Author Topic: iStock exclusivity (Read 22751 times)

Digital66 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 05, 2014, 22:54 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 05, 2014, 22:11

Quote from: Digital66 on August 05, 2014, 11:45
Acceptance rate at iStock means nothing nowadays. They take whatever crappy image you upload, except when there is a copyright issue. So, no reason to be proud about a high acceptance rate (I don't mean to be rude, but that's the ugly truth!).

Fair point well taken, before the new standards came in I had an 80% acceptance rate

I bit the bullet and going to try exclusive for a while, fingers crossed it works out. The time-saving factor alone will have the wife happy, so that will make me happy too I'm not in this game professionally and don't expect to make a living wage out of it, just a bit of fun at the end of the day

I'm afraid you only have one image from the high standards time

That's why I don't believe much in percentages only.

NCHANT · « **Reply #26 on:** August 12, 2014, 21:10 »

Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive

have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month

if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent

KB · « **Reply #27 on:** August 12, 2014, 23:44 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10

Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent

I've had a total of 15 DLs for the entire month of August, so congratulations, you're doing a lot better than me. You're off to a great start.

BoBoBolinski · « **Reply #28 on:** August 13, 2014, 01:01 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10

Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent

I noticed your positive comments in the July sales discussion, one of the very few positives in there. When this happens I always check to see what sort of level of sales people have who are doing well. I see you have been at IS for 7 years and have sold >200 files in that period. That's an average of about 3 sales a month. It doesn't take much to improve on that.

enstoker · « **Reply #29 on:** August 13, 2014, 01:45 »

Quote from: BoBoBolinski on August 13, 2014, 01:01

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent

I noticed your positive comments in the July sales discussion, one of the very few positives in there. When this happens I always check to see what sort of level of sales people have who are doing well. I see you have been at IS for 7 years and have sold >200 files in that period. That's an average of about 3 sales a month. It doesn't take much to improve on that.

Ha ha ha, nchant

and you think that will somebody believe you?

NCHANT · « **Reply #30 on:** August 13, 2014, 03:50 »

Haha yes, I have been a stock buyer (I work in advertising) for 7 or so years, only contributed since June/July last year (check photo dates if you want). So yes, I am still a fresh contributor

Here's how this year is going so far:

ShadySue · « **Reply #31 on:** August 13, 2014, 06:34 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10

will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

I was there for years; not now, though.

Notes:
1. January was already down from Jan 2013, and 2013 as a whole was down from 2012.
2. Note the steepening of the decline since subs were introduced in April - a trend noted in many posts in the July sales threads. No surprise there - again they lied to us (as they previously did with TS) that it would be a 'new market'.
3. There is a summer slump generally reported, but July/Aug have not always been my slowest months.

It's good that you feel you are doing well, and that exclusivity will be good for you.
Indeed, maybe it will, but I can't help remembering all the iS fanboys/girls who raved about them here for years, trashing all contrary comments (usually suggesting anyone who wasn't doing well there was a crap producer), and are now indie.

Difydave · « **Reply #32 on:** August 13, 2014, 06:54 »

Quote from: ShadySue on August 13, 2014, 06:34

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.
I was there for years; not now, though.

It's good that you feel you are doing well, and that exclusivity will be good for you.
Indeed, maybe it will, but I can't remembering all the iS fanboys/girls who raved about them here for years, trashing all contrary comments (usually suggesting anyone who wasn't doing well there was a crap producer), and are now indie.

Ditto as far as the "not now" goes. Had a couple of weeks lately where payout wasn't reached. (OK one was the week with the repayment, but even so that was only $16. . .) and that's with 5500 images which used to do reasonably well for me.
This week for instance I've had one sale since Sunday evening. Nothing for over 48 hours.
If this present situation goes on for long I won't be an exclusive there much longer.
They seem to forget that they offer a service to sell images for the contributors who upload there. That is the deal.
Once they stop selling your images, for whatever reason, there is no point in uploading any more.
And certainly no reason to be exclusive.

shudderstok · « **Reply #33 on:** August 13, 2014, 09:22 »

Quote from: ShadySue on August 13, 2014, 06:34

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

I was there for years; not now, though.

Notes:
1. January was already down from Jan 2013, and 2013 as a whole was down from 2012.
2. Note the steepening of the decline since subs were introduced in April - a trend noted in many posts in the July sales threads. No surprise there - again they lied to us (as they previously did with TS) that it would be a 'new market'.
3. There is a summer slump generally reported, but July/Aug have not always been my slowest months.

It's good that you feel you are doing well, and that exclusivity will be good for you.
Indeed, maybe it will, but I can't help remembering all the iS fanboys/girls who raved about them here for years, trashing all contrary comments (usually suggesting anyone who wasn't doing well there was a crap producer), and are now indie.

rather entertaining watching them contradict with full conviction the full conviction they had in the past.

heywoody · « **Reply #34 on:** August 13, 2014, 17:40 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 05, 2014, 22:11

Quote from: Digital66 on August 05, 2014, 11:45
Acceptance rate at iStock means nothing nowadays. They take whatever crappy image you upload, except when there is a copyright issue. So, no reason to be proud about a high acceptance rate (I don't mean to be rude, but that's the ugly truth!).

Fair point well taken, before the new standards came in I had an 80% acceptance rate

I bit the bullet and going to try exclusive for a while, fingers crossed it works out. The time-saving factor alone will have the wife happy, so that will make me happy too I'm not in this game professionally and don't expect to make a living wage out of it, just a bit of fun at the end of the day

The oldest images in your port seem to be mid 2013 - after the end of standards at IS

NCHANT · « **Reply #35 on:** August 13, 2014, 18:51 »

Quote from: heywoody on August 13, 2014, 17:40

Quote from: NCHANT on August 05, 2014, 22:11
Quote from: Digital66 on August 05, 2014, 11:45
Acceptance rate at iStock means nothing nowadays. They take whatever crappy image you upload, except when there is a copyright issue. So, no reason to be proud about a high acceptance rate (I don't mean to be rude, but that's the ugly truth!).

Fair point well taken, before the new standards came in I had an 80% acceptance rate

I bit the bullet and going to try exclusive for a while, fingers crossed it works out. The time-saving factor alone will have the wife happy, so that will make me happy too I'm not in this game professionally and don't expect to make a living wage out of it, just a bit of fun at the end of the day

The oldest images in your port seem to be mid 2013 - after the end of standards at IS

That's not the point of this thread

I do however remember being in the the midst of the change when I was accepted as a contributor.
My images may suck as people are implying by the new standards vs old, but they are working for me and that's what I wanted to find out by going exclusive.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #36 on:** August 13, 2014, 19:40 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on August 02, 2014, 05:00

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on August 01, 2014, 22:45
This is a contributor with 385 images and between 300 and 400 sales. If 5 sales a month seems good to you (it isn't) then I guess exclusivity might be for you too

The OP is in the same-ish boat with 1000 images and around 25 sales a month...
http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?id=2411778

Honestly, just read the July thread and notice the only happy people are the ones who are going from 0 dls a day to 1.

nothing 2 say except to quote the above
as it is a shame that it takes so little to suddenly think
success !
now let's go exclusive, wow !

something worth repeating
what Jo Ann and JSLocke point out.

speechless, really

Digital66 · « **Reply #37 on:** August 13, 2014, 21:09 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10

Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent

You should curb your enthusiasm NCHANT... Unless you don't mind to suddenly get extremely disappointed.

BoBoBolinski · « **Reply #38 on:** August 13, 2014, 23:44 »

Quote from: Digital66 on August 13, 2014, 21:09

Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent
You should curb your enthusiasm NCHANT... Unless you don't mind to suddenly get extremely disappointed.

He's still there in the IS forums boasting about his success...

How's it working out for you since dropping the crown? I've just gone exclusive and earned more in 6 days than I did last month! And I have only been exclusive for 6 days

NCHANT · « **Reply #39 on:** August 14, 2014, 00:32 »

Quote from: BoBoBolinski on August 13, 2014, 23:44

Quote from: Digital66 on August 13, 2014, 21:09
Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent
You should curb your enthusiasm NCHANT... Unless you don't mind to suddenly get extremely disappointed.

He's still there in the IS forums boasting about his success...

How's it working out for you since dropping the crown? I've just gone exclusive and earned more in 6 days than I did last month! And I have only been exclusive for 6 days

Seriously? Am I not allowed to be happy with a decision in life when it's paying off? All this doom and gloom everyone talks about and I get flamed for being positive

* can never win I guess.

Holmes · « **Reply #40 on:** August 14, 2014, 01:29 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 14, 2014, 00:32

Quote from: BoBoBolinski on August 13, 2014, 23:44
Quote from: Digital66 on August 13, 2014, 21:09
Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent
You should curb your enthusiasm NCHANT... Unless you don't mind to suddenly get extremely disappointed.

He's still there in the IS forums boasting about his success...

How's it working out for you since dropping the crown? I've just gone exclusive and earned more in 6 days than I did last month! And I have only been exclusive for 6 days

Seriously? Am I not allowed to be happy with a decision in life when it's paying off? All this doom and gloom everyone talks about and I get flamed for being positive * can never win I guess.

It is just that when a hobbyist comes along and sings praise to IS over their meager earnings that are not indicative of the reality all of us are facing... well, don't expect us to do a group hug with you. Take your beer money and enjoy it but don't bang the gong of success in our face. These are hard working people who are seeing years of effort and expense shrivel up and fade away.

Your seven days of exclusive bliss is a false reality.

NCHANT · « **Reply #41 on:** August 14, 2014, 02:22 »

Quote from: Holmes on August 14, 2014, 01:29

Quote from: NCHANT on August 14, 2014, 00:32
Quote from: BoBoBolinski on August 13, 2014, 23:44
Quote from: Digital66 on August 13, 2014, 21:09
Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent
You should curb your enthusiasm NCHANT... Unless you don't mind to suddenly get extremely disappointed.

He's still there in the IS forums boasting about his success...

How's it working out for you since dropping the crown? I've just gone exclusive and earned more in 6 days than I did last month! And I have only been exclusive for 6 days

Seriously? Am I not allowed to be happy with a decision in life when it's paying off? All this doom and gloom everyone talks about and I get flamed for being positive * can never win I guess.

It is just that when a hobbyist comes along and sings praise to IS over their meager earnings that are not indicative of the reality all of us are facing... well, don't expect us to do a group hug with you. Take your beer money and enjoy it but don't bang the gong of success in our face. These are hard working people who are seeing years of effort and expense shrivel up and fade away.

Your seven days of exclusive bliss is a false reality.

Nothing wrong with being happy with a boost of income, other peoples earnings going down is not my problem and never will be. Not after a group hug but sounds like you need one, no need to be so sour, if it's not working out then choose a different career! I'm not in this game to earn a living, but to buy more gear with the money coming in - hell I just bought a new lens today, woop woop for me! Oh sorry, didn't mean to rub that in.
I'm not just singing praise for IS, just answering my own questions on my original post.

My current DL rate is averaging just over a DL a day, has anyone experienced the DL rate climb?
Yes my DL rate has climbed.
Has going exclusive increased your royalties to offset losing PP sales?
So far so very good.
How fast are the review rates? Mine are currently around 7 days

From 2 hours to 2 days.
How will going exclusive effect my 1000 files already for sale on iStock?
They have now gone up in price, and having S+ files is a bonus.
If you were contributing to Shutterstock as well, was it worth going exclusive?
For me it definitely has, although SS was a good earner, I don;t need it anymore.

Maybe you old timers won't find this thread useful - but new guys like me might.

BoBoBolinski · « **Reply #42 on:** August 14, 2014, 03:31 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 14, 2014, 02:22

Quote from: Holmes on August 14, 2014, 01:29
Quote from: NCHANT on August 14, 2014, 00:32
Quote from: BoBoBolinski on August 13, 2014, 23:44
Quote from: Digital66 on August 13, 2014, 21:09
Quote from: NCHANT on August 12, 2014, 21:10
Just an update on this, glad I wend exclusive have been exclusive for 7 days now, had 14 downloads which netted me more than the whole of last month if it stays like this then I will reach payout each week, which is more than I expected.

Excellent
You should curb your enthusiasm NCHANT... Unless you don't mind to suddenly get extremely disappointed.

He's still there in the IS forums boasting about his success...

How's it working out for you since dropping the crown? I've just gone exclusive and earned more in 6 days than I did last month! And I have only been exclusive for 6 days

Seriously? Am I not allowed to be happy with a decision in life when it's paying off? All this doom and gloom everyone talks about and I get flamed for being positive * can never win I guess.

It is just that when a hobbyist comes along and sings praise to IS over their meager earnings that are not indicative of the reality all of us are facing... well, don't expect us to do a group hug with you. Take your beer money and enjoy it but don't bang the gong of success in our face. These are hard working people who are seeing years of effort and expense shrivel up and fade away.

Your seven days of exclusive bliss is a false reality.

Nothing wrong with being happy with a boost of income, other peoples earnings going down is not my problem and never will be. Not after a group hug but sounds like you need one, no need to be so sour, if it's not working out then choose a different career! I'm not in this game to earn a living, but to buy more gear with the money coming in - hell I just bought a new lens today, woop woop for me! Oh sorry, didn't mean to rub that in.
I'm not just singing praise for IS, just answering my own questions on my original post.

My current DL rate is averaging just over a DL a day, has anyone experienced the DL rate climb?
Yes my DL rate has climbed.
Has going exclusive increased your royalties to offset losing PP sales?
So far so very good.
How fast are the review rates? Mine are currently around 7 days
From 2 hours to 2 days.
How will going exclusive effect my 1000 files already for sale on iStock?
They have now gone up in price, and having S+ files is a bonus.
If you were contributing to Shutterstock as well, was it worth going exclusive?
For me it definitely has, although SS was a good earner, I don;t need it anymore.

Maybe you old timers won't find this thread useful - but new guys like me might.

There's nothing like a bit of insensitivity to make yourself feel good. Carry on, you'll make lots of friends here.

NCHANT · « **Reply #43 on:** August 14, 2014, 04:25 »

Hey I feel good, so what? If it works for me then sweet, works for other people too. No need to put a downer on everything, so many people complain, I feel it's good to add a positive note to it. But then people like you come along and try to steal it away? Come on man, that's not fair.
Let us small folk enjoy our wins, even if it only lasts a short while. We're all here to try selling stock and I've learned a shitload since I started thanks to people, kinda, like you. Now I see myself as a better photographer and can go out and shoot what I see, and how I see it. People are buying it, end result is win win.

Cheer up and have a beer

BoBoBolinski · « **Reply #44 on:** August 14, 2014, 04:47 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 14, 2014, 04:25

Hey I feel good, so what? If it works for me then sweet, works for other people too. No need to put a downer on everything, so many people complain, I feel it's good to add a positive note to it. But then people like you come along and try to steal it away? Come on man, that's not fair.
Let us small folk enjoy our wins, even if it only lasts a short while. We're all here to try selling stock and I've learned a shitload since I started thanks to people, kinda, like you. Now I see myself as a better photographer and can go out and shoot what I see, and how I see it. People are buying it, end result is win win.

Cheer up and have a beer

Nothing wrong with positivity, most of us are up for a bit of that. What annoys people is that your boasting tone, written from a position of tiny sales compared to many here, is just irritating. That is all. If you are in advertising, and not just the art directors tea boy, you understand the psychology of selling. Try selling yourself in a way that is positive but sympathetic, rather than positive and gloating/boasting, which is how you come across. Plenty of people have been earning very good salaries here, probably much higher than you can achieve in your day job, supporting families, paying mortgages etc. Many have seen a severe erosion in that income, and when someone comes along saying 'whey hey, look at me I'm doing brilliantly, shut up you miserable so and so's, celebrate my success', and especially when that success, whilst laudable, is pretty small scale, then it just gets a bit tedious and people are a bit unhappy listening to it. Pretty simple really.

NCHANT · « **Reply #45 on:** August 14, 2014, 04:53 »

Fair enough, but still, gotta take it as it goes and so far it's worked out a great gamble. And yes, I am an Art Director.

On another note, BoBoBolinski, I see you are an illustrator, does iStock accept gradient mesh illustrations? I haven't checked criteria yet but I have a ton of vectors from over the years that could work, like this: http://www.creativeduck.blogspot.co.nz/2011/05/apple-illustrator-mesh-tool.html

ShadySue · « **Reply #46 on:** August 14, 2014, 05:11 »

I have to say nchant, your tenacity is applaudable. Your sales are good for new files nowadays, that's how bad it's got there; but I'd probably have given up after six months if my sales had been that low when I started. I've all but stopped uploading now.

NCHANT · « **Reply #47 on:** August 14, 2014, 05:16 »

Thanks Sue, to be honest it was Flickr that has given me the boost to try this out, and it's not my day job so I don't need to rely on the income anyway. I'm not hiding either, so everything here is honest and me, so I apologise if I come across the wrong way.
Feel free to have a look at some of my work that isn't/won't all be available on iStock: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeymack/

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #48 on:** August 14, 2014, 05:29 »

Quote from: NCHANT on August 14, 2014, 02:22

Maybe you old timers won't find this thread useful - but new guys like me might.

Possibly, but what happens with one person isn't necessarily what happens with another. Also, after a week of exclusivity I would suggest that you are still in the "one swallow doesn't make a summer" phase at iStock. You need some more data before you can really make an informed judgment on the questions you raised.

Working out whether or not to go exclusive was always a difficult problem, right from the start.

shudderstok · « **Reply #49 on:** August 14, 2014, 09:23 »

@NCHANT...
Good for you if it's working for you on IS. As you may have noticed now MSG is a breeding ground of negativity and contempt for anything remotely positive in regards to feeling happy with IS. Now you are into the gang rape mentality of how wrong you are and you won't make any friends here - oh boo hoo. Keep doing what makes you feel good and if the others need to live in a cesspool of bitterness towards another's choice and success with that decision, that is who and what they live with everyday. Carry on!!!

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Author Topic: iStock exclusivity (Read 22751 times)

Digital66

NCHANT

KB

BoBoBolinski

enstoker

NCHANT

ShadySue

Difydave

shudderstok

heywoody

NCHANT

etudiante_rapide

Digital66

BoBoBolinski

NCHANT

Holmes

NCHANT

BoBoBolinski

NCHANT

BoBoBolinski

NCHANT

ShadySue

NCHANT

BaldricksTrousers

shudderstok

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