Author Topic: New to Istock ~ Not having Much Success (Read 16166 times)

sgcallaway1994 · « **on:** March 30, 2009, 00:33 »

I've read that IStock is one of the top sites for sales in Microstock. I've had great success as a newbie with Shutterstock. I've just been uploading for 1.5 months and I have over 88 sales. For me, this is a big deal. I've been uploading to DT since Aug. and I've only seen 26 sales there. I was really hoping Istock would be similiar to SS for me. I've uploaded about 15 images so far and have only had 1 sale. Do people think my portfolio is just too small to see sales, yet.

I guess I was really spoiled by SS, I only had a 2 photos on-line there and already had 7 sales. I was shocked. I was sorta thinking IS would go that way too, but so far, not happening for me....

Freedom · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2009, 00:40 »

How much have you got from SS?

How much have you got from IS?

Magnum · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2009, 01:24 »

Depends on what you have. Care to show us? I think you need 100-150 pictures there ( if it´s not supergood peopleshoots) to see steady sales. Steady sales for me is 1/day, for others it´s 300/day...

Gannet77 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:49 »

iStock tends to start slow but sales continue for a long time, at least, that's my experience.

And you'll need a lot more images in your portfolio there to see regular downloads...

RaFaLe · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2009, 06:03 »

I think you're doing pretty well.

I'm subscribed to 9 sites yet iStock won't even accept me.
I've tried 3 times and they keep rejecting my applications without much reason.

I'm also pretty new at this (overall) and from what I gather, there's a simple formula to this:

No. of Sales is directly proportional to the number of quality images on your portfolio.

tempura · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2009, 06:19 »

Quote from: Magnum on March 30, 2009, 01:24

Depends on what you have. Care to show us? I think you need 100-150 pictures there ( if it´s not supergood peopleshoots) to see steady sales. Steady sales for me is 1/day, for others it´s 300/day...

some even say 500

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2009, 07:14 »

Quote from: sgcallaway1994 on March 30, 2009, 00:33

I've read that IStock is one of the top sites for sales in Microstock. I've had great success as a newbie with Shutterstock. I've just been uploading for 1.5 months and I have over 88 sales. For me, this is a big deal. I've been uploading to DT since Aug. and I've only seen 26 sales there. I was really hoping Istock would be similiar to SS for me. I've uploaded about 15 images so far and have only had 1 sale. Do people think my portfolio is just too small to see sales, yet.

I guess I was really spoiled by SS, I only had a 2 photos on-line there and already had 7 sales. I was shocked. I was sorta thinking IS would go that way too, but so far, not happening for me....

See #12 here : http://seanlockedigitalimagery.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/youve-been-accepted/

Also, actually linking to your images would help people point out issues.

DanP68 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2009, 22:06 »

iStock seems a tough nut to crack. Most of my images tend to get ignored, but the few that do take off put up huge numbers. So at least for me, iStock is very much a "numbers game," even more so than the other micros. You will hit it out of the park on your share of images, so you need to keep plugging away and stay patient.

Shutterstock is great for overall sales, although the glory days of 1-2 years ago appear to be gone. Just too many images online, so your exposure is always falling fast. Sales attenuate quickly too. My own statistics show about a 50-60% dropoff between month 4 and month 12 for images online. So the bulk of your money will be made in months 1-4, then slower but steady sales for the next year. Then, not so much. $:-\$

yecatsdoherty · « **Reply #8 on:** March 31, 2009, 00:13 »

Sean, I've never seen your blog for newbies....it is great, and particularly funny now that I'm a pseudo vet, having been on iStock since Jan '07, in my third year now....wow.

"I'm a terror".....roflmao....at times you have had me quivering pitifully in the forums....

to the OP - I hate to be too critical, so let me begin by saying the airdale shot with the red scarf is adorable.....but otherwise, generally speaking...you really need to read about shooting stock and upload much betetr quality images than those in your initial portfolio if you expect to be successful on iStock. good luck.

Fred · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2009, 00:18 »

Shutterstock started strong for me but as I have added to my portfolio earnings have steadily decreased over my 16 months there. 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.

Over my 22 months with iStock is has been up and down for me seemingly fluctuating with changes in the best match. This was my BME there with double what I made at Shutterstock with only 117 images.

I got in on my first try with IStock but it may have been easier then. It took me 4 tries for Shutterstock so if you got in there you should be able to make it in iStock.

c h e e r s
fred

stacey_newman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 31, 2009, 00:26 »

Fred - your images are beautiful, I'm surprised you had problems at SS.

Magnum · « **Reply #11 on:** March 31, 2009, 00:32 »

It´s same for me Fred. Started may08 at SS. No I have almost 400 pics and less dl:s than the first couple months. It seems they push the search engine for newbies. Istock is definitly coming slowly. $/dl is much better.

studio10 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 31, 2009, 01:53 »

I submit to six sites, and istock is my favorite of the bunch. I find the reviews are fair and the community of contributors is alive and vibrant. My portfolio is small - just 166 images currently, but I see sales daily - usually between two and five downloads per day and growing. I live in Calgary where the istock HQ is located, and I have gotten to know people who work for istock. I believe they are a solid and ethical company. In my opinion, if you can get in, it is worth it. They are in it for the long term. IS and SS make up 85% of my monthly sales. BS and FT make up 12%. DT and SX compete for last place. I understand my port is small and some of the sites take time before they start to perform - so I keep at it and hope for the best. Thank goodness IS and SS are there to keep me motivated to continue shooting and uploading. Without them I would have thrown in the towel!

Fred · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2009, 02:04 »

Quote from: stacey_newman on March 31, 2009, 00:26

Fred - your images are beautiful, I'm surprised you had problems at SS.

Thanks Stacey. I think my appeal is to narrow for this economy. My best work is travel industry oriented and the slump is being felt there very badly. (Doesn't really explain my success at iStock though.)

I need to work harder and do more images that are imaginative and more generally stock oriented.

Your portfolio is a good example - lots of variety and very well done. Thats where I need to be.

c h e e r s
fred

Fred · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2009, 02:07 »

Quote from: Magnum on March 31, 2009, 00:32

It´s same for me Fred. Started may08 at SS. No I have almost 400 pics and less dl:s than the first couple months. It seems they push the search engine for newbies. Istock is definitly coming slowly. $/dl is much better.

Wow! Your portfolio is great and where I thought I should be heading. Surprised you have any problems selling anywhere.

c h e e r s
fred

Magnum · « **Reply #15 on:** March 31, 2009, 08:21 »

Quote from: Fred on March 31, 2009, 02:07

Quote from: Magnum on March 31, 2009, 00:32
It´s same for me Fred. Started may08 at SS. No I have almost 400 pics and less dl:s than the first couple months. It seems they push the search engine for newbies. Istock is definitly coming slowly. $/dl is much better.

Wow! Your portfolio is great and where I thought I should be heading. Surprised you have any problems selling anywhere.

c h e e r s
fred

Thank you much

I do what I can... I feel that people-shots are the "secret", wich I don´t have much of unfortunately. Also, I´m a little young in this business as well, since pictures need to mature a bit in searches it seems. time will tell.

Your stuff is truly one of a kind!! vivid colors, depth and composition. Let´s hold our thumbs for the future

sgcallaway1994 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 31, 2009, 09:11 »

Quote from: yecatsdoherty on March 31, 2009, 00:13

to the OP - I hate to be too critical, so let me begin by saying the airdale shot with the red scarf is adorable.....but otherwise, generally speaking...you really need to read about shooting stock and upload much betetr quality images than those in your initial portfolio if you expect to be successful on iStock. good luck.

I don't mind the constructive criticism at all. I would rather have someone be honest with me, than not. I'm confused though, with "much better quality images". Do you mean the pictures have bad technique or the subject is not right for microstock? Please expound on your meaning of "quality" so I can try and improve.

Thanks!

stacey_newman · « **Reply #17 on:** March 31, 2009, 13:01 »

to the OP, hi there - sorry for confusion, changed my username yesterday....I was yecatsdoherty. okay, constructive criticism...you obviously have a good eye, but lighting is flat and colors dull....on some of the images I am guessing you used on camera flash, which I really would never do.

the overall composition of your images seems fine, but they come across as snapshottesque. do you post process? I think reviewing levels and other processing tools would be helpful.

it took me about a year to learn what would sell on istock, I uploaded snapshot-type stuff in the beginning also.....good luck

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #18 on:** March 31, 2009, 13:18 »

Quote from: yecatsdoherty on March 31, 2009, 00:13

Sean, I've never seen your blog for newbies....it is great, and particularly funny now that I'm a pseudo vet, having been on iStock since Jan '07, in my third year now....wow.

It's like the real me, but on demand

.

Moonb007 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 31, 2009, 13:27 »

iStock is my 4 place site...personally SS and DT are far above them. But they are still a must if you have more then one site.

RT · « **Reply #20 on:** March 31, 2009, 17:16 »

Quote from: sjlocke on March 31, 2009, 13:18

Quote from: yecatsdoherty on March 31, 2009, 00:13
Sean, I've never seen your blog for newbies....it is great, and particularly funny now that I'm a pseudo vet, having been on iStock since Jan '07, in my third year now....wow.

It's like the real me, but on demand .

Get a room.

DanP68 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 31, 2009, 17:38 »

In related news, it looks like the IS techies are having a little too much fun with the best match sort today. Take a look at your ports with best match sort selected. Hopefully this is just an experiment.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #22 on:** March 31, 2009, 17:58 »

Quote from: RT on March 31, 2009, 17:16

Get a room.

Oh, geez.

DanP68 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 31, 2009, 18:10 »

What is going on with the best match, Sean? Do you think they are just experimenting? I don't know what your sort looks like, but mine is non-sensical. I remember last year when they brought a bunch of low sellers to the top of best match in an effort to study the data.

lisafx · « **Reply #24 on:** March 31, 2009, 19:20 »

What are you seeing Dan? My port looks like it has for a number of weeks.

It is heavy on old flaming images in the first few pages, with a sprinkling of newer ones mixed in.

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Author Topic: New to Istock ~ Not having Much Success (Read 16166 times)

sgcallaway1994

Freedom

Magnum

Gannet77

RaFaLe

tempura

Sean Locke Photography

DanP68

yecatsdoherty

Fred

stacey_newman

Magnum

studio10

Fred

Fred

Magnum

sgcallaway1994

stacey_newman

Sean Locke Photography

Moonb007

RT

DanP68

Sean Locke Photography

DanP68

lisafx

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