For many years I upload 1 or 2 files every couple of months to istock and they ALWAYS reject everything (mostly because I do a lot of conceptual photoshop work). However, this past month they have accepted everything. I'm going with it!

So is this just a numbers game with their competitor? I was just going to be exclusive with SS because the other agencies are on a downward spiral but istock seems to be a good second earner for some.

Not sure if this is a good thing ... Have you guys noticed?

It's been happening for about a year now, and new files have hardly been selling (they tend to get pushed right down, very quickly, in best match, especially if exclusive, but best match is officially 'all over the place').
It might just be a 'your turn to think up a new policy' thing, or they might have an Evil Plan behind it.
Who knows? Probably they don't.
What they don't accept, however, is apparently what they deem 'too simple' illustrations. I discovered that an ancient and much used Chinese symbol wasn't properly represented there, spent ages measuring and positioning all the elements exactly in illustrator (true, I'm an Illustrator beginner) then rasterised it as I don't do vectors, as such. Firstly, it spent weeks 'pending executive', although I had put in the description that it was thousands of years old, then it was rejected as being 'too simple' , and Scout upheld it. I think that was probably the last non-IP rejection on iStock. Around the same time I saw a photo where the main subject was both well out of focus and well over-exposed, which the contributor had titled, and described, as 'bird on the ground'. 
I have seen some very simple vectors accepted - and selling! - since, though; so who knows?

I'm definitely out of the loop. Sorry if this topic has been mentioned already. I did a search but didn't see it.

So new work has no "light".

Maybe I shouldn't go through all the effort because their keywording is a pain to do...

You have to decide for yourself. I don't find the keywording remotely painful, but my new files are only selling as subs, if anything, and it's hardly worth the electricity for 75c.
There are actually several searches where Indie files are highly promoted in the Best Match. My totally random selection of searches showed about 50/50, indies being promoted vs a more even selection in best match results.

Shutterstock doesn't have exclusive.

It's been happening for about a year now, and new files have hardly been selling (they tend to get pushed right down, very quickly, in best match, especially if exclusive, but best match is officially 'all over the place').
It might just be a 'your turn to think up a new policy' thing, or they might have an Evil Plan behind it.
Who knows? Probably they don't.
What they don't accept, however, is apparently what they deem 'too simple' illustrations. I discovered that an ancient and much used Chinese symbol wasn't properly represented there, spent ages measuring and positioning all the elements exactly in illustrator (true, I'm an Illustrator beginner) then rasterised it as I don't do vectors, as such. Firstly, it spent weeks 'pending executive', although I had put in the description that it was thousands of years old, then it was rejected as being 'too simple' , and Scout upheld it. I think that was probably the last non-IP rejection on iStock. Around the same time I saw a photo where the main subject was both well out of focus and well over-exposed, which the contributor had titled, and described, as 'bird on the ground'. 
I have seen some very simple vectors accepted - and selling! - since, though; so who knows?

(re red letters):  LOL, so they approved it???
reviewer : "i don't see no bird!!!" 
scott : "oh, it must have flown away"...
reviewer : " ah OK!... so, approved???"

I agree IS has started rejecting vectors again. Of course totally randomly and some of my best sellers as you'd expect from IS.

I agree IS has started rejecting vectors again. Of course totally randomly and some of my best sellers as you'd expect from IS.

iStock rejects random vectors for random reasons; Dreamstime rejects icons and stamps for being "too simple" and similars for being too similar (even though their submission process encourages uploading similars; Fotolia rejects designs with Greek type in place, even though they sell more often; and Shutterstock accepts them all and wipes the floor with the other three.

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on January 13, 2016, 13:19

I agree IS has started rejecting vectors again. Of course totally randomly and some of my best sellers as you'd expect from IS.

iStock rejects random vectors for random reasons; Dreamstime rejects icons and stamps for being "too simple" and similars for being too similar (even though their submission process encourages uploading similars; Fotolia rejects designs with Greek type in place, even though they sell more often; and Shutterstock accepts them all and wipes the floor with the other three.

iStock reject 5 vectors from me recently that was fairly complex. I think they rejected it for 'lacking visual interest', although they've accepted much simpler vectors in the past. Their reviewers seem to be bipolar. I'll upload it again next week and there's a good chance it'll get accepted.