I received an email from iStock last night, entitled "You deserve Exclusivity"

uploaded here:



As much as i love Shutterstock, I was quite disappointed with the raise recently, so I've actually been considering exclusivity more and more over the last few weeks.

Can't wait to see what incentive they will be offering!!! 

Anyone else received an email yet, or is it just cos I'm special, LOL 

Thanks for posting , I got the mail but for some unknown reason I could only see the title of that one , so I first thought i applied for exclusivity on istok by mistake

Yes, and I am very curious about their offer.  But that is one of the most ridiculous microstock pictures I have ever seen...   

Yes, I got one too.

I'll be interested to see what they offer, but I doubt if it will be worth it for me - given that they demand total exclusivity for all RF images. In other words, no RF from you anywhere else, even if different to what you have with IS.

I've just done a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation of all the places I sell RF for this month alone. They'd have to offer me about 7 times what they already pay for an image to make it worth my while.

I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

Yep, I got one too and am curious. IS has consistently been 60-70% of my income for most of 2008 so I'm strongly considering exclusivity. They sure know how to do tease marketing don't they?

Quote from: leaf on May 30, 2008, 10:19
I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

Me too, though I get the impression from the email that they are trying to tempt photographers into complete exclusivity.

To do that, I assume they will be raising exclusive commissions?

hmmm got one too, I'm intrigued but they'd have to increases commissions to make me want to go for it.....

Quote from: leaf on May 30, 2008, 10:19
I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

Possible but I'd say unlikely. Would be too difficult for them to police images and I think it would dilute the attraction of exclusivity for both buyers and sellers. I dont' think they would want existing exclusive contributors suddenly selling stuff elsewhere.

Given that the most common response around here against IS exclusivity seems to be "I'll lose money by dropping the other sites" I'm guessing they're going to bump up the exclusive commission a bit. This would strengthen commitment with existing contributors and push quite a few new people off the fence. The more exclusive contributors they have the more of a competitive advantage they have.

Besides, the wording says "go exclusive" which to me implies it's still contributor exclusivity.

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on May 30, 2008, 10:59

Quote from: leaf on May 30, 2008, 10:19
I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

Possible but I'd say unlikely. Would be too difficult for them to police images

what about  Tin Eye and similar applications(if there is any) I think it made it very easy to petrol images on the net besides I don't think any one with common sense  wouldn't want to  risk their membership with IS for a few extra bucks.
I'd be happy  if they applied  per image exclusivity.for me it's too early to go completely exclusive .

Quote from: leaf on May 30, 2008, 10:19
I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

That's something I've wanted for a long time, I love iStock but I'll never go totally exclusive because photography is my job, and yet I would upload exclusive images, in fact I'd probably make them the only microstock site I upload to.

Mind you I'm upset now that I've found out everyone got the email, I thought they'd done it just for me 

Quote from: RT on May 30, 2008, 11:09
Mind you I'm upset now that I've found out everyone got the email, I thought they'd done it just for me 

Haaa! Yeah when I saw the "You deserve Exclusivity" title, for a moment I thought I was really special. 

You are really special PaulieWalnuts, and people love you.   

Haaa! Great picture Dan. 

Quote from: RT on May 30, 2008, 11:09

Quote from: leaf on May 30, 2008, 10:19
I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

That's something I've wanted for a long time, I love iStock but I'll never go totally exclusive because photography is my job, and yet I would upload exclusive images, in fact I'd probably make them the only microstock site I upload to.

Mind you I'm upset now that I've found out everyone got the email, I thought they'd done it just for me 

Exactly my feelings.
If they introduce individual image exclusivity I'll stop uploading to others RF site, especially after introduction of Fotolia's subscription program.  0.23$ / dl, even Crestock pay more!

Just some wild speculation, but the biggest ace they have up their sleeve is the link with Getty if they offered exclusives more ability to submit images there it would be a much bigger drawcard for many I suspect.

I must be missing something. Why does individual image exclusivity look so much more attractive?

you know the offer isn't so special... even i got one

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on May 30, 2008, 11:57
I must be missing something. Why does individual image exclusivity look so much more attractive?

- better commision per download. At IS exclusive members get much more money. IS is my best earner with 40% of all RF income. With exclusive images at IS I can hope to earn much more
- only IS propose interesting (for us) subscription program based on credits (size)
- it's faster to download to one site than to 7
- less copyright problems (like images from SS given free at russian sites)
- rejected crap can still go to DT, SS....
- if we stop uploading to other sites ... maybe they will stop insulting $0.23 subscriptions earnings

I had the email yesterday too. It coincided with me going Silver so I assumed the two were linked.
Exclusivity is always on the back burner with me, I love the idea in some ways as IS is always my biggest earner. But just when I get close to doing it they mess with best match or something else and sales slump. So then I go back to uploading to DT, which rules out exclusive for a few months more!

Quote from: rene on May 30, 2008, 11:54

Quote from: RT on May 30, 2008, 11:09

Quote from: leaf on May 30, 2008, 10:19
I hope they introduce individual image exclusivity

That's something I've wanted for a long time, I love iStock but I'll never go totally exclusive because photography is my job, and yet I would upload exclusive images, in fact I'd probably make them the only microstock site I upload to.

Mind you I'm upset now that I've found out everyone got the email, I thought they'd done it just for me 

Exactly my feelings.

Me too, I would go for it with several if not almost all my images. That way I can sell my best RF work at Macro. I am not happy with Fotolia introducing subscriptions, I simply hate subscriptions apart from istock's model.

Well IMO it is very unlikely indeed that iStock will ever introduce image exclusivity.

And also very unlikely that they will increase commissions.

They are the leading agency.  Why on earth would they need to pay more or offer more flexibility?  Don't you think there are enough photographers already queuing up to go exclusive there?

And that queue will get even longer if Fotolia do indeed introduce subscriptions paying 23c.

Nah.  The risk, if anything, is that so many people decide to go exclusive at iStock that the advantages of being exclusive are diluted.  They HAVE to make it more difficult to be exclusive there, otherwise the word 'exclusive' loses its value.

Perhaps this 'special offer' email is an opportunity to go exclusive before they change the rules.

Did anybody NOT receive the email?

Quote from: hatman12 on May 30, 2008, 13:25
Well IMO it is very unlikely indeed that iStock will ever introduce image exclusivity.

And also very unlikely that they will increase commissions.

They are the leading agency.  Why on earth would they need to pay more or offer more flexibility?  Don't you think there are enough photographers already queuing up to go exclusive there?

And that queue will get even longer if Fotolia do indeed introduce subscriptions paying 23c.

I agree, but I think istockphoto is interested in "best selling photographers" exclusivity because they can create a professional microstock market, apart from amateur microstock market based in subscriptions and low prices.

Quote from: anonymous on May 30, 2008, 13:35
Did anybody NOT receive the email?

I did not