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Poll

Are you going exclusive with Istock in the next 6 months ?

I am already exclusive
33 (15.2%)
I am going to be exclusive
12 (5.5%)
I am not sure yet
28 (12.9%)
No I will stay independant
138 (63.6%)
Other (exclusive at DT/can't in the next 6 months)
6 (2.8%)

Total Members Voted: 194

Author Topic: Who is planning exclusivity ? -Poll-  (Read 47266 times)

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KB

« Reply #50 on: December 16, 2009, 14:54 »
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Count me as another nowhere near the fence.  I don't see the logic in going exclusive... I don't have a big port right now, but even if I did, I don't expect IS to ever grow to be more than 50% of my total revenue, so I would have to make double what I make as a non-exclusive to make sense to go exclusive.  So a question to the IS exclusives out there... did the added exposure and/or increased upload limits get you anywhere near doubling your revenues on IS?
Don't forget, one of the main reasons this is being discussed is because of the changes that are going to be occurring in a few weeks. So past IS exclusives experiences are not necessarily relevant.

The biggest change, and the one that no one can predict with certainty what affect it will have on sales, is the one in which exclusive prices are now considerably more than non-exclusive. By my reckoning, if sales patterns don't change, I'd be much better off as an exclusive. I think that's the main reason why some are now considering exclusivity, whereas before it was a non-issue.


« Reply #51 on: December 16, 2009, 15:14 »
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Count me as another nowhere near the fence.  I don't see the logic in going exclusive... I don't have a big port right now, but even if I did, I don't expect IS to ever grow to be more than 50% of my total revenue, so I would have to make double what I make as a non-exclusive to make sense to go exclusive.  So a question to the IS exclusives out there... did the added exposure and/or increased upload limits get you anywhere near doubling your revenues on IS?

What you seem to have missed is that since June of this year, exclusives can contribute to Vetta which has been a huge success so far. And from next year there will be a second collection priced between regular images and Vetta. And exclusive images will be priced higher than non-exclusive images as of January. So I doubt that exclusives make "only" double what they would make at iStock as non-exclusives.

And obviously there's also the option to get into Getty - which you can get into without iStock as well, of course. But not having to work for the application is a nice bonus...  ;)

alias

« Reply #52 on: December 16, 2009, 15:30 »
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And obviously there's also the option to get into Getty - which you can get into without iStock as well, of course. But not having to work for the application is a nice bonus...  ;)

IS, Vetta and the various collections will probably gradually replace Getty RF I think.

Certain that the destination is going to be the Getty brand (and %)) married to the microstock model. So the contributors do all the keywording and the inspection is done by part timers. It would be a strong model.

The quick way into Getty currently is via the Flickr group. Flickr sales at Getty are doing well apparently. What the microstock years will have achieved, what digitale made possible, is that anyone can join in potentially.

Microstock flow might work for some editorial too.  RM if it survives is different because it often involves a person to person conversation

helix7

« Reply #53 on: December 16, 2009, 16:41 »
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Count me as another nowhere near the fence.  I don't see the logic in going exclusive... I don't have a big port right now, but even if I did, I don't expect IS to ever grow to be more than 50% of my total revenue, so I would have to make double what I make as a non-exclusive to make sense to go exclusive.  So a question to the IS exclusives out there... did the added exposure and/or increased upload limits get you anywhere near doubling your revenues on IS?

It wouldn't necessarily need to double, depending on your canister level. I figure that if istock represents about 40% of your total microstock income, going exclusive at the gold level would likely make you more profitable. At diamond, 37% would probably be enough. Keep in mind that this is based on the new 2010 rate schedule, though, where exclusive files earn more than non-exclusive ones.

The logic is in the numbers, and it's different for everyone. For a long time, the numbers never added up for a lot of people. Myself included. But under this new plan, all of a sudden it's possible that I could make more as an istock exclusive than as an independent. Much as it still sort of makes me cringe to think about seeing that crown next to my name, it's a possibility.

2 things would need to happen for me to do it, though. First, the canister milestone change is a deal-breaker. I need to be Diamond to increase the odds that I'd be as (or more) profitable as an exclusive, and I'm 5,000 DLs short. If they change that plan or allow more time for people to hit the next canister level, I could still consider exclusivity. Second, I need to wait well into 2010 and try to see if the higher prices for exclusive files turns buyers off. If any exclusives see their DL rates dropping, that changes things. My calculations are based on current DL rates not changing much.

At this point, it's probably still a long shot that I ever become exclusive. But under the new plan, there is a possibility that the stars could align in just the right way and it would make sense to do it. I've been one of the most anti-exclusivity people around here since I started in microstock 3 years ago. But that was all because the money never added up and exclusivity equaled a pay-cut. That's changed now, and I'll go where the money is. If that means wearing the crown, then so be it.

lisafx

« Reply #54 on: December 16, 2009, 18:12 »
0
Very well stated Mike ^^.  This sums up my feelings too.

« Reply #55 on: December 16, 2009, 19:02 »
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Isn't there more to this than how much money we can make in the short term?  I just don't like the thought of one site dominating the market.  Competition is good, it makes all the sites work harder.  If we all worked for one site, they could get greedy and keep their profits growing by reducing our commission.  Isn't that what has happened in some other industries?  It might look like we could make more by going with one site but it could cost us in the long term.

« Reply #56 on: December 16, 2009, 19:23 »
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I agree with you, Sharpshot.  I was annoyed when Fotolia lowered my percentage, but furious when they offered to bump me back if I just gave away a couple of dozen of my better performers to their free image pool.  How much worse would I have felt if I had nowhere else to go?  Even if exclusivity were a good deal, I'd be inclined to oppose it on the principle that competition keeps our agents at least a little bit honest.

« Reply #57 on: December 16, 2009, 19:54 »
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^^ again

« Reply #58 on: December 16, 2009, 20:12 »
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Isn't there more to this than how much money we can make in the short term?  I just don't like the thought of one site dominating the market.  Competition is good, it makes all the sites work harder.  If we all worked for one site, they could get greedy and keep their profits growing by reducing our commission.  Isn't that what has happened in some other industries?  It might look like we could make more by going with one site but it could cost us in the long term.

This is business and its about the long term money.  From reports on this site it seems like commission are already being reduced, why?  Maybe to many site with to much of the same content?

« Reply #59 on: December 16, 2009, 21:08 »
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Also, dont forget people that Getty had been exclusive, and has always had exclusive photographers and everyone says that they are expensive to buy from but they have operated for years and are still at the top.
Perhaps if all sites were exclusive it would be better for us.
I am non-exclusive and I think Ill stay so for some time but if this all works well with istock then Ill think about exclusivity, As well, about 35% of my earnings are from Istock. Another thing, Istock has opened the door for the Vetta Collection and Getty, which is a huge plus in any case, no other agencies do that.
I would like to see other agencies respond to Istocks call.
Somebody already said we are there for money, not for fun anymore. So we will go where the money is.

Kone

« Reply #60 on: December 16, 2009, 21:26 »
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 Hi All,

 Please try to weigh the extra money you MIGHT make with what you are letting go of as an individual contractor. You might make more now but what about tomorrow and future contract changes, haven't they shown in the past that they alter the best match and other portions of their collection. Do you really want to be at the mercy of someone else decision like that. That is why I quit the standard work force, I wanted to be in control of my future.

Best,
Jonathan

« Reply #61 on: December 16, 2009, 22:36 »
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What is the case any how?
To bee iStock exclusive?!
err...
No chance even that!
If I continue with cons or noncons it will not bee suitable for you eyes, ears or whatever sense so I will be quite for now.

« Reply #62 on: December 16, 2009, 23:00 »
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Would someone be kind enough to give us a sort of update on what is happening over there at IS? I have no time to go through the 3,ooo comments on the boards - it's simply too unmanageble to wade through  ... have admins explained what they mean by "unsustainble"? Have they provided any kind of an explanation for the cannister changes? I assume that the contributors will just accept everything their handed cause that's what they always do but ...


« Reply #63 on: December 16, 2009, 23:20 »
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Hi All,

 Please try to weigh the extra money you MIGHT make with what you are letting go of as an individual contractor. You might make more now but what about tomorrow and future contract changes, haven't they shown in the past that they alter the best match and other portions of their collection. Do you really want to be at the mercy of someone else decision like that. That is why I quit the standard work force, I wanted to be in control of my future.

Best,
Jonathan

Apsolutly, I want to be in control of my future too.
Thanks for mentioning that Jonathan

Kone

helix7

« Reply #64 on: December 16, 2009, 23:43 »
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Please try to weigh the extra money you MIGHT make with what you are letting go of as an individual contractor. You might make more now but what about tomorrow and future contract changes, haven't they shown in the past that they alter the best match and other portions of their collection. Do you really want to be at the mercy of someone else decision like that. That is why I quit the standard work force, I wanted to be in control of my future.

Valid points, and all things I will be weighing in any future decision. And it is a future decision because I don't know how much I might make if I were exclusive and I want to wait and see how this all pans out in the coming months. As mentioned above, I won't pull the trigger on this unless everything is working out as it needs to in order for me to transition to exclusivity with a gain in profits. That means waiting, watching the forums, seeing what the consensus seems to be with current exclusives regarding how their earnings have changed under the new system.

As for being at the mercy of one company, well, I can't say I'd be happy about the idea. If something did happen that dramatically reduced my earnings, I could always go back to being independent and re-submit my images to the other sites again. As a vector guy, I don't have a huge portfolio and it wouldn't take long to do. I think a best match shake like what we saw last time istock changed things up is unlikely to have such a negative effect on exclusives ever again, now that the company stands to make more money from exclusive files than non-exclusive ones. If anything, I'd expect a future best match change to further highlight exclusive files and push non-exclusive ones even further back in the results. It is in istock's best interests now to see that exclusive files sell well. They won't go against that with a best match change.

I don't particularly like the idea of being exclusive. I don't like the "all eggs in one basket" idea and betting it all on one source of income for my microstock business. But I have always explored every possible avenue and angle in this business to maximize my profits, and this is another new angle that needs to be considered. A year from now, I might be right where I am at now, independent and making more money because of it. But between now and then, I feel as though this new opportunity needs to be given its due consideration.

All I know right now is that if I take my current 2009 earnings across all sites and compare that to what I would have theoretically made as an istock exclusive artist under the new pricing and at Diamond level, the istock exclusive total is over $3,000 higher. Sure it's hypothetical and I don't know for sure that I'd make any profit at all as an exclusive. But it's not like we're talking about a $100 difference. It's 3 grand, and I can't just ignore that.

« Reply #65 on: December 17, 2009, 01:33 »
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You definitely have to look at the future. While none of us can predict it, we can look at our past stats to guess what will happen. Which agencies grew this year? Which shrunk? Is it still worth the effort to upload at this agency? Who is going out of business?

Those are all things I will look at before I make any decision.

helix7

« Reply #66 on: December 17, 2009, 11:55 »
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You definitely have to look at the future. While none of us can predict it, we can look at our past stats to guess what will happen...

The other tricky aspect of this istock plan is that while exclusivity looks more tempting, independence looks less appealing, given the highly likely possibility that a push to advance the now more expensive exclusive content in search results will result in a drop in sales volume for independents. My estimates in my previous post were based on past istock earnings to date. But that could very well be comparing apples to oranges. Today's istock sales volume as an independent may look very different in 2 months. So my theoretical gain from istock exclusivity under the new plan could actually be even higher when compared to what my earnings would be as an independent under the new plan.


« Reply #67 on: December 17, 2009, 12:02 »
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So my theoretical gain from istock exclusivity under the new plan could actually be even higher when compared to what my earnings would be as an independent under the new plan.

Unless of course that increase in prices for exclusive content causes enough of a migration away from iStock that other agencies show increased sales, making up the difference.  The problem with any analysis at this stage is that it has to make way too many assumptions, both explicit and implied.  Are we at the point where microstock is a zero sum game, with every gain in one place balanced by a loss somewhere else?  Will iStock's and Fotolia's and Dreamstime's price increases lead to more sales elsewhere?  Just how price sensitive are customers, or to be more precise, what percentage of customers are price sensitive enough to let their decisions be affected by these changes?  Will they go for (slightly) cheaper independent content on iStock, will they see greater value in exclusive content, or will they mostly ignore the difference in their search for content that's good enough?

« Reply #68 on: December 17, 2009, 14:09 »
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If IS decide to put independents further back in the search I think that they will have less and less people going independent as the newbies will see it as a site where sales aren't very good.

lisafx

« Reply #69 on: December 17, 2009, 14:39 »
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If IS decide to put independents further back in the search I think that they will have less and less people going independent as the newbies will see it as a site where sales aren't very good.

I think you meant less people going exclusive?

« Reply #70 on: December 17, 2009, 14:46 »
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If IS decide to put independents further back in the search I think that they will have less and less people going independent as the newbies will see it as a site where sales aren't very good.

I think you meant less people going exclusive?

Or maybe he means fewer new people joining as independents because it isn't worth it.  I'd dispute this, though; even as an independent I do well enough there to make it a strong second to Shutterstock.

« Reply #71 on: December 17, 2009, 14:51 »
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Ooops that's exactly what I meant to say Lisa. Thanks
If IS decide to put independents further back in the search I think that they will have less and less people going independent as the newbies will see it as a site where sales aren't very good.

I think you meant less people going exclusive?

« Reply #72 on: December 17, 2009, 15:04 »
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I wonder how lisegagne or hidesy would make out if they were starting in the current climate. Neither was a professional photographer, nor determined from the outset to make a success of stock photography. Each was encouraged by early successes. Their skills developed over time. Don't think it could happen today.

vonkara

« Reply #73 on: December 17, 2009, 15:41 »
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I wonder how lisegagne or hidesy would make out if they were starting in the current climate. Neither was a professional photographer, nor determined from the outset to make a success of stock photography. Each was encouraged by early successes. Their skills developed over time. Don't think it could happen today.
My thought also. Being the first to shoot a red apple with green leaf on white help a lot. Still, they were at the right place at the right time
« Last Edit: December 17, 2009, 15:42 by Vonkara »

« Reply #74 on: December 17, 2009, 16:03 »
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I give thanks all the time that I was 'in the right place at the right time'.  I know that if I started nowadays I wouldn't be anywhere near as succesful.


 

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