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Author Topic: how many years you took to be exclusive? any regrets?  (Read 10539 times)

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« on: January 16, 2010, 21:26 »
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ADDRESSED TO IS EXCLUSIVES

IS has made quite a remarkable impression since the days when they got everyone pissed off with them a while back.
for me, as an indie and a very very recent IS contributor, it is the change in the attitude of the reviewers to be specific and more communicative that truly made IS review system commendable . as we know FT and the others are still giving those of you rejections with reasons that boggles your mind and vague reasons to say the least.

but i am not interested in your problem of rejection here.
i am more interested in hearing from those who have gone exclusive in the past couple of years, to ask them if they regret or feel it was a great move.
if it's the latter, why? other than having one site to upload RF.

also for everyone else of the exclusive IS, how long did it take you to be exclusive material. and how many images did you have in the portfolio before you decided it was time .

thank you in advance for sharing your insights.

ADDRESSED TO IS EXCLUSIVES
« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 11:46 by PERSEUS »


« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2010, 21:39 »
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dp
« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 11:46 by PERSEUS »

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2010, 22:30 »
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I thought I was having Deja Vu. http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/how-many-years-to-become-exclusive-any-regrets/msg129684/?topicseen#new

For me, good move.

Reasons? Sales performance, professionalism, efficiency.

How long? One year. Mostly due to images being locked in elsewhere.

Images? Dunno. Maybe around 150-200.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2010, 22:55 by PaulieWalnuts »

« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2010, 02:08 »
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Went exclusive about a year and half ago and have no regrets. For me it was about the time and the money. I tried non-ex for about 10 months and my iStock earnings never dipped below 70% of the total. Others have had different results of course. Time: I realized I'd much rather spend that extra 30% of my time (uploading, keywording, and categorizing the other sites) actually shooting and planning. So for me it was a no brainer.

I think I had around 800 or so images.

« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2010, 02:48 »
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I had contributed to a mid-stock agency for 4 years as an amateur. Made a few sales and was excited each time someone paid for one of my images. And it was quite decent money. But when I submitted images, they either accepted or rejected them. Never a word about WHY. No community to exchange thoughts and learn.

I started with iStock in early 2007. I also signed up for Shutterstock at the same time. iStock accepted 2 of my 3 application images, so I had to come up with only one new image and after I did, they accepted me within 24 hours. Shutterstock rejected 5 of my initial 10, so I would have to invest more time to learn first. I never found the time to do so. After joining iStock it took me about three months to realise THAT I have to change things and WHAT I have to change to become more successful. Partly because they gave rejection reasons, sometimes even attached an area of the image pointing out the problems. Partly because there was a great community to learn from and the Critique Request forum.

It took me 9 months to become exclusive - I was lucky because at that time they reduced the requirement to 250 downloads and 50% acceptance rate when I just had hit slightly more than 300. But otherwise it would have taken me maybe two months longer because my images started selling far better than I ever imagined.

Could I have had the same experience with another microstock agency? Most likely yes. But I didn't have the time to improve my skills in different places for different agencies. That's why I stick with iStock. Now I can submit RF images to iStock, three different Getty collections and with the Partner Program to subscription sites. I see less and less reason why I would go non-exclusive because I have all the options I need.

Regrets? Yes, once or twice I was seriously reconsidering exclusivity. But mostly from reading in this forum and an independent German forum I realised that other agencies may be different but not really better. They all have different reasons why contributors get angry about them.

Being exclusive at iStock allows me to plan, shoot and process for the needs of one agency. More time for my images (the fun stuff), less time for administration (the boring stuff). And it meant going to places, getting to great shootings, meeting nice people and having a lot of fun which I probably wouldn't have done if iStock was just one of the ten agencies I submitted to.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2010, 05:23 »
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Like Michael, I was lucky to have the advantage of the lowering of the limit to 250/50%, which happened when I was travelling. My intention had been to apply for Shutterstock when I got back, but I decided to go exclusive with iStock instead.
I have to say that my downloads are going down - the last two months had lower downloads than the same months in '07, when I had about 1/3 of the images I have now. 2009 uploads especially fared badly. With the current price raise, the money I get might now be about the same. I guess there's a limited amount of buyers but an almost unlimited flow of new suppliers.
My main regret is their stringent rules on what I can do with my photos. As a teacher, I often use CC-released images from file-sharing sites like Flickr, and I'd love to be able to 'pay back' - but iStock exclusivity prevents you from doing that, even with images they would never be interested in.
Actually, I guess you could ask Support specifically about that, they might give permission on a case by case basis. But it's the principle that you have to do that - for instance I've used photos taken on a mobile phone - the pics are only used on the Smartboard, they don't have to be 'pixel perfect'.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 18:50 by ShadySue »

« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2010, 09:20 »
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I thought I was having Deja Vu. http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/how-many-years-to-become-exclusive-any-regrets/msg129684/?topicseen#new

For me, good move.

Reasons? Sales performance, professionalism, efficiency.

How long? One year. Mostly due to images being locked in elsewhere.

Images? Dunno. Maybe around 150-200.


wow, that's really impressive Paulie!
i was under the impression that it takes at least 5 years and a lot more like 6,000 images
if you intend to be an IS exclusive.


« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2010, 09:54 »
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Went exclusive about a year and half ago and have no regrets. For me it was about the time and the money. I tried non-ex for about 10 months and my iStock earnings never dipped below 70% of the total. Others have had different results of course. Time: I realized I'd much rather spend that extra 30% of my time (uploading, keywording, and categorizing the other sites) actually shooting and planning. So for me it was a no brainer.

I think I had around 800 or so images.

time saved. that's a prime mover for me in considering exclusivity too. i see really only FT, DT and IS as worth the trouble, but i also see from my peers i've PMed that IS is really where you want to be because you can go from there to better things with your performance history.

i am consistently above 50% approval, so that is not a fence i need to jump. i have that already .

i also project  to put most of my future works in RM with Alamy, as for now, i have 100% approval there but all in RF..., and i am told i can still maintain Alamy with IS exclusivity.

my problem is trying to get the existing RF off the other Big 6  when the moment comes when i meet the other requiement of IS exclusivity.

ps
two lingering questions though:
- i have in the past 3 months 100% approval with StockXpert who approve my work within hours. i guess i will also have to leave StockXpert too , huh?
- i also have been getting whatever resubmittable rejections  approved
 how does RESUBMIT approval figure in approval ratio ?
is it one reject, one approval ? or one approval?
« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 10:10 by PERSEUS »

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2010, 11:00 »
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I thought I was having Deja Vu. http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/how-many-years-to-become-exclusive-any-regrets/msg129684/?topicseen#new
For me, good move. Reasons? Sales performance, professionalism, efficiency. How long? One year. Mostly due to images being locked in elsewhere.  Images? Dunno. Maybe around 150-200.
wow, that's really impressive Paulie! i was under the impression that it takes at least 5 years and a lot more like 6,000 images if you intend to be an IS exclusive.


Maybe I'm misunderstanding the question but depending on your image acceptance rating you just need 250-500 downloads to apply for IS exclusive and I don't think there's a minimum timeframe. I think that's pretty attainable in a short amount of time even with a small portfolio.

« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2010, 11:10 »
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Maybe I'm misunderstanding the question but depending on your image acceptance rating you just need 250-500 downloads to apply for IS exclusive and I don't think there's a minimum timeframe. I think that's pretty attainable in a short amount of time even with a small portfolio.

no, perharps it's my own error, Paulie.
so it's not how many images you have in your port, or how long you serve, but more so,the 250-500 dls that is the criterion.thanks for pointing it out.

 and i do much appreciate that you came in here first to get this thread ADDRESSED TO IS EXCLUSIVES started.

enjoy your sunday.

p.s.
also, now i see the sensibility of IS limit to uploads. or else it won't be difficult for someone with 6000 images to get 500 dls. moreover, i can appreciate someone with 100-150 images getting 250-500 dls  deserving IS exclusive status.

« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 11:26 by PERSEUS »

« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2010, 11:59 »
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- i also have been getting whatever resubmittable rejections  approved
 how does RESUBMIT approval figure in approval ratio ?
is it one reject, one approval ? or one approval?

It's one reject, one approval.

Missing MR don't count as rejections.

« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2010, 12:21 »
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- i also have been getting whatever resubmittable rejections  approved
 how does RESUBMIT approval figure in approval ratio ?
is it one reject, one approval ? or one approval?

It's one reject, one approval.

Missing MR don't count as rejections.

thanks MichaelJay. and also for your elaborate insight.  i can relate to most of it.
one being it will certainly be more sensible to just have IS as most of my submission to them is almost straight off the camera except for spotting and cc. and isolation...
as IS preference to as little post processing suits me just fine.
i am not a big fan of increased contrast, saturation,sharpening,etc..

i also like the simplicity of IS keywording. no abstract, just the description of what the images entail.
simply because my keywording stinks, lol... but asking me to just simply describe the image is cool.

but really, the thing that points to IS is that you now have the premium collection which contains a lot of creative images and of course more money for dls. it's nice to finally see that there is a place where the cream rises to the top.

quite a bit change from my initial impression of micro stock and it's direction for this new decade.
have a good sunday.





« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2010, 12:27 »
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i also project  to put most of my future works in RM with Alamy, as for now, i have 100% approval there but all in RF..., and i am told i can still maintain Alamy with IS exclusivity.



I'm not sure I have interpreted you correctly here, but you can't maintain Alamy RF with IS exclusivity - only Alamy RM.

You will have to remove all Alamy RF to apply for IS Exclusive - or convert to RM, if Alamy will permit.

« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2010, 12:35 »
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For myself, it took 8 months to reach 500 downloads in order to apply for exclusive, but I had to wait a month or so longer as I recall because I had some images with another agency.

As for regrets - well, if I had any, I would drop exclusivity.  It's not a life sentence.

« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2010, 12:38 »
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i also project  to put most of my future works in RM with Alamy, as for now, i have 100% approval there but all in RF..., and i am told i can still maintain Alamy with IS exclusivity.



I'm not sure I have interpreted you correctly here, but you can't maintain Alamy RF with IS exclusivity - only Alamy RM.

You will have to remove all Alamy RF to apply for IS Exclusive - or convert to RM, if Alamy will permit.

yes, you are right, i should have said i meant keep the RM, and give Alamy enough time to remove the RF. and no, you cannot change the licensing with Alamy. only request deletion of your port.
rightfully so, as who wants an RM that had RF history.

« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2010, 12:47 »
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EDITED
As for regrets - well, if I had any, I would drop exclusivity.  It's not a life sentence.

good point.
so i construe this :
 the ones who are not IS exclusives ...are not because they cannot... rather than they do not wish to be.
it's pretty obvious , esp now that there is a lot more carrot waving to be IS exclusive.

« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2010, 13:00 »
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EDITED
As for regrets - well, if I had any, I would drop exclusivity.  It's not a life sentence.

good point.
so i construe this :
 the ones who are not IS exclusives ...are not because they cannot... rather than they do not wish to be.
it's pretty obvious , esp now that there is a lot more carrot waving to be IS exclusive.

Yes, I would think that is the case for most independents.

I would estimate that most people - including myself - could probably make somewhat more in royalties by being independent, but it does involve extra time and work, so it's really a decision that depends on your personal circumstances.  I spend too much time at the computer as it is, I prefer to keep it simple!

« Reply #17 on: January 17, 2010, 13:09 »
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thx gannet77...thx all... you have a good sunday..

« Reply #18 on: January 17, 2010, 17:21 »
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EDITED.
Actually, I guess you could ask Support specifically about that, they might give permission on a case by case basis. But it's the principle that you have to do that - for instance I've used photos taken on a mobile phone - the pics are only used on the Smartboard, they don't have to be 'pixel perfect'.

i'm sorry if i misread.

did you say you actually got a picture approved by Istock taken with a MOBILE?
i don't use cell phones, only land line, i'm one of those ppl who never quite like the idea being contacted by phone literally wherever i am. i leave all contact to leave me a voice mail.

going back to the "pixel quality" of mobiles  (cell phones...to those of you living in North Am). are they really deficient in resolution?

if so, how did that get past the reviewer of IS? :o
« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 17:28 by PERSEUS »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #19 on: January 17, 2010, 17:45 »
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EDITED.
Actually, I guess you could ask Support specifically about that, they might give permission on a case by case basis. But it's the principle that you have to do that - for instance I've used photos taken on a mobile phone - the pics are only used on the Smartboard, they don't have to be 'pixel perfect'.

i'm sorry if i misread.
did you say you actually got a picture approved by Istock taken with a MOBILE?

No. What I said was that in many cases a photo taken on a mobile is adequate for many school uses but still iStock's exclusive rules would prevent an exclusive from offering them to a file-sharing site. (basically I was saying that iStock would never want the photos, but exclusives can't freely share them, which I find a real pain)

« Reply #20 on: January 17, 2010, 18:33 »
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EDITED.
Actually, I guess you could ask Support specifically about that, they might give permission on a case by case basis. But it's the principle that you have to do that - for instance I've used photos taken on a mobile phone - the pics are only used on the Smartboard, they don't have to be 'pixel perfect'.

i'm sorry if i misread.
did you say you actually got a picture approved by Istock taken with a MOBILE?

No. What I said was that in many cases a photo taken on a mobile is adequate for many school uses but still iStock's exclusive rules would prevent an exclusive from offering them to a file-sharing site. (basically I was saying that iStock would never want the photos, but exclusives can't freely share them, which I find a real pain)

phew, thx ShadySue.

yes, i have to admit there are still certain "quirky" conditions that seem a bit unreasonable:
one being what you just mentioned,
the other being .... rejected images.

« Reply #21 on: January 18, 2010, 00:06 »
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When I started out with micro back in 2006, I was with IS, SS, DT & FT.

After the first year I saw that the only site that consistently performed for me was IS. It was always 60-80% of my royalties each month and didn't seem dependent upon constant uploads to maintain download levels.

I was silver when I switched to exclusive and my royalties doubled over what they were on all sites combined in the first month.

I like only having to deal with one agent. Two of the agencies I dealt with before I will never again do business with based upon my experiences with them.

While there have been anxious times with best match changes and other things at IS, my royalties have been rising consistently even though I am not the most prolific uploader.

About 5% of my portfolio is in the Vetta Collection and those higher royalties have stabilized my monthly earnings so that there aren't any wild fluctuations from month to month.

« Reply #22 on: January 18, 2010, 04:51 »
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Interesting responses. Certainly pushes me closer towards exclusivity.

Caz

« Reply #23 on: January 18, 2010, 04:58 »
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I was independant for about 3 years before going exclusive. Back then, the only requirement was 500 downloads and I had more than 10,000 downloads when I went exclusive. The increased royalties (because I'd waited until I was gold the increase was significant) and the ability to concentrate on producing what sells best at one agency are what mostly appealed to me (as they all seem to have a slightly different style of what sells best and what gets accepted - or they did back then). Faster inspection times and possible better placement in the Best Match also helped my decision. I have time to shoot much more and spend less time uploading and trying to keep up with the administration involved in uploading to multiple sites.  I haven't regretted it once.

« Reply #24 on: January 18, 2010, 09:09 »
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i don't use cell phones, only land line, i'm one of those ppl who never quite like the idea being contacted by phone literally wherever i am.
I thought I was the only person left on the world without a cell phone!  :D


 

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