I will still be going from 18% to 17%, pathetic!!!!!!  Even sites like 123rf and bigstock are starting to catch up

LOL they moved my next target from 40,000 to 35,000 (-12,5%) but in the meantime my sales are down -50% from previous year.

Congrats to those who will benefit!

I have reached my target for this year, the revision still gives me a more realistic goal to work towards to next year. I am glad that iStock has listened.

I have reached my target for this year, the revision still gives me a more realistic goal to work towards to next year. I am glad that iStock has listened.

How is that? These revisions don't imply a thing really about what next year's targets might be.

This year's targets were set the same as the initial targets for last year. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the same targets once again being used for 2013's targets.

As for iStock listening; sorry, I don't buy that a bit. They have shown far too many times that they don't listen. Whatever reason they had for lowering the targets to these numbers, it had nothing to do with listening.

this mean that istock has sold less content than the previous year, in particular for photos !!???!!!???
nothing to be happy 

Quote from: kelby on December 22, 2011, 18:44

this mean that istock has sold less content than the previous year, in particular for photos !!???!!!???

They revised downwards last year too.

But this year's downwards revisions are larger than last year (i.e., lower).

If they had lowered them to this level last year, I'd be a bit less pissed at them! 

Congrats to those who will benefit!

I have reached my target for this year, the revision still gives me a more realistic goal to work towards to next year. I am glad that iStock has listened.

Dude if you think they've listened you are dillusional.

A lot of people are experiencing 40% drops since last year and istock reduce some levels 12.5% - do the maths and tell me who's winning in this scenario.

Quote from: Freedom on December 22, 2011, 18:16

Congrats to those who will benefit!

I have reached my target for this year, the revision still gives me a more realistic goal to work towards to next year. I am glad that iStock has listened.

Dude if you think they've listened you are dillusional.

A lot of people are experiencing 40% drops since last year and istock reduce some levels 12.5% - do the maths and tell me who's winning in this scenario.

Yes but they can't possibly admit to just how far sales have fallen can they? It's both commercially sensitive and extremely embarassing for Istock. Expect more of the same in future years. The dam has been breached. The only question now is at what point they'll be able to stem the flow.

The change means nothing to me. Last year I had almost 45K RCs and this year it looks like I'll be just under 30K. The good news is that it's only from 18% to 17% and sales are so crappy, it matters less and less what happens there.

Why did the illustrators get royally shafted? I read masses of reports of people experiencing large drops in sales and yet all but one level of illustrator stays exactly the same. I know the issue of the real disparities between the media was worked over when this sorry system was introduced, but looking at what it takes to get to the highest level of illustration royalties versus for photos, it's reverse unfairness. You just about double the 40/19% level and you get 45/20 if you're an illustrator, but for a photographer you have to make almost 10x the 40/19% level to get 45/20.

Reminds me of gerrymandered congressional districts drawn in weird and whacky shapes to suit those in power.

Are you from Texas?   

Quote from: jsnover on December 22, 2011, 20:11

Reminds me of gerrymandered congressional districts drawn in weird and whacky shapes to suit those in power.

Well obviously it is 'gerrymandered' in that the system is precisely designed to produce the outcome that they want. If things change then they simply adjust the targets to suit __ or maybe not, but always in their favour anyway. Heads Istock wins, tails you lose.

-------------------------------------------------------

So true.  Why else would they be adjusting the 40% targets for illustration and flash but not for the other percentages? 

Quote from: ShadySue on December 22, 2011, 17:45

Istock have revised their targets downwards.
Felicitations to those who will benefit.  

Here, let me help you with the link

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All the people in the thread thanking Istock for its generosity makes me ill.  It was Istock's decisions that put these folks percentage at risk, so Istock does not deserve any praise for the change.

Note who announced this news?  "iStockHQ"!  Guess nobody there has the guts to put their name out there and take responsibility for the RC system and the grief they will get about it.  

   Big change downward in the video targets as well. One of the rarely commented on issues at Istock is their antiquated, soviet-era upload system for video, and the insanely long time for reviews. They get woo-yays and fawning thanks from the regulars when the queue gets down to 6 weeks. Non-exclusives can wait 2 months or more, usually more. Meanwhile the other outlets for video are selling better, reviewing in week or less, and make uploading much easier. Given that SS pays better than Istock for non-exclusive video sales, I have been submitting less and less of my content to Istock. But now, with that extra 1%-  woo-yay!

I love how 95% of posts thank Istock for their good work at lowering the RC levels.

What a bunch of muppets.

Oh thankyou Mr Bad Man for only stabbing me 5 times in the eye when you promised to stab me 6 times. Here would you like to borrow my rusty knife so you don't get yours dirty ?

Next year Istock could try setting the levels at 120,000,000 for 16% (other levels higher) then at the end of the year revise it down to 2,000. Nobody would be able to move up levels during the year making istock a lot more "sustainable" and everybody will give them massive woo yays for reducing the RC targets so generously.

Has there been any communications from the new Istock manager other than the initial I'm here. What happened with the results of the contributor survey ?

I'd like about another 30% of Istock customers to go to the middle tier sites.

I don't know. They're still boning us illustrators pretty good. 

if we are forced into the PP why not receiving a few "RCs" from there?

not that I would reach the 17% but it does make sense no?

How can you not hate istockphoto?

This is a serious question!

if we are forced into the PP why not receiving a few "RCs" from there?

not that I would reach the 17% but it does make sense no?

a) It's not iStock, it's a different site.
b) It's subscription sales not credit sales
c) If they did that they would have to increase the RC levels to get everything back to where they want it.

RC levels are not about sales, achievement, effort or "targets" they are about ensuring that a certain (unknown, but maybe 80%) percentage of the take is kept by iS. If everybody doubled their sales next year, then iS would just double the credit levels to restore the right percentage, keeping everyone at just the same level as they are today. The only way to go up a level is by knocking someone else down a level next time they reset the levels.

again you are right I was thinking of something like FT ranking system (4 subs = 1 sale)

I don�t remember a post/topic of you I don�t agree, you are a very wise person, wish you a great christmas and 2012!

thanks for your insight everyday

Thanks, but I'm just a cynical old ba$tard. Have a great Christmas and New Year yourself.

Clearly a case of iStockholm syndrome. Worship the monster that bites you. Come to think of it, it's much like North-Korea.

I believe you aren�t talking to me but wanna to make sure that don�t remember a bite from BT

I have thought about cognitive dissonance a number of times in the exclusive/independent arguments. I think it goes both ways however lately the number of people who continue to do well at IS seems to be dropping.

People (myself included) tend to look at the data that confirms their decisions no matter what their decision may have been.

I have thought about cognitive dissonance a number of times in the exclusive/independent arguments. I think it goes both ways however lately the number of people who continue to do well at IS seems to be dropping.

People (myself included) tend to look at the data that confirms their decisions no matter what their decision may have been.

Yeah if it's not clear, I admire the Exclusives and wish them the best.

A year ago I was considering dropping all others and going exclusive to help make life easy. Then IS started changing things and playing us for dopes, pulling the rug out from under their promises, changing the rules, and changing them again. No thanks, I'm to the point of dropping IS except as Lisa pointed out (wise lady) why not just stop uploading and take the money? OK I'll be doing that. 

Someone else said that at this point with the uncertainty in acceptance and risk, many exclusives would be better off staying exclusive. That makes good sense. For the bold, they can take the risk, drop the exclusive and see if they can make up the difference on the top ten other agencies.

Personally there are only two Microstock agencies. IS and SS. If an exclusive wants to drop the benefits and go make $10 a month someplace else, that's pretty risky business.

In the end it all depends on where people are headed. Long term, top ten is going to make more and have a better stability, but there will be loses for at least a year!

Indy's will be fine without going exclusive, IS killed that incentive to change.

And it's not us vs us, it's US vs THEM!    Independent or exclusive we are all pretty much in the same business and working towards the same goals. We aren't opposing each other except in philosophy or opinion of how to market our images.

Any idea when the revised targets will take effect?  They reset the counters, but the old targets are still in effect.  There were a couple of threads started over there inquiring about this, but they were immediately locked and referred to Contributor Relations.  It didn't affect me last year so I don't remember how long it took.  It does this year. 

It really doesnt ever stop with that bunch of amateurs overthere eh?! 
I kept my 17% but am getting payed at 16% right now; oh im sure they'll AGAIN dump a lump sum in my account to correct it... but seriously..........the camel's back is ready to break. Friggen, annoying incompetence.

It really doesnt ever stop with that bunch of amateurs overthere eh?! 
I kept my 17% but am getting payed at 16% right now; oh im sure they'll AGAIN dump a lump sum in my account to correct it... but seriously..........the camel's back is ready to break. Friggen, annoying incompetence.

They still haven't released the 2012 Payout Schedule.  Why was this not prepared long ago?  It's not like the calendar is an ever changing thing.