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Author Topic: istock sales is it joke or something else?  (Read 16991 times)

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madman

    This user is banned.
« on: June 23, 2018, 04:21 »
0
please see my istock monthly sale stats, my revenue constantly decreasing in a terrible way, I dont understand why is so much down while I still constantly upload new images, can anyone explain this if understand? is it real or just a joke?



ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2018, 05:38 »
+3
That's the way it is. Apart from Jonbull on here, everyone else I've read from says new content isn't selling. I can't comment on that as I haven't uploaded there for two years. FWIW, my May was over 20% down on last May, which was already pretty low.
If you want to be totally scunnered read the rally the troops  ::) message on their news forum. Have a sickbag to hand.

« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2018, 05:40 »
+8
iStock has been a joke for the last two or three years.

madman

    This user is banned.
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2018, 06:21 »
0
I wonder if is it happening on istock or getty side with something I missed? may revenue has fall almost 70 %, so much fall does not seem normal at all.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 06:23 by madman »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2018, 06:35 »
+4
My sales are down, but also I had a higher proportion of PA sales, which shoots the rpd down. Quite probably, Getty is working hard to migrate buyers into PA.

« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2018, 06:47 »
+2
iShitty at its best xD
previous month we only had about $70 (not eligible for payment), last month about $160... as seen from their graphs. But we got the payment of $177 XD Sure, where did the rest of money go? Again in your * stealing pockets??? It is just hilarious.

« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2018, 08:43 »
0
hey guys, i dont know what to think, i started from scratch in june 2017, and it's my best month so far with a 35$ US commission. My port is now around 800 pics (IS SS DT), 500 on alamy (since december), 400  on AS.  I saw a progression in my revenu. Like SS and DT. Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have. I have an average income of about $ 70 / month, income that I did not have before, so for me it's nice. Then when I go out on a mission, it's mainly for the pleasure of taking pictures and improving my techniques. For now, I see only positive ... we will talk about it at the end of my 2nd year!

madman

    This user is banned.
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2018, 09:03 »
+4
hey guys, i dont know what to think, i started from scratch in june 2017, and it's my best month so far with a 35$ US commission. My port is now around 800 pics (IS SS DT), 500 on alamy (since december), 400  on AS.  I saw a progression in my revenu. Like SS and DT. Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have. I have an average income of about $ 70 / month, income that I did not have before, so for me it's nice. Then when I go out on a mission, it's mainly for the pleasure of taking pictures and improving my techniques. For now, I see only positive ... we will talk about it at the end of my 2nd year!


why are you writing an irrelevant message about the subject? Do not you see the title?

« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2018, 09:29 »
+4
hey guys, i dont know what to think, i started from scratch in june 2017, and it's my best month so far with a 35$ US commission. My port is now around 800 pics (IS SS DT), 500 on alamy (since december), 400  on AS.  I saw a progression in my revenu. Like SS and DT. Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have. I have an average income of about $ 70 / month, income that I did not have before, so for me it's nice. Then when I go out on a mission, it's mainly for the pleasure of taking pictures and improving my techniques. For now, I see only positive ... we will talk about it at the end of my 2nd year!


why are you writing an irrelevant message about the subject? Do not you see the title?
Well not completely perhaps as he said newer or smaller contributors are getting higher search placement. Its quite likely that a change in Algorithm may have impacted you badly.

namussi

« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2018, 10:37 »
+2
hey guys, i dont know what to think, i started from scratch in june 2017, and it's my best month so far with a 35$ US commission. My port is now around 800 pics (IS SS DT), 500 on alamy (since december), 400  on AS.  I saw a progression in my revenu. Like SS and DT. Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have. I have an average income of about $ 70 / month, income that I did not have before, so for me it's nice. Then when I go out on a mission, it's mainly for the pleasure of taking pictures and improving my techniques. For now, I see only positive ... we will talk about it at the end of my 2nd year!


why are you writing an irrelevant message about the subject? Do not you see the title?

That looks relevant to me.

« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2018, 10:45 »
+1
Madman, you ask : "I dont understand why is so much down while I still constantly upload new images, can anyone explain this if understand? "

I said : "Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have."

so...
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 10:48 by christiano »

« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2018, 10:47 »
0
iStock = filthy, sticky crooks. I have stopped uploading there two years ago. I do have about 4000 images on their site, but they will not see my photos any more. I am still waiting for  a payout since I stopped uploading. I do well with SS and FT, and that is where I regularly upload my photos.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #12 on: June 23, 2018, 10:50 »
+7
hey guys, i dont know what to think, i started from scratch in june 2017, and it's my best month so far with a 35$ US commission. My port is now around 800 pics (IS SS DT), 500 on alamy (since december), 400  on AS.  I saw a progression in my revenu. Like SS and DT. Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have. I have an average income of about $ 70 / month, income that I did not have before, so for me it's nice. Then when I go out on a mission, it's mainly for the pleasure of taking pictures and improving my techniques. For now, I see only positive ... we will talk about it at the end of my 2nd year!


why are you writing an irrelevant message about the subject? Do not you see the title?

It's not at all irrelevant. However, he's obviously a newbie and doesn't know how much better things were. But things change, and this is the new reality. So long as there is a steady supply of  newbies who are happy with $35 for 800 images,  they don't need to change anything.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 10:52 by ShadySue »

« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2018, 11:10 »
0
hey guys, i dont know what to think, i started from scratch in june 2017, and it's my best month so far with a 35$ US commission. My port is now around 800 pics (IS SS DT), 500 on alamy (since december), 400  on AS.  I saw a progression in my revenu. Like SS and DT. Is it possible that the photos of new contributors have a better place in their algorithm? I do not know anything about it ... only a thought that I have. I have an average income of about $ 70 / month, income that I did not have before, so for me it's nice. Then when I go out on a mission, it's mainly for the pleasure of taking pictures and improving my techniques. For now, I see only positive ... we will talk about it at the end of my 2nd year!


why are you writing an irrelevant message about the subject? Do not you see the title?

It's not at all irrelevant. However, he's obviously a newbie and doesn't know how much better things were. But things change, and this is the new reality. So long as there is a steady supply of  newbies who are happy with $35 for 800 images,  they don't need to change anything.

As you say, we, the hundreds of thousands of newbies, have not known the era of glory that you have known. And, yes, we are satisfied with $ 35 a month with Istock for the simple reason that 98% of us are just amateurs. $ 35 with IS is still better than $ 0 with photos that sleep in my hard drive. I understand very well the frustration for the pro photographers, it is their bread and butter ... For me and as for several others, it is only a bonus and a hobby. Now, I make about $ 70 a month on stock that I did not do before.

And I think that actually, there is something that happens with algorithms to favor new contributors to motivate them to upload more ...the old ones, demotivated, leave because of the fall of the incomes, the new ones arrive, motivated to make some money. But the fault, do not come back to the newbies, but rather to the companies which have in mind only their net profit.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 11:20 by christiano »

« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2018, 12:35 »
+1
i would realy like to see what kind of images have you been uploading, and if you have been uploading consistently. I was wrongly decieved by negative people like many in this forum about istock and didnt upload there for awhile. When i started uploading there, sales started comming realy fast and in 6 months im earning more in istock/getty then all other sites together. I guess its about the images you are uploading. Why dont you be a bit more constructive and present us your approach to the market instead of just whining?

« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2018, 12:42 »
+1
you can see in the attachment what im talking about. And im not even working that hard. What im mainly doing that is increasing the sales (i think) is analysing the market, seeing what sells, whats popular, trends, etc and boy oh boy let me tell you. That has a much bigger impact then just uploading random stuff that looks cool. I cant predict the future but if i keep uploading more and more, learning the markets, the crafts, and improving my work process i cna only see my income keep going up for the foreseeable future.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2018, 12:47 »
+3
you can see in the attachment what im talking about. And im not even working that hard. What im mainly doing that is increasing the sales (i think) is analysing the market, seeing what sells, whats popular, trends, etc and boy oh boy let me tell you. That has a much bigger impact then just uploading random stuff that looks cool. I cant predict the future but if i keep uploading more and more, learning the markets, the crafts, and improving my work process i cna only see my income keep going up for the foreseeable future.
Far more important, how are your profits?
Income hardly matters if it isn't far more than your expenses making the popular images.
I see people saying they're having great sales, but that they haven't made back the costs of shoots made two years ago.

« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2018, 13:03 »
+1
you can see in the attachment what im talking about. And im not even working that hard. What im mainly doing that is increasing the sales (i think) is analysing the market, seeing what sells, whats popular, trends, etc and boy oh boy let me tell you. That has a much bigger impact then just uploading random stuff that looks cool. I cant predict the future but if i keep uploading more and more, learning the markets, the crafts, and improving my work process i cna only see my income keep going up for the foreseeable future.
Far more important, how are your profits?
Income hardly matters if it isn't far more than your expenses making the popular images.
I see people saying they're having great sales, but that they haven't made back the costs of shoots made two years ago.
my profits are 100% of my earnings since im a vector artist. But vector or photos i think we all should ask ourselves what can we do to increase our incomes..what kind of images are we uploading, at what rate, are there other subjects who can bring more money, what are the trends etc. For example now a big trend is the world cup and you will certainly get good sales if you offer images that can be used by alot of people. Other thing..instead of only focusing on seasonal images like christmas or american holidays like 4th of july, why not think about other country holidays? In my personal experience ive had great success with holidays from lesser talked about countries. Since theres alot less offer, you wont have as much competition. Theres all kinds of small details that ive been trimming in my approach that have resulted in a more satisfying sales-to-time-spent ratio.

« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2018, 13:07 »
+2
This May I've earned 45% of what I've earned in 2017. In fact it was the worst May since 2007. Well, to be honest almost every month of 2018 has been the worst since 2007.

When I look at the graphs and see that on IS in past years I've earned in a single month more than I have this whole year, is just mind blowing.

Sending them images, that sell on others agencies do not seem to make a difference. That's why IS dropped from being my second agency to 5th.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2018, 05:59 by MicroVet »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #19 on: June 23, 2018, 13:12 »
0
my profits are 100% of my earnings since im a vector artist.
Fair enough. Thanks for clarifying.
I don't follow the vector forums, my remarks above were purely related to stills photography.

Added: which, now that I've looked at the symbols, were totally irrelevant to the is thread as the OP is a vector and video artist.
Sorry!
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 13:38 by ShadySue »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #20 on: June 23, 2018, 13:50 »
+3
As you say, we, the hundreds of thousands of newbies, have not known the era of glory that you have known.
Indeed.
 
I never had models, so not in the top echelons of sellers. Probably totally average.
But just for comparison, my first month where I recorded the port size was Jan 08, when I had 919 images (back then you only had 'so many' slots a week you could upload, according to the queue size, sometimes only 15 a week, and the acceptance standards were far higher than nowadays [for stills, I know nothing about vectors]) I got $306.95 (from iS alone) - in a January, which is generally a poor sales month (and was my second worst month of that year).
And it seemed at that time that a lot of vector artists were doing better than a lot of stills photographers.

Still, I understand fully that "times change" and "sh*t happens". With >4x the images, my income now is much lower than it was then (peaked a few years back), and the rpd is pointless since first subs then PA.

I can't see that the low prices nowadays can make HCV shoots remotely profitable for most suppliers.


« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 18:09 by ShadySue »

madman

    This user is banned.
« Reply #21 on: June 23, 2018, 16:24 »
0
you can see in the attachment what im talking about. And im not even working that hard. What im mainly doing that is increasing the sales (i think) is analysing the market, seeing what sells, whats popular, trends, etc and boy oh boy let me tell you. That has a much bigger impact then just uploading random stuff that looks cool. I cant predict the future but if i keep uploading more and more, learning the markets, the crafts, and improving my work process i cna only see my income keep going up for the foreseeable future.

I guess that everyone is already trying to do that. I wonder, what was happening on jun 2017 to suc a big fall for you?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2018, 16:49 »
0
I wonder, what was happening on jun 2017 to suc a big fall for you?
It looks like he was just starting last year. His early 2017 sales were low but climbing. His June 17 looks a bit better than his May 17.

madman

    This user is banned.
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2018, 16:54 »
0
I wonder, what was happening on jun 2017 to suc a big fall for you?
It looks like he was just starting last year. His early 2017 sales were low but climbing. His June 17 looks a bit better than his May 17.

yes, my bad, I missed some things on graph  ;D...

« Reply #24 on: June 23, 2018, 17:20 »
+1
My iStock sales are  1-3 hundred each month. Clearly not enough to be rich. For the last couple of years I have come to the conclusion I will not make a living doing this. I now put all my monthly earnings in a Fidelity stock market account. Maybe in 4 or 5 five years it will double in value. This makes my low photo stock earning look a little better.


 

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