Author Topic: Any point uploading to Istock? (Read 10585 times)

PixelBytes · « **on:** February 11, 2015, 14:46 »

I am about a year behind for uploading to Istock. I been spending my time processing and uploading to other sites which are easier and faster to upload to. So I have a big backlog of images to get on Istock.

My sales at Istock have fell off a cliff. Question to those still uploading there, are you seeing any better sales? My time is limited. I can either keep creating comtent for the other sites, or take time to get caught up at IS. If I take a month or more to just upload on Istock, is it worth it? Or are they a lost cause by now?

tickstock · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2015, 15:12 »

Don't bother.

ShadySue · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2015, 15:21 »

If there's absolutely nothing else you could be doing with the time. Otherwise pretty pointless.

StanRohrer · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2015, 17:59 »

Most likely you would need to feed a niche that isn't well represented on iStock to be successful with your time.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2015, 18:06 »

Quote from: StanRohrer on February 11, 2015, 17:59

Most likely you would need to feed a niche that isn't well represented on iStock to be successful with your time.

Yeah, there is no way I am going to search out a niche and create new content for Istock. Either I will upload the same stuff I uploaded everywhere else over the last year or not bother.

Thanks for the responses. Looks like I can keep them on my back burner a while longer.

Nikovsk · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2015, 18:42 »

When I stopped uploading to IS, my life got 50% better.
Just thinking about upload a couple hundred images there is a nightmare.

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2015, 18:59 »

I'm also about a year behind there but they are still my #2 earner so last month I decided to start working on the backlog. The good news is that they now seem to accept almost everything and reviews are faster than they used to be. However, even with Deep Meta the process is so tedious that I just couldn't keep motivated and stopped after a few batches. Maybe next year. If they would enable ftp, get rid of categories and that ridiculous CV it would be worth it, but otherwise I think time is spent more profitably making new images for other agencies.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2015, 19:03 »

Quote from: sgoodwin4813 on February 11, 2015, 18:59

I'm also about a year behind there but they are still my #2 earner so last month I decided to start working on the backlog. The good news is that they now seem to accept almost everything and reviews are faster than they used to be. However, even with Deep Meta the process is so tedious that I just couldn't keep motivated and stopped after a few batches. Maybe next year. If they would enable ftp, get rid of categories and that ridiculous CV it would be worth it, but otherwise I think time is spent more profitably making new images for other agencies.

Did you notice any sales bump after you were able to get some batches online?

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2015, 19:11 »

No, none of the new images have sold yet so no bump - another reason for lack of motivation to continue

Jeffrey · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2015, 19:41 »

I'm still uploading and will continue to upload.

I'm a positive person, so I'm hopeful iStock will be better again, especially with the search system.

Asthebelltolls · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2015, 20:48 »

IStuck is the most laborious, turn-of-the-century, antiquated system out there. What in the world is Getty waiting for? PLEASE invest some capitol and bring your tired old investment into modern times.

dbvirago · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2015, 21:15 »

I don't even check sales there anymore on a real time basis. Once a month, I go through their tedious process of learning what I earned through partner sales the previous month. Not enough sold via their site to make it worth the trouble to check sales, much less upload.

SnowDog · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2015, 21:55 »

I continue to upload. Not that my recent uploads sell enough to make it worth my time, (although they do sell occasionally) I want to make sure I have enough images with different time-stamps that if the best match suddenly swings to new images, or images that at 2 years and 5 months old, I will have something in my portfolio to take advantage of that shift.

I also have a lingering sneaking unfounded suspicion that new UL's somehow improve the best match placement of older images. I can't prove this, and it makes no sense since if they wanted to encourage new UL's they would simply improve the best match for them. My suspicion is that this was likely hard coded into the best match algorithm years ago, and they simply don't know about it or don't know how to fix it. I love a good conspiracy theory.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #13 on:** February 11, 2015, 23:31 »

Thanks for all replies. Snowdog, your reasons for uploading sounds logical to me. If I was not so behind already I may be doing the same.

Sgoodwin4813, thanks for letting me know the new ones aren't selling.

In the end, if I have to choose, I'm probably better focusing on the other sites.

shudderstok · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2015, 01:33 »

i continue to upload regularly and continue to make a full time income from doing just that.

StockPhotosArt.com · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2015, 06:54 »

We've uploaded images to IS simultaneously to other agencies that have earned us hundreds of dollars on SS alone, and sell well on the others. On IS they don't even have views. At this time it's pretty pointless to upload there.

Especially when the income from IS is in an absolute free-fall, and based on what we are seeing in the last year, it seems they forgot to put on the parachute...

cobalt · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2015, 07:07 »

I upload maybe once a month, mostly to always have something visible if best match prefers files from a different time. I am not uploading enough to expect any growth. The average return per download has increased with the credit system and I am seeing more files being sold for the first time that never had a sale before, even older files.

But the volume of sales hasn´t gone up, especially christmas was less than expected.

I still have my biggest photo portfolio on istock, so to keep feeding it from time to time makes sense. I have given up hope for a miracle, but I don´t think they will disappear soon.

However 1000 files on SS are often outselling 3800 on istock and in some months even fotolia sometimes comes close to overtaking istock with just 811 files. It is sad.

Noedelhap · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2015, 07:31 »

If I were you, I would upload everything in small batches whenever I have spare time. It's always better to upload than not to upload, unless you have other things to do that make more money.

mojaric · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2015, 08:12 »

i don't have the same experience as cobalt...i've 1300/IS , 800/SS and 600/FT...Istock is still my first earner

Red Dove · « **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2015, 08:43 »

There really is only one way to find out.

I know this will make some people cross - but I wouldn't advise making any business decisions based on what anyone (myself included) says in a forum.....Unless you can establish a consensus backed up by hard data from a diverse range of contributors.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #20 on:** February 12, 2015, 09:56 »

Darn I keep clicking + + + Agree Agree Agree and it only gives you one?

Quote from: Red Dove on February 12, 2015, 08:43

There really is only one way to find out.

I know this will make some people cross - but I wouldn't advise making any business decisions based on what anyone (myself included) says in a forum.....Unless you can establish a consensus backed up by hard data from a diverse range of contributors.

mojaric · « **Reply #21 on:** February 12, 2015, 11:34 »

Quote from: Red Dove on February 12, 2015, 08:43

I know this will make some people cross - but I wouldn't advise making any business decisions based on what anyone (myself included) says in a forum.....Unless you can establish a consensus backed up by hard data from a diverse range of contributors.

+10k

Noedelhap · « **Reply #22 on:** February 12, 2015, 11:59 »

Quote from: Red Dove on February 12, 2015, 08:43

There really is only one way to find out.

I know this will make some people cross - but I wouldn't advise making any business decisions based on what anyone (myself included) says in a forum.....Unless you can establish a consensus backed up by hard data from a diverse range of contributors.

I disagree. While I believe that you should make an informed decision based on reliable sources, hard data is often not openly available. So we have to make decisions based on the little information we do have. If one of those sources is an internet forum full of personal opinions, so be it.
And doing nothing with the opinions above is a business decision as well, but you'll never know whether it's a good decision. Sometimes you just have to try and find out yourself.

ShadySue · « **Reply #23 on:** February 12, 2015, 12:14 »

Quote from: Noedelhap on February 12, 2015, 11:59

Quote from: Red Dove on February 12, 2015, 08:43
There really is only one way to find out.

I know this will make some people cross - but I wouldn't advise making any business decisions based on what anyone (myself included) says in a forum.....Unless you can establish a consensus backed up by hard data from a diverse range of contributors.

I disagree. While I believe that you should make an informed decision based on reliable sources, hard data is often not openly available.

All you need to do on iStock is go to the ports of some of the previously very big hitters, sort by 'age' and see how many of their most recent files have sold and how often. You can even check the dates to see if they've been uploading a lot recently - some apparently have, but to no avail in credit sales. (Of course, we know nothing about PP, subs or GI).

Difydave · « **Reply #24 on:** February 12, 2015, 13:00 »

Yes, you can get a pretty good idea of what's going on generally, by by a bit of research on the site there.
If you visit a forum regularly, it's also pretty easy to pick out who is generally worth listening to.
I haven't been uploading as much as I once did, but I had an EL yesterday on a file I uploaded less than twelve months ago.
Not much choice for exclusives but to upload some at least. Nowhere else much to go.

ShadySue · « **Reply #25 on:** February 12, 2015, 13:03 »

And indeed, it's quite interesting to also note who's NOT uploading, including an admin who is very vocal in iS's defence elsewhere, but who hasn't uploaded anything for many months.

cobalt · « **Reply #26 on:** February 12, 2015, 13:08 »

Quote from: Red Dove on February 12, 2015, 08:43

There really is only one way to find out.

I know this will make some people cross - but I wouldn't advise making any business decisions based on what anyone (myself included) says in a forum.....Unless you can establish a consensus backed up by hard data from a diverse range of contributors.

I fully agree with that. If someone is doing better than me at istock it can easily be that they are uploading much better and more modern pictures. I am mostly adding files of a similar style that is already in my portfolio there. If you have really good content you will outsell me easily at any agency. However I am still surprised that so many files are not doing better. And according to the stockperformer stats I am still in the top 50% on credit sales within that peer group, even though I am now indie, which is quite a surprise.

heywoody · « **Reply #27 on:** February 12, 2015, 15:55 »

If you can get past the extra work in uploading and the IP paranoia, RPI is still better than most. Can't seem to muster the enthusiasm to take my own advice though.

SnowDog · « **Reply #28 on:** February 12, 2015, 17:12 »

Just sold an image I uploaded last Monday so new images are still being found. I had a similar from the same shoot about 3 years ago so I think there are some good reasons to have a constant supply of images that you may think are too similar to other's in your portfolio, but the best match may never find.

OTOH, I've only sold three of the 100 I've UL'd since the beginning of January. A large portion of those were niche similar's so I will actually be surprised if I sell more than a handful of them (ever) but they weren't doing any good on my hard-drive.

And I've learned how to listen to nice music and enjoy a glass of wine while uploading so it's not a total waste of time.

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Author Topic: Any point uploading to Istock? (Read 10585 times)

PixelBytes

tickstock

ShadySue

StanRohrer

PixelBytes

Nikovsk

sgoodwin4813

PixelBytes

sgoodwin4813

Jeffrey

Asthebelltolls

dbvirago

SnowDog

PixelBytes

shudderstok

StockPhotosArt.com

cobalt

Noedelhap

mojaric

Red Dove

Uncle Pete

mojaric

Noedelhap

ShadySue

Difydave

ShadySue

cobalt

heywoody

SnowDog

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