Author Topic: how to be non-exclusive...for dummies (Read 20149 times)

bittersweet · « **Reply #50 on:** February 24, 2009, 18:43 »

Quote from: yecatsdoherty on February 24, 2009, 12:30

okay, thanks....I know not to put any images up until after 30 days. I would never go against my iStock contract. I just wanted to be sure it is okay to set up accounts etc.

It's totally fine to have accounts on whatever sites you want. Many people register everywhere they can for the sole purpose of securing their username and preventing someone else from using (or abusing) it. As long as no images are live elsewhere until after the 30 days, you should be fine.

yecatsdoherty · « **Reply #51 on:** February 24, 2009, 19:18 »

thank you....I hoped that was the case.

alias · « **Reply #52 on:** February 26, 2009, 09:10 »

I'm also beginning to wonder about the route towards giving up exclusivity at iStock.

Would that mean that I would no longer be able to upload to Getty via the iStock programme ? Would work which is already at the Getty site have to be taken down ?

yecatsdoherty · « **Reply #53 on:** February 26, 2009, 12:16 »

I'm not sure about Getty. I didn't upload anything to Getty, I meant to but the process was so involved that I kept putting it off...

bittersweet · « **Reply #54 on:** February 26, 2009, 14:45 »

Quote from: alias on February 26, 2009, 09:10

Would that mean that I would no longer be able to upload to Getty via the iStock programme ? Would work which is already at the Getty site have to be taken down ?

The answer to your first question is definitely yes. I'm 95% sure that the answer to your second question is yes as well. A quick phone call to contributor relations could clear it up for sure.

travelstock · « **Reply #55 on:** February 26, 2009, 14:59 »

As has been said previously, it might be worth holding off until you can also assess the impact of turning gold - I know from when I turned Bronze and Silver, there was a noticeable jump in downloads - not being exclusive, this obviously wasn't due to an increased royalty percentage.

While its impossible to know what the best match is factoring in at any particular time, my guess would be that ranking is a significant factor.

One problem with switching tracks as your considering is that some of the agencies that you'd be relying on for income take quite some time to develop your ranking. The two I'm thinking of mainly here are FT and DT. I'm pretty sure FT factors in your ranking in search results - not to mention that a higher % of commission applies as you progress through the ranks. DT pays higher commissions on differently ranked images - these take some time to develop popularity.

I guess what you're facing is the difficulty all of us face when considering changing tracks. Once you've entrenched yourself in one way of doing things, its hard to switch. I've considered IS exclusivity in the past, but like for many here the numbers either didn't add up, or only did in a best case scenario. Going the other way, you'd face the 30 day restrictions from IS, a certain cut to your income there (though of unknown size) and the prospect of contributing to sites where a certain amount of advantage is given to more established contributors.

Either way, many will be watching to see how you go.

gostwyck · « **Reply #56 on:** February 26, 2009, 15:15 »

Quote from: holgs on February 26, 2009, 14:59

I know from when I turned Bronze and Silver, there was a noticeable jump in downloads - not being exclusive, this obviously wasn't due to an increased royalty percentage.

While its impossible to know what the best match is factoring in at any particular time, my guess would be that ranking is a significant factor.

I'm certain that this is not the case. I've monitored the performance of quite a few portfolios that have passed ranking points without ever seeing a difference.

You could of course use multimedia.de's excellent chart to see the effect 'live' as it were, observing the performance of other contributors who have recently passed Gold in comparison to those who have yet to do so. If Holgs theory is correct you should see a marked difference in the 30-day % gain/loss between each group. (NB: I've checked and there isn't).

travelstock · « **Reply #57 on:** February 26, 2009, 19:03 »

Quote from: gostwyck on February 26, 2009, 15:15

Quote from: holgs on February 26, 2009, 14:59
I know from when I turned Bronze and Silver, there was a noticeable jump in downloads - not being exclusive, this obviously wasn't due to an increased royalty percentage.

While its impossible to know what the best match is factoring in at any particular time, my guess would be that ranking is a significant factor.

I'm certain that this is not the case. I've monitored the performance of quite a few portfolios that have passed ranking points without ever seeing a difference.

You could of course use multimedia.de's excellent chart to see the effect 'live' as it were, observing the performance of other contributors who have recently passed Gold in comparison to those who have yet to do so. If Holgs theory is correct you should see a marked difference in the 30-day % gain/loss between each group. (NB: I've checked and there isn't).

Wow you seem quite certain. I'm assuming you're referring to http://istockcharts.multimedia.de/

I also just had a look - while there aren't universal increases, I don't think there is enough data there to rule it out.

looking at the first 10 who have just turned gold:

+22, +29, +4, +12, N/A, +10, +8, +30, +28, +38

Of the 50 most recent gold contributors - 40 are up, 10 are down. The only big decrease is in a portfolio that has a lot of Christmas images in it. Which brings me to the next point... Christmas... Obviously there are lots of other factors influencing sales - the type of image in a portfolio, the season, what the latest best match is doing etc. At the moment there have been about half a dozen best match changes in the last 3 months, not to mention Christmas going into the equation.

None of us can really get a clear picture of what the best match is doing, despite our best attempts to do so. While the 30/90 day average might be some indicator, the timeframes aren't really the best for judging whether there is a spike between jumping canister levels and downloads. Much better would be 7day/30 day splits, and a different time of year.

From my personal experience with a lowly 2 canister jumps, I did notice a spike - was it a coincidence? I can't be sure. If we could be sure of the science of all this, then it would make exclusivity etc. a much easier decision. Just be careful of anyone presenting absolute facts. In any case, what might have held true yesterday can just as easily be reversed tomorrow.

anaire · « **Reply #58 on:** February 26, 2009, 21:03 »

Hi Stacey,
this idea, drilled by the IS admins into every corner of a thought, that IS is the greatest agency in the world and all the others are sporting nothing but mediocre collections while joyously accepting every crappy shot, is completely false.
I told you so before, but did you believe me?
Of course not!
People believe (mostly) what they want to believe.
Well, the truth may hurt feelings and be not so politicaly correct, but ultimately it is much more useful.
Sit down and have a look at your portfolio.
I'm not criticizing it in any way, (no way!), but just be aware that you're going to have a hard time with a number of your files. And that's including Istock flames.
Keep the following list in mind:
Stockexpert and BigStock are the easier to get into.
Stockexpert asks for an initial test, but it's nothing to worry about. Following that, their review time is ultra, ultra fast (literally minutes). Sales are plenty, but sadly, at least in my case, they're mostly subscriptions. With a port like yours, there'll be lots and lots of them though.
BigStock takes a bit longer to start selling, but they're friendly and easy to deal with. Give them a try!
Dreamstime
Forget everything 'E-person' said about Dreamstime. He has his personal reasons, and he is obviously wrong.
DT's reviewers are (the most) consistent, time and time again, fair and very well trained.
DT's review time is longer though.
A lovely forum, monthly competitions, and lots of happy contributors eager to help.
Also, they have a superb rewarding system. It's all about the image. The better the image, the higher the level and the more money you make.
Fotolia is tough, get ready for surprising rejections. As a curiosity, they lo.o.o.o.ve isolations. When correctly done, all of them get accepted, no matter how boring or common the subject.
SS is the leader.
You probably know by now that you'll have to pass an initial test. It's not easy, but I'm sure you won't have a problem.
Once that's out of the way, sales literally come with every single click of the page. More and more and more. Most of them are subscriptions, but you get OD's and even EL's as well, summing up to an amount IS, at least in my case, has never been able to even half.
Don't look back Stacey!
Istock crowns are nothing more than silly icons designed to excite kids. Unsupported by real numbers, they're not worth a *.
Welcome to the free world, initial bumps and all, this is a much more exciting, rewarding and fun place to be!
And don't worry!
You'll do just fine!
Wishing you all the best, can't wait to see you on DT!

Anna

yecatsdoherty · « **Reply #59 on:** February 26, 2009, 22:09 »

^ Anaire, though I know you are being nice in some strange way, your post is off the rails. though I have had my own issues with some current istock decisions, your attitude about them is so off base that I don't even know where to begin. regardless of my feelings about sales at iStock right now, and regardless of my exclusivity status, I will continue to be a proud contributor to the iStock collection..

toming · « **Reply #60 on:** March 26, 2009, 02:30 »

Quote from: helix7 on February 22, 2009, 23:49

I don't envy your decision, as it's a tougher one to make from your perspective. It's easy for me to add up everything I earn in a month, compare the total to my istock earnings, and make a decision about whether I would be winning or losing if I were exclusive. You don't have that option, and opting to go non-exclusive would be more of a leap of faith than a by-the-numbers decision.

You certainly wouldn't be the only one questioning your exclusivity in these slow economic times. I had a brief email exchange with a Black Diamond exclusive a few weeks ago asking me about my website and some other things related to selling independently, because they were thinking about jumping ship as well. It's a lot to think about, and not an easy thing to do if you do take the plunge (think about the time you'll spend uploading your entire portfolio to all those other sites), but it sounds like for some people it is becoming a more likely possibility.

I'm also thinking of withdrawing my exclusivity to istock, but I'm quite confused. Based on your opinion, is it healthy to your part that you've spread your works? I need some advice guys..

volschenkh · « **Reply #61 on:** March 29, 2009, 04:58 »

Quote from: anaire on February 26, 2009, 21:03

this idea, drilled by the IS admins into every corner of a thought, that IS is the greatest agency in the world and all the others are sporting nothing but mediocre collections while joyously accepting every crappy shot, is completely false.

Wow these IS admins sound like the microstock mafia who will torment you (with power tools) if you don't agree with them. An incredible flight of imagination you have, you must have an very creative portfolio with such an vivid imagination. So sad to see your profile is "hidden" would have loved to see your portfolio on any of these sites.

null · « **Reply #62 on:** March 29, 2009, 13:33 »

Quote from: volschenkh on March 29, 2009, 04:58

So sad to see your profile is "hidden" would have loved to see your portfolio on any of these sites.

Personally I don't pay much attention to "new users" that have no portfolio links at all and start to voice very strong opinions. If they go on, I mostly ignore them. Nothing personal, but it's a waste of time if somebody starts a gossip game that doesn't advance my understanding of the business.
Anaire isn't one of those and it's quite easy to find her portfolio.

sweetgirll · « **Reply #63 on:** March 29, 2009, 13:52 »

Hi,
I'm jumping in...
I have been there for years, but I was exclusive for more than a year...It was okay.
Then, a few months ago all the sudden my earnings declined like crazy???..
Just as a way of example, I was consistently making no less than 200 then it went down to 100 or less, and has been like these for the last months, so why do I want exclusivity for?

I have a small porftolio, so Im better off scattering the images on other sites

I cancelled my exclusivity. I want to contribute to more of the big ones.

KB · « **Reply #64 on:** March 29, 2009, 14:59 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on March 29, 2009, 13:33

Personally I don't pay much attention to "new users" that have no portfolio links at all and start to voice very strong opinions. If they go on, I mostly ignore them.

Personally I don't mind being ignored.

If I had portfolio links, you might ignore me anyway.

But I want to feel free to express my opinions, both positive and negative. If I include portfolio links, I lose my anonymity. And we all know that Fotolia, for example, has publicly stated that if they feel your opinions are a detriment to their business, they will close your account, even if you post them on a 3rd-party forum such as this. So I intend to remain unknown and safe from such retribution, no matter what site it might be.

lisafx · « **Reply #65 on:** March 29, 2009, 15:11 »

For the reasons stated above by KB I don't blame anyone for wanting to be anonymous. Although it is rare, it does seem that occasionally people are targeted for what they say on independent forums.

I don't have portfolio links, but at the same time I am not using a pseudonym either. Sometimes the fact that I am not anonymous keeps me from flying off the handle and saying things in the heat of the moment that are better left unsaid.

But like I said, I don't blame anyone who prefers to stay anonymous. Usually you can read between the lines and figure out who knows what they are talking about and who's just shooting off their mouth with nothing to back it up. And there are a couple of pseudonym folks here that I have a pretty good idea who they are based on their colorful writing style

Anyway, I am glad anonymity is an option because it keeps the conversation around here honest and a lot less boring than the conversations on some of the site forums.

vonkara · « **Reply #66 on:** March 29, 2009, 18:56 »

Actually having unnecessary views on IS is not a good idea. BigStock is a good one to link for getting some views, as it could be part of the search engine, but I'm not with them. Others I can't say. That's in part why I limit myself to StockXpert for the moment until the next best match at IS have been online... and solved!

volschenkh · « **Reply #67 on:** March 30, 2009, 14:20 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on March 29, 2009, 13:33

Quote from: volschenkh on March 29, 2009, 04:58
So sad to see your profile is "hidden" would have loved to see your portfolio on any of these sites.

Personally I don't pay much attention to "new users" that have no portfolio links at all and start to voice very strong opinions. If they go on, I mostly ignore them. Nothing personal, but it's a waste of time if somebody starts a gossip game that doesn't advance my understanding of the business.
Anaire isn't one of those and it's quite easy to find her portfolio.

Actually I was just in a tongue-in-cheek mood. Of course everyone has the right to anonymity and vent their views on a forum where they are free to express them. I just find it sad to see some people have such a negative view of one microstock agency. I mean, can any one of us really give an objective analysis of which site hosts the best images? What are the criteria? How do you calculate this? Surely each microstock site have some of the best and some of the worst images. We have to have a balanced view on this issue, unless there's raw facts to substantiate, and not single out one agency in a public forum.

DanP68 · « **Reply #68 on:** March 30, 2009, 22:13 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 29, 2009, 15:11

For the reasons stated above by KB I don't blame anyone for wanting to be anonymous. Although it is rare, it does seem that occasionally people are targeted for what they say on independent forums.

Agreed. We had a high profile contributor targeted last summer for trying to organize a protest of Fotolia's extremely low subs commission offer. It most certainly happens.

DanP68 · « **Reply #69 on:** March 30, 2009, 22:18 »

Anaire brought up some very good points. One major caveat which she alluded to...Shutterstock is the leader for a lot of non-exclusive contributors. But their initial test is a bear. Take a look at their critique forum sometime...sure the majority of those rejected clearly deserve to be. But there are plenty of applicants rejected who offer to supply them with strong images. If you want to make a lot of money as a non-exclusive, you almost certainly need to be selling at Shutterstock. And sometimes it takes a while to break into their agency.

helix7 · « **Reply #70 on:** March 30, 2009, 23:55 »

Quote from: toming on March 26, 2009, 02:30

I'm also thinking of withdrawing my exclusivity to istock, but I'm quite confused. Based on your opinion, is it healthy to your part that you've spread your works? I need some advice guys..

For me personally, I am far better off working independently. Last year my istock earnings were much better, and I did actually give some serious thought to going exclusive. But this year, I really don't see how I would be doing any better as an exclusive istock contributor. I know I'd be making much less if I were selling only at istock.

But that's just me. I know of a few istock exclusive vector guys who most likely would do worse as independents. It's different for everyone, and you need to make your own decision and assessment of your portfolio and earnings potential at other sites.

Fred · « **Reply #71 on:** March 31, 2009, 00:06 »

FWIW:

Shutterstock started strong for me but as I have added to my portfolio earnings have steadily decreased. My BME was my first month there and I had only 40 images I now have over 260 and just had my WME. Very difficult to figure this out. iStock had been up and down for me seemingly fluctuating with changes in the best match but this is my BME there with double what I made at Shutterstock with only 117 images.

Most here seem to love DT and hate FT but based on earnings FT is much the better of the two sites in my experience.

fred

yecatsdoherty · « **Reply #72 on:** March 31, 2009, 00:16 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 29, 2009, 15:11

For the reasons stated above by KB I don't blame anyone for wanting to be anonymous. Although it is rare, it does seem that occasionally people are targeted for what they say on independent forums.

I don't have portfolio links, but at the same time I am not using a pseudonym either. Sometimes the fact that I am not anonymous keeps me from flying off the handle and saying things in the heat of the moment that are better left unsaid.

But like I said, I don't blame anyone who prefers to stay anonymous. Usually you can read between the lines and figure out who knows what they are talking about and who's just shooting off their mouth with nothing to back it up. And there are a couple of pseudonym folks here that I have a pretty good idea who they are based on their colorful writing style

Anyway, I am glad anonymity is an option because it keeps the conversation around here honest and a lot less boring than the conversations on some of the site forums.

really well said Lisa.....I wish I could retrospectively be anonymous for some of my rants when istock sales plummeted....but I'm back on the rails.

lisafx · « **Reply #73 on:** March 31, 2009, 11:21 »

Quote from: yecatsdoherty on March 31, 2009, 00:16

.....I wish I could retrospectively be anonymous for some of my rants when istock sales plummeted....but I'm back on the rails.

Don't feel bad Stacey. This industry can be high stress at times and most of us have felt the need to blow off steam at one time or another.

The way I see it, anyone who's worth a darn won't hold it against you, and who cares about the others?

stacey_newman · « **Reply #74 on:** March 31, 2009, 12:11 »

^ lol, I know....I finally got around to changing my username here.....I changed it on iStock over a year ago....

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Author Topic: how to be non-exclusive...for dummies (Read 20149 times)

bittersweet

yecatsdoherty

alias

yecatsdoherty

bittersweet

travelstock

gostwyck

travelstock

anaire

yecatsdoherty

toming

volschenkh

null

sweetgirll

KB

lisafx

vonkara

volschenkh

DanP68

DanP68

helix7

Fred

yecatsdoherty

lisafx

stacey_newman

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