I am an iStock exclusive and I am wondering if exclusivity still gives the increase sales potential claimed. 

Are there any former exclusives who have found it better without the crown?

I've heard stories both ways, that is, exclusives who have given it up and don't regret it (see one in this thread http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=104171&messageid=1685671&source=rssforums#post1685671, 5 posts down), and from exclusives who've given it up and then gone back after finding it didn't work so well.

For the latter, see http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=84027&page=1 - but it's in the "Exclusive Program" forum so any of you who aren't won't be able to see it.

You can always try it and see how it goes...  they will take you back!

Another set of opinions would be the ones from long time independents who went exclusive late in the game, like tacojim and jsnover.  They also have a unique perspective of what exclusivity looks like from both sides.

I guess you know where I end up in the balancing of pros & cons given that I'm still exclusive, just about a year after making the switch. There's a lot to recommend being independent, and I think for people starting out, it actually makes a ton more sense to be independent - the small increase in iStock commission just doesn't cover the loss from other sites.

iStock was in a state of best match turmoil right after I went exclusive, and the first few months were very rocky. There was also the burial of vector files in the search results which caused me to change plans to emphasize vectors more. Ever since BM2.0 (with a minor hiccup when Vetta was introduced and virtually nothing else showed up on the first few pages of searches) things have been doing well from a sales point of view.

I realize the risks involved in dealing with one one agent for RF licenses, but for me, that's outweighed by reward of not getting involved in trying to deal with anti-contributor moves at multiple sites.

I'm part of the iStock middle class - not a newbie or one of the top sellers. I have had second thoughts once or twice - last time was when the partner program was anounced - but then one or other site I used to submit to is kind enough to pull some asinine stunt and I stop having them

Thanks for the input. 

I guess I am frustrated that my sales are less than they were a year ago and my dl/image figure has dropped to pre-exclusivity numbers.  I have increased the size of my portfolio considerablly in that time too (and some of those images have done well).  I guess we all wonder if the grass is greener.

I am unsure on the partner program and vetta and I am not taking part in either. Maybe this is a bad idea?

Why would you not take part in Vetta? I don't see any downside to it all and I'd like to be part of that if I could (but exclusivity would be too high a price to pay).

Trust me, if your sales stagnate at IS then in my experience they tend to stagnate also pretty much everywhere else too. The only real cure is an improvement to the portfolio.

I agree with jsnover here that I would prefer to move up the levels and increase my overall commission.  Also vetta doesn't like me. I shoot stock not art.  Shooting something that appeals to a very small number of people seems a bit strange for microstock.  Sticking it at the front of the search is questionable too.  The higher production value doesn't wash with me either. A lot are single person portraits, yes they are good but...  It seems more like club for certain contributors.

Gostwyck, I take on board your point about a portfolio.  It could just be that I suck or maybe my work is more useful/boring and hence easily replicatable (I don't think people are intentionally copying me, they're just shooting the same stuff).

Nancy, do you find overall that you are making more or less per month as an independent over being exclusive? 

Comparing my last 10 months as a true exclusive to the 10 months that I have been a full non-exclusive the difference in royalties is less than 1%.

That seems like very little financial benefit and a whole lot more work.  I would think if you factored in the extra time you spend uploading to multiple sites, you would have definitely incurred a substantial loss as a result of your decision.  Or am I missing something?

I don't have any regrets either.  I haven't missed a beat from my non-exclusive days and spend a lot less time uploading.  1% is pretty insignificant.

I don't have any regrets either.  I haven't missed a beat from my non-exclusive days and spend a lot less time uploading.  1% is pretty insignificant.

It's a little early to tell from that.  What's important is the trend - you would expect it to take a while for the other sites to pick up enough to recoup the lost income from the exclusive bump, but if the income from them is still rising while that from IS is still flat, that would be a positive sign.

Me though, I'm happy being exclusive too.

^^^ at Sean    only 50 contributors were chosen though (phase 1), not EVERY exclusive gets to contribute. Phase 2 more will be chosen.

If one only gets a 1% increase in sales vs all the time spent uploading to other sites, that translates to a net loss.

That is only one person talking about their experience. I have been non-exclusive for about four years now. In Dec. of 2008, I was seriously contemplating exclusivity and started pulling photos and stopped uploading to other sites to prepare for that move. The first week of January, I ran reports of my sales for 2008 at IS and reports of my other sites. The sales I have at other sites, at that point, were right around 25% more than I would have made if I went exclusive. To me, that translates to a net gain.

Needless to say, I stayed non-exclusive.

No regrets. If your crown has lost its shine I have a special exclusive polish for the low cost of only...

For me the 1% difference is a positive sign. In my last year as an exclusive I made less money per image then when I was non-exclusive only submitting to IS and struggling to get to 500 dls so that I could be exclusive. In that same year 1/4 of my portfolio was sent to the dollar bin. Some of the images I agreed with, others went on to get flames while in the bin. I was denied the ability to apply for the Getty contract ("not available to Gold - and you'll never make Silver") and I was told by admin that it was a mistake that my exclusive application ever got approved. For me the choice was about more than just the money. It was about being able to get a fair chance to sell my work.

I expected to loose money the first year as I became established on the other sites. I'm pleasantly surprised that I didn't. The lost income from lower royalties at IS was easily replaced by the income from the other sites. In addition to that I am now seeing an increase in my sales on the other sites which means that while IS sales continue to go down I'll not only be able to cover the loss but may also be able to add more revenue through the other sites.

It doesn't take me any more time to upload to the other sites than it does to upload to IS. I use FF tabs and set each site to upload then open DM and upload to IS.

I was told by admin that it was a mistake that my exclusive application ever got approved.

Yes, this sounds bizarre.  I've never heard of anyone being denied exclusivity.