I don't know what to think anymore, I thought that this is just a phase, but no, this a reality. My figures on Istock are even better than 2 year ago.

2 years ago my RPD on Istock was 0.6$ with 50% of my total income in $. Now, 2 years later, my RPD on Istock is 0.74$ with 64% of my total income, and I am non-exclusive. I have vector port on all sites from right column (big 4, middle tier, and few low earners), and on Istock I even have 150 files less than on Shutterstock (I have portfolio of around 1200 vectors)

These numbers make me seriously thinking to going exclusive on Istok, one of the most hated agency. (I don�t have a great opinion about them too, but these number are so frustrating )

What do you think guys?

Also, is there any exclusive who wants to share their RPD?

Thanks!

I don't know what to think anymore, I thought that this is just a phase, but no, this a reality. My figures on Istock are even better than 2 year ago.

2 years ago my RPD on Istock was 0.6$ with 50% of my total income in $. Now, 2 years later, my RPD on Istock is 0.74$ with 64% of my total income, and I am non-exclusive. I have vector port on all sites from right column (big 4, middle tier, and few low earners), and on Istock I even have 150 files less than on Shutterstock (I have portfolio of around 1200 vectors)

These numbers make me seriously thinking to going exclusive on Istok, one of the most hated agency. (I don�t have a great opinion about them too, but these number are so frustrating )

What do you think guys?

Also, is there any exclusive who wants to share their RPD?

Thanks!

You'd be better to ask for figures from illustrators, if that's all or most of what you do, but then again we all have different ports.

Just in case you don't know: if you become exclusive, all your existing files would continue to be sold at 1 credit, though you'll get a higher percentage. Your files after becoming exclusive would be sold for 3 credits.
(This also works in reverse: if someone gives up exclusivity, their existing files are still listed at 3 credits for which they get the lower percentage, and their new files after becoming indie are listed at 1 credit.)

You really have a dilemma: frustrating good numbers aren't generally reported there (see for example the current sales reports for February in their discussion forum), but you're * the trend.
Edited: hahaha I said b-u-c-king, but the auto-censor still cut what I wrote!

I think the problem is that you can't really predict the future with any useful degree of accuracy. Given that, spreading the risk around makes a lot of sense.

I was an exclusive at IS (mostly for photos, but some illustrations) but too far ago to be relevant to your choice. When they were the #1 microstock agency and progress (2004 to 2008) was strong, it looked like the risk was worth taking. Between mid-2008 and mid-2011 a lot of things changed and I saw what I interpreted to be the writing on the wall and decided that the risks were too great and I'd do better to return to diversification before things hit bottom.

The overall financial health of an agency is relevant to you, in addition to the money you're making. If you later decide to leave, you aren't able to pick up where you left off - there's always a step back before things pick up.

I have a hard time imagining why it would make sense for anyone with an existing portfolio that has demonstrated its sales ability to go exclusive with iStock. YMMV

Quote from: graphicV on March 20, 2019, 07:14

I don't know what to think anymore, I thought that this is just a phase, but no, this a reality. My figures on Istock are even better than 2 year ago.

2 years ago my RPD on Istock was 0.6$ with 50% of my total income in $. Now, 2 years later, my RPD on Istock is 0.74$ with 64% of my total income, and I am non-exclusive. I have vector port on all sites from right column (big 4, middle tier, and few low earners), and on Istock I even have 150 files less than on Shutterstock (I have portfolio of around 1200 vectors)

These numbers make me seriously thinking to going exclusive on Istok, one of the most hated agency. (I don�t have a great opinion about them too, but these number are so frustrating )

What do you think guys?

Also, is there any exclusive who wants to share their RPD?

Thanks!

You'd be better to ask for figures from illustrators, if that's all or most of what you do, but then again we all have different ports.

Just in case you don't know: if you become exclusive, all your existing files would continue to be sold at 1 credit, though you'll get a higher percentage. Your files after becoming exclusive would be sold for 3 credits.
(This also works in reverse: if someone gives up exclusivity, their existing files are still listed at 3 credits for which they get the lower percentage, and their new files after becoming indie are listed at 1 credit.)

You really have a dilemma: frustrating good numbers aren't generally reported there (see for example the current sales reports for February in their discussion forum), but you're * the trend.
Edited: hahaha I said b-u-c-king, but the auto-censor still cut what I wrote!

Hahaha

So, my existing files will be sold at 1$, with 0.75$ minimum sub royalty like Signature? That is actually just fine. More chance to be sold at lower price.

Yes, I�ve seen the forum. Doom and gloom there But, I see that exclusive artists usually have RPD between 1.7$ and 4$.  With RPD of 1.7$ I will earn 30% more than my total income now (all sites combine). Also, my numbers on iStock are constantly better, year after year...other sites lower and lower...

I think it is a huge dilemma. I would wait until your % of income is higher but you are saying that SS and AS are not as good for you as for others, so why not to take the chance? First, read carefully the contributor exclusivity agreement in order to see what happens the day you want to end that

So, my existing files will be sold at 1$, with 0.75$ minimum sub royalty like Signature?

No, looking at my sales, the minimum sub sale seems to nowadays be 75c, whether the actual files are Signature or Essential, and I get 30% of that, which is 22.5c.

I think the big thing is, like Jo Anne said, nothing is predictable in this industry, and with iS in particular. I'm exclusive because it made sense at the time (2007) to become exclusive and I never wanted to participate in subscriptions. A prime example of things changing, as iS suddenly decided to offer subs. They change policies almost as fast as the rest of us change underwear.

It's a hard call. But you can always become indie again, after 30 days' notice, if things get even worse there.

Do the math.
I am exclusive and would have it no other way, that said I also get 35%. I am also with GI. So I have all of my eggs in one basket and make a half decent living from this. I don't like Getty at all as an agency, but they do provide me a full time living. If I was to drop being exclusive my royalties would go down from 35% to 15% which is a very big drop, and in todays stock climate I am sure I would not make up the difference by spreading out to other agencies.
My wife is with IS, AS, and SS as a half baked photographer and also as an accomplished illustrator. She is more or less a newbie in the stock world with a lot of knowledge passed on from me.
My conclusion is that I would not drop exclusivity as the reduced hit in income I would take is way too much to even consider. In my wifes case as a newbie and slowly getting established I think spreading it out makes more sense. The math dictates that where her earnings come from the added royalties of being exclusive would not quite cover the earnings from the other two agencies. It's close, but not close enough to jump all in.

Keep in mind that iStock only requires exclusivity on commercial photos, so you can still upload editorial and RM to other agencies.
It can be worth it.

''Being Exclusive means that, for the file type(s) that you are Exclusive for, you agree that you cannot license any of that type of content in a royalty-free model elsewhere. So, for example, if you are Exclusive for Photos, you can�t license any Photos with a competitor under the royalty free model, even images that you�ve never submitted to iStock.

You can still produce content in a work for hire or rights-managed manner. For more details, please see the Exclusive Artist Supply Agreement.''

Quote from: Not Today on March 21, 2019, 01:27

Keep in mind that iStock only requires exclusivity on commercial photos, so you can still upload editorial and RM to other agencies.
It can be worth it.

''Being Exclusive means that, for the file type(s) that you are Exclusive for, you agree that you cannot license any of that type of content in a royalty-free model elsewhere. So, for example, if you are Exclusive for Photos, you can�t license any Photos with a competitor under the royalty free model, even images that you�ve never submitted to iStock.

You can still produce content in a work for hire or rights-managed manner. For more details, please see the Exclusive Artist Supply Agreement.''

For clarity, this has nothing at all to do with commercial or editorial.
It only has to do with RF. All your RF content has to go to iStock, whether it's editorial or commercial.
You can supply commercial and editorial content RF to iStock, and different commercial and editorial content RM elsewhere.
Not sure how relevant that is to an illustrator, but as I'm not an illustrator, I don't know anything but the world of RM illustrations.

Oh wow I always thought editorial couldn't be RF, we learn every day... Thanks for that ShadySue!

Quote from: ShadySue on March 20, 2019, 19:22

Quote from: graphicV on March 20, 2019, 18:39

So, my existing files will be sold at 1$, with 0.75$ minimum sub royalty like Signature?

No, looking at my sales, the minimum sub sale seems to nowadays be 75c, whether the actual files are Signature or Essential, and I get 30% of that, which is 22.5c.

I think the big thing is, like Jo Anne said, nothing is predictable in this industry, and with iS in particular. I'm exclusive because it made sense at the time (2007) to become exclusive and I never wanted to participate in subscriptions. A prime example of things changing, as iS suddenly decided to offer subs. They change policies almost as fast as the rest of us change underwear.

It's a hard call. But you can always become indie again, after 30 days' notice, if things get even worse there.

Thanks for answers. And what about PP sales and Premium Access Time Limited?  On those sales I got 15%. If I go exclusive, will those sales also be at exclusive rate of 30%?

All sales via Getty, including Premium Access are at a flat rate of 20% for all exclusives, so obviously they're pushing buyers towards PA (I think my lowest so far is 6c). Also a lot of single image sales for me seem to come from Getty at 20% (mostly low value, unless I get lucky); but I don't know which illustrations get mirrored over there, whereas all exclusive editorial photos get mirrored onto Getty, also those which get 'plussed' - which seems to be quite a random process, from what I've read.

I have no idea about PP, but it shouldn't be an issue for long as they're closing Thinkstock rsn ("mid-2019")