Author Topic: To join or not to join other microstock agencies??? (Read 4056 times)

Jetsetter78 · « **on:** June 21, 2013, 08:14 »

Dear fellow Illustrators,

I would like to seek advise from veteran stock illustrators here whether should I join the rest of the agencies?

You see, i have joined Istock on Jan 2013 and became an exclusive in 2 months time. I was delighted to become an exclusive at first but somehow the 30% royalties for exclusives seem like a joke to me. So I left and join GL and other microstocks site that offer 50% commission.

During this 2 months, sales were not as good as i expect like Istock. It seem to me the traffic at this sites are moderately low.

Right now, i am considering whether should I join the top 3 sites and the rest of middle tier and best 4 low earners?

If i am a photographer, i would not hesistate to join all the sites but for a illustrator, it's kind of a ego thing.
Illustration takes years to hone yr craft and plenty of moment to create a good artwork. Selling yr artworks for 30 cents is hard to swallow. But with money dun come yr way, then what the use of having Good skills?

Can any ones advise what the advantages and disadvantages of selling at other agencies in the long run?
Does selling Raster version of yr vector work at all sites a good move or a bad move? Or is it wiser to sell yr vector at all sites?

Any advise is welcome and I really appreciate yr suggestions.

daveh900 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2013, 08:37 »

Quote from: Jetsetter78 on June 21, 2013, 08:14

If i am a photographer, i would not hesistate to join all the sites but for a illustrator, it's kind of a ego thing.
Illustration takes years to hone yr craft and plenty of moment to create a good artwork. Selling yr artworks for 30 cents is hard to swallow. But with money dun come yr way, then what the use of having Good skills?

Careful, photography requires skills too. Skills that also take many years to perfect.

If you've already abandoned the idea of being exclusive, sign up and contribute to all of them, at least the top and middle tier agencies.

If you're hung up on giving up your work for $.30 each, then this is the wrong business for you. This game is all about volume. Selling that artwork for $.30 is tough to swallow. Selling it 500 times for $.30 (and maybe some extended license purchases) makes it worthwhile.

Most sites automatically offer your vector artwork as raster as well, Shutterstock is the only one I contribute to that doesn't.