I just did a look at the last 8 months of submittals.  Here is what I found.   

If my stuff gets reviewed on a Sunday, 75% of the time I get most or all of the stuff approved.   Reviews on Friday are the worst.   About 50% of the time almost all of my stuff gets rejected the other 50% about 1/2 have get accepted.

All the other days of the week show no trend.

The bad news is trying to figure out when to submit to get it reviewed on Sunday. Because lead times for my reviews run from about 7-3 days.

And maybe my 8 months of data is random anyhow  ....   

Quote from: TheBlackRhino on October 07, 2012, 22:05
Split your batches up during submission. Stagger the content. After 2 years as an illustrator and almost 4 years retouching and submitting another photographers work, I have found that the reviewing is completely arbitrary and subjective. There is no absolute regarding commercial value if you have professional experience behind your work. Resubmit when your gut tells you they are wrong.

These are wise words.

It really does seem, though, that from time to time things turn a corner.  I strongly suspect that software is now performing some rather simple-minded 'pre-screens', and that there's a lot of turnover among reviewers - if in fact the entire operation isn't outsourced and occassionally moved to a new low bidder.

What I'd like to see is a current 'weirdness index' for each agency, based on the number of posts here about senseless, arbitrary or mass rejections.  When the weirdness index gets high, I just won't submit anything for a while.

Quote from: sharpshot on October 06, 2012, 09:55
Wouldn't it be easy to keep the contributors rejection rate stats and if a batch is almost entirely rejected, send them to another reviewer?  If its a glaring error, warn or get rid of the reviewer.  The problem seems to be that they have so many images now, they aren't too concerned if they have a few dodgy reviewers.

LuckyOliver showed a contributor's acceptance rate with every batch, so I know it's possible.  It was really helpful as a reviewer, because I knew when to be tough and when to be lenient.

Er shouldn't the evaluation be based on the pictures in front of you?

Of course it should.  Just saying I knew in advance which contributors have a problem submitting quality images and which ones don't, and it helped a lot in reviewing.

HA, it just happened to me!
They rejected 20 photos because of bad lighting.
Things like this:


Now I oploaded some of them again, with a note to the reviewer to take a second look and see if he agreed.

Quote from: bobkeenan on October 06, 2012, 04:55
They are main earner by far.  I love that.

But boy do they got hot and cold on acceptance.   I send one in this evening and got it back a few hours later.  100% Rejection!!!!    Previous submittal took over a week to review..... 100% acceptance.  I am just shaking my head.   I think my stuff got caught up in the Weekend Curse!

Reminds me to laugh at people who try to get reviewed for Monday, because it seems that's a sure death to an image. Reviews for the new week are harsh?

Oh wait, didn't someone else say, weekends are easy and weekdays are hard?

I don't get it?  I think people can find anything they want on microstock. Day of the week superstitions. But I do agree that reviews have tightened up quite a bit.

Quote from: JPSDK on October 09, 2012, 07:05
HA, it just happened to me!
They rejected 20 photos because of bad lighting.

Now I oploaded some of them again, with a note to the reviewer to take a second look and see if he agreed.

Sad Jens, that's just superb. I don't know what's going on.

Hi,

I've yet to be accepted at SS, A few months back I submitted my 10 images for half of them to be rejected, last week I took out the ones that were rejected and kept the ones they said were acceptable added another 5 and resubmitted. Yesterday rejection but not the new files 2 of the original already accepted images and 2 of the new ones.
Surely if they have a standard and an image meets that standard it then a couple of weeks later not meet it?

Rub head and think again..............

Druid

At least when you're in, the files that got you in are there.  On IS, your exam images have to be resubmitted for the main collection with a better than average chance one or more of the three will be rejected.

Apart form a few dodgy model release / keyword rejections that were easily sorted, I haven't had a "what moment" with an SS rejection yet.

Does it matter?- If you get in on IS you can begin to upload all your crap, and have it accepted or not, including the initial 3, that just showed that you were somehow competent.
Actually I think that it is a good thing to separate the initial approvement from the sales department.

Like a contributor can prove his skills and then later on begin to deliver commercial pictures.

If the work is ordinary the acceptance rate will be low most places and deservedly so.  What sucks about Shutterstock is the split.  Make no bones about it, it's lop-sided relationship.  A single sale at other places out paces the rate here by far.

"HA, it just happened to me!
They rejected 20 photos because of bad lighting.
Things like this"

It looks like a good isolation but... could just be my monitor, but when I look very closely at the top edge of the mushroom, it looks like there are some stray pixels. Maybe double check your isolation to make sure its perfect.  I get "bad lighting" rejections if I leave a few stray pixels on the edges. If its not that, then they're nuts.

Quote from: JPSDK on October 09, 2012, 07:05
HA, it just happened to me!
They rejected 20 photos because of bad lighting.
Things like this:


Now I oploaded some of them again, with a note to the reviewer to take a second look and see if he agreed.

maybe they haven´t enjoyed the almonds on the top lmao! Are you becoming the next pimping guy as Mike left?

Quote from: Druid on October 09, 2012, 08:13
Hi,

I've yet to be accepted at SS, A few months back I submitted my 10 images for half of them to be rejected, last week I took out the ones that were rejected and kept the ones they said were acceptable added another 5 and resubmitted. Yesterday rejection but not the new files 2 of the original already accepted images and 2 of the new ones.
Surely if they have a standard and an image meets that standard it then a couple of weeks later not meet it?

Rub head and think again..............

Druid

Never submit the same photos for your first 10 at SS. Always submit 10 new photos.

Quote from: Dantheman on October 07, 2012, 15:18

Quote from: leaf on October 07, 2012, 14:35
perhaps it would be fun to start a poll.. I just had a mass 'rejection' / 'acceptance' on shutterstock and the day is...monday, tuesday etc.
Then we could fish out the day that the strict review works lol
unless their schedule is sporadic of course.

good idea!

I like it. Someone contact the guy who runs the site and tell him what a good idea it is. 

I do most of my uploading on Fridays, and felt that except for a few times, reviews have been fair. What's funny to me is I don't often re-send anything. One that I was positive was useful, got a reply to send it again... hey it passed. It sells. It was refused for too many like this when it was the only one. I try to find those subjects and shoot one shot for that vacancy, so I knew before I did it.

Still most frustrating is shadows or focus where we don't think it's best. In other words, ANY shadows, even mild and don't dare have soft depth of field especially in front. (behind passes sometimes)

Quote from: Poncke on October 09, 2012, 17:28

Quote from: Druid on October 09, 2012, 08:13
Hi,

I've yet to be accepted at SS, A few months back I submitted my 10 images for half of them to be rejected, last week I took out the ones that were rejected and kept the ones they said were acceptable added another 5 and resubmitted. Yesterday rejection but not the new files 2 of the original already accepted images and 2 of the new ones.
Surely if they have a standard and an image meets that standard it then a couple of weeks later not meet it?

Rub head and think again..............

Druid

Never submit the same photos for your first 10 at SS. Always submit 10 new photos.

Sure tells the tale of inconsistent rejections and random rogue reviewers. How does something pass once and then fail the next time and didn't someone try three times and they got accepted. Typical Microstock industry illogical practices.

Anyway, someone do the day of the week survey. If it's like the Full Moon effect, people are already convinced that something which doesn't exist (except in urban myth) is real, and the facts aren't going to change their mind.

My suspicion has always been outsourcing reviews to some "review factory" in India for example. People come and go on a regular basis and they aren't well paid or well trained and aren't photographers! That's my best guess. (might be completely off base) But it beats computers are doing reviews. No computer could be that arbitrary or stupid some times! 

They need a rejection that says: "I just didn't like it." So they don't have to make up excuses and rejections for things that aren't honestly flawed.

Quote from: RacePhoto on October 09, 2012, 19:29
They need a rejection that says: "I just didn't like it." So they don't have to make up excuses and rejections for things that aren't honestly flawed.

There are actually a number of sites that uses that, however just not that direct. Try "This is not quite what we are looking for", "This is not suitable for stock", etc. Same thing, just other words. 
Question is, does all the reviewers know where to find that remark and is it not perhaps the last one on the scroll list?

Quote from: RacePhoto on October 09, 2012, 19:29

Quote from: Dantheman on October 07, 2012, 15:18

Quote from: leaf on October 07, 2012, 14:35
perhaps it would be fun to start a poll.. I just had a mass 'rejection' / 'acceptance' on shutterstock and the day is...monday, tuesday etc.
Then we could fish out the day that the strict review works lol
unless their schedule is sporadic of course.

good idea!

I like it. Someone contact the guy who runs the site and tell him what a good idea it is. 

I do most of my uploading on Fridays, and felt that except for a few times, reviews have been fair. What's funny to me is I don't often re-send anything. One that I was positive was useful, got a reply to send it again... hey it passed. It sells. It was refused for too many like this when it was the only one. I try to find those subjects and shoot one shot for that vacancy, so I knew before I did it.

Still most frustrating is shadows or focus where we don't think it's best. In other words, ANY shadows, even mild and don't dare have soft depth of field especially in front. (behind passes sometimes)

Quote from: Poncke on October 09, 2012, 17:28

Quote from: Druid on October 09, 2012, 08:13
Hi,

I've yet to be accepted at SS, A few months back I submitted my 10 images for half of them to be rejected, last week I took out the ones that were rejected and kept the ones they said were acceptable added another 5 and resubmitted. Yesterday rejection but not the new files 2 of the original already accepted images and 2 of the new ones.
Surely if they have a standard and an image meets that standard it then a couple of weeks later not meet it?

Rub head and think again..............

Druid

Never submit the same photos for your first 10 at SS. Always submit 10 new photos.

Sure tells the tale of inconsistent rejections and random rogue reviewers. How does something pass once and then fail the next time and didn't someone try three times and they got accepted. Typical Microstock industry illogical practices.

Anyway, someone do the day of the week survey. If it's like the Full Moon effect, people are already convinced that something which doesn't exist (except in urban myth) is real, and the facts aren't going to change their mind.

My suspicion has always been outsourcing reviews to some "review factory" in India for example. People come and go on a regular basis and they aren't well paid or well trained and aren't photographers! That's my best guess. (might be completely off base) But it beats computers are doing reviews. No computer could be that arbitrary or stupid some times! 

They need a rejection that says: "I just didn't like it." So they don't have to make up excuses and rejections for things that aren't honestly flawed.

You dont know why they got rejected, if its composition then its entirely subjective, even CV is subjective. So the advice is to submit 10 new photos because there is no guarantee the ones accepted will be accepted again. Once you are in you can submit all photos again and see what gets through.

SS always like that. Just tell you guys a secreat:  all the photo uploaded in the weekend could be accepted with high ratio.---i am guessing the guy or lady could be happy duiring the weeked.

bad experience for me is once time they rejected 19 out of 20 photo! It really made me frustrated for a long time.

Well, I'm going to bed drunk with love for SS tonight.  If I could get this many EL's and OD's per day I'd be oh so very content - but I'm afraid tomorrow will be just a normal day and I will have to blush and remember what a great day we had together today

Sorry, I'm not talking submissions though....

Dozens of ELs, hundereds of ODs, and thousands of subs. What else can you do but love it? Love is a many splendored thing!

65 out of 69 accepted today - Wednesday. Last week similar result - Wednesday again. Only one batch in the last months 100% rejected - and yes, it was Monday morning 

Had this experience more or less with all the other agencies. Just today with 123RF. A quick moment of anger and frustration - and then move on. We can't change it anyway... or can we???

Cheers,

Rob

Jealousy sets in when ppl, declare way over, 100 bucks per day. what a pitty, so sad!  my heart is bleeding.

Quote from: ClaridgeJ on October 10, 2012, 13:07
Jealousy sets in when ppl, declare way over, 100 bucks per day. what a pitty, so sad!  my heart is bleeding.

What is that supposed to mean?  Nobody has mentioned being jealous of downloads.  This thread is about reviewing not dls.  You seem to exist on a different plain to everybody else.

Quote from: fotografer on October 10, 2012, 14:07

Quote from: ClaridgeJ on October 10, 2012, 13:07
Jealousy sets in when ppl, declare way over, 100 bucks per day. what a pitty, so sad!  my heart is bleeding.

What is that supposed to mean?  Nobody has mentioned being jealous of downloads.  This thread is about reviewing not dls.  You seem to exist on a different plain to everybody else.

That's lagereek all over!

Isn't that what they call 'shadow boxing'?