Instead of worrying about the future of microstock, I'm working harder with them.

Perhaps we could all be replaced by people that would accept 20 cents a download but we can also replace sites that are too greedy.

A question for Tyler Please....How many folks actually Vote on the microstock Poll Results. 50,100,1000? a month on average.

Oh, good question.

Then the answer, I'm already into the don't give a hoot category, uninspired, hobby mode. Also since Warmpics is a private "good old boys" club, kind of like the old agencies, there are many of us who can't even consider that option. Kind of interesting that the answer is exclusionary?
 My answer without all the side issues? Go 100% on Alamy and smile as 20c microstock falls down from cutting off it's own feet.