Author Topic: What are you going to do when istock cut commissions tomorrow? (Read 40251 times)

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #25 on:** December 31, 2010, 15:04 »

Quote from: nruboc on December 31, 2010, 13:45

Quote from: helix7 on December 31, 2010, 13:34
Quote from: sjlocke on December 31, 2010, 08:12
I will bet you a dollar that they won't be happening tomorrow. I would say the 17th at the earliest.

Definitely agree. istock isn't capable of rolling out a widespread royalty change like this. Especially coming out of a long holiday and while dealing with all of the other current issues.

Quite possibly, but my guess is reducing commissions will have priority among all current issues.

Yeah, I'd risk a dollar that they manage to cut our money dead on time.

lisafx · « **Reply #26 on:** December 31, 2010, 15:04 »

Quote from: ShadySue on December 31, 2010, 09:17

Quote from: sjlocke on December 31, 2010, 08:12
Quote from: sharpshot on December 31, 2010, 04:24
As the istock commission cuts are happening 1st January 2011

I will bet you a dollar that they won't be happening tomorrow. I would say the 17th at the earliest.
It would cost me too much to send you the dollar, but I'll be surprised if they haven't had the Big Red Button ready to press since early September, and it will be pressed at midnight Calgary time. Maybe Kelly will come into the office specially to hit it.
But I could be wrong, of course.

I'm with Sue. This will be the ONE site change that gets done correctly and on time.

elvinstar · « **Reply #27 on:** December 31, 2010, 15:22 »

I stopped uploading when the announcement was made and they won't get any of my new stuff at their insulting royalty rates.

donding · « **Reply #28 on:** December 31, 2010, 15:45 »

I stopped uploading when the announcement was made and then deleted all my non sellers. The rest are just sitting there still having sales every now and then. What kinda surprises me is how many are carrying on as usual.

Karimala · « **Reply #29 on:** December 31, 2010, 15:56 »

I slowed down uploading to IS after disambiguation went into effect, and the new commission structure is the nail in the coffin. I'll leave everything online, but I'm not giving them anything new anymore. If I wasn't dependent on the income from IS and TS, my portfolios would have been gone by now. I just don't make a habit of supporting businesses that time and time again make crummy decisions and screw people over. I'd much rather have my work support the efforts of agencies like Alamy and Shutterstock that actually contribute towards making the world a better place.

nruboc · « **Reply #30 on:** December 31, 2010, 16:15 »

Removed port shortly after announcement.

Norebbo · « **Reply #31 on:** December 31, 2010, 16:25 »

Quote from: pancaketom on December 31, 2010, 11:40

option G: stopped uploading when they made the announcement, their competitors get all the new stuff unless they make some changes in my favor for a change.

This.

lagereek · « **Reply #32 on:** December 31, 2010, 16:50 »

I doubt it will happen tomorrow. Anyhow Ill be carrying on as normal. IS, is a very good earner for me.

madelaide · « **Reply #33 on:** December 31, 2010, 17:04 »

Why did I think this would only start at the end of January?

I haven't started deleting yet, but I will.

blackwaterimages · « **Reply #34 on:** December 31, 2010, 17:11 »

Quote from: sjlocke on December 31, 2010, 08:12

I will bet you a dollar that they won't be happening tomorrow. I would say the 17th at the earliest.

I'm sure they'll probably get around to it on or about the 17th, but it wouldn't surprise me the slightest little bit if they went back and adjusted everyone's royalties to reflect it having started on the 1st.

BooKitty · « **Reply #35 on:** December 31, 2010, 18:05 »

Quote from: lisafx on December 31, 2010, 15:04

Quote from: ShadySue on December 31, 2010, 09:17
Quote from: sjlocke on December 31, 2010, 08:12
Quote from: sharpshot on December 31, 2010, 04:24
As the istock commission cuts are happening 1st January 2011

I will bet you a dollar that they won't be happening tomorrow. I would say the 17th at the earliest.
It would cost me too much to send you the dollar, but I'll be surprised if they haven't had the Big Red Button ready to press since early September, and it will be pressed at midnight Calgary time. Maybe Kelly will come into the office specially to hit it.
But I could be wrong, of course.

I'm with Sue. This will be the ONE site change that gets done correctly and on time.

Sigh... I think you are both right about this (as usual).

I have a very small port but planned on growing it this year, but a full-time freelance graphic design gig came calling in March, and thank God it did (a girl's gotta eat). So I have only uploaded maybe four illustrations since then.

I wish all of you the best in twenty11. Happy New Year!!!!

jamirae · « **Reply #36 on:** December 31, 2010, 19:19 »

I will continue along as usual at iStock. I already canceled my exclusivity in October, due to the unfair changes. To see this is fair to everyone is really not seeing the big picture. People like me with portfolios in multiple media types get really screwed. I have vectors and photos and drop to just about the bottom in both categories with this new system. I am a diamond level right now.

Independents are even more screwed because they are held at the same number of RCs yet their files are sold for a lot less and marketed even less. The only ones who will make up the best in this will be those with Agency and Vetta files provided they are good sellers.

the biggest change for me will be working harder to build my portfolio on the other sites I've joined since handing in the crown.

klsbear · « **Reply #37 on:** December 31, 2010, 19:27 »

Quote from: donding on December 31, 2010, 15:45

What kinda surprises me is how many are carrying on as usual.

I chose the "carry on as usual" option because there wasn't one that said "upload select images as allowed by the meager limitations and take a wait and see attitude before making a final decision". I just recently started uploading so I'm currently at the lowest level and have a small portfolio. My RPI has been better than what I'm getting on subs on other sites though the frequency is less. It's still coming in as my second highest earner after SS so I'm hesitant to stop yet, but I'll be watching with more than a little caution and may pull the plug if the chaos continues.

stockastic · « **Reply #38 on:** December 31, 2010, 20:28 »

I stopped uploading quite a while ago (there really wasn't a poll choice for this). I'm leaving my images there, because they do sell now and then. But I concluded it wasn't worth doing new images for IStock, not just because the commissions are abysmally low, but more because there's no assurance they won't be cut again and again. It might take years for an image to repay the time I put into it, even if commissions held steady, and it just seems like there's no bottom. And the rejections were insane, and the keywording was too tedious, given the possible payoff.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #39 on:** January 01, 2011, 04:50 »

From 112 votes so far, just 37.5% will be carrying on as usual. It seems that a fair few will be making a stand or have already done so.

louoates · « **Reply #40 on:** January 01, 2011, 11:26 »

Quote from: Komar on January 01, 2011, 04:50

From 112 votes so far, just 37.5% will be carrying on as usual. It seems that a fair few will be making a stand or have already done so.

I don't see how leaving will make a difference in how anyone is treated in this business. Supply and demand rules here as in any other non-government enterprise. So "making a stand" is akin to the local shoe store owner reducing his hours of operation when Walmart opens up down the street.

ShadySue · « **Reply #41 on:** January 01, 2011, 11:34 »

Quote from: louoates on January 01, 2011, 11:26

Quote from: Komar on January 01, 2011, 04:50
From 112 votes so far, just 37.5% will be carrying on as usual. It seems that a fair few will be making a stand or have already done so.

I don't see how leaving will make a difference in how anyone is treated in this business. Supply and demand rules here as in any other non-government enterprise. So "making a stand" is akin to the local shoe store owner reducing his hours of operation when Walmart opens up down the street.

The only people would be the really big hitters who are independent. If they pulled their images and uploaded elsewhere, iStock would feel it.
For the rest of us, while there might be some satisfaction, it won't matter to iStock one iota.
Added: I'm not sure what would happen to iStock if Yuri pulled his port totally. Interesting to speculate.

gostwyck · « **Reply #42 on:** January 01, 2011, 11:53 »

Quote from: ShadySue on January 01, 2011, 11:34

The only people would be the really big hitters who are independent. If they pulled their images and uploaded elsewhere, iStock would feel it.
For the rest of us, while there might be some satisfaction, it won't matter to iStock one iota.
Added: I'm not sure what would happen to iStock if Yuri pulled his port totally. Interesting to speculate.

I doubt very much that Istock would 'feel it' __ certainly nothing like as much as the individual contributor would. The 'Big Hitters' would feel the loss of their entire IS income the most and anyway they are actually the least affected by this.

By their choice, via the upload limits, Istock only have about 17% of the portfolio Yuri has elsewhere. That pretty much demonstrates how much they care about any individual contributor. In contrast other agencies positively fawn over Yuri.

nopow · « **Reply #43 on:** January 01, 2011, 12:48 »

Probably carrying on as usual. I'm as pissed as everyone else, but they got me right where they want me. I'm a full-time contributor and I rely on my IS income, as it's my top earning site. Any change in my uploading pattern would be a bad business move. They know it. And they know that I know it.

I would, however, be interested in participating in some kind of organized strike, but it would have to be on a mass scale. If Yuri took the lead on something like this, then contributors would follow and it would force changes in istock, or drive their buyers to other fairer-paying sites. But I think it would have to be Yuri - the importance of his portfolio to the site and his influence on the community can not be underestimated.

Meanwhile, I do what I can by telling as many buyers as I can that there are other sites out there with fairer prices and fairer payouts.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #44 on:** January 01, 2011, 18:14 »

Quote from: nopow on January 01, 2011, 12:48

...I would, however, be interested in participating in some kind of organized strike, but it would have to be on a mass scale. If Yuri took the lead on something like this, then contributors would follow and it would force changes in istock, or drive their buyers to other fairer-paying sites. But I think it would have to be Yuri - the importance of his portfolio to the site and his influence on the community can not be underestimated....

And I think IS is well aware of that. Yuri may be the only independent to make the 1.4M RCs required to keep his 20% commission for 2011. My guess is that another posted who speculated that they set this target with him in mind, not wanting him to walk if his royalty were cut, is correct.

I don't see how, given that Yuri isn't in a different position vis-a-vis IS in 2011 from 2010, he'd have any interest in any sort of protest. And I'm sure that is just what IS wanted.

sharpshot · « **Reply #45 on:** January 01, 2011, 18:31 »

Quote from: nopow on January 01, 2011, 12:48

...Any change in my uploading pattern would be a bad business move. They know it. And they know that I know it...

I don't agree. Putting up with the lowest commission in the industry being cut seems like the bad business move to me. It will make all the other sites cut commissions, why should they pay more? It will also allow istock to continue cutting next year and as long as they can get away with it.

I think the best move for any of us that rely too much on microstock earnings is to find other ways to make money, so we don't have to put up with some of the greedy sites that are now taking far more than they should. If we just go along with this where does it end?

Jonathan Ross · « **Reply #46 on:** January 01, 2011, 18:34 »

Hi All,

I think it might take some time to implement but I think Getty will make it retroactive as of today. So once they figure it out they will balance what is due them or you once things are dialed in. Best Guess...

Best,
Jonathan

ShadySue · « **Reply #47 on:** January 01, 2011, 18:53 »

Just noticed on the 'losers' thread on iStock Sean posted an extract from the ASA, which said, inter alia:
"The parties acknowledge that the Rate Schedule is subject to change in the sole discretion of iStockphoto in the ordinary course of its business without notice by posting such changes on the Site."
That last bit is totally ambiguous like so much more on the ASA. It is unpunctuated, (what fun, like a school English exercise

) therefore there's no way of knowihg whether it is meant to be:
"The parties acknowledge that the Rate Schedule is subject to change in the sole discretion of iStockphoto in the ordinary course of its business comma without notice by posting such changes on the Site."
or
"The parties acknowledge that the Rate Schedule is subject to change in the sole discretion of iStockphoto in the ordinary course of its business without notice comma by posting such changes on the Site."

In fact, although these have totally opposite different meanings, the net result of either to the suppliers is the same. But it just shows how wide the holes they've made on their side of the ASA is, while making our side rigid and watertight.
(And strangely [not], whenever I've questioned an ambiguous clause, it's always interpreted to be in their favour)

traveler1116 · « **Reply #48 on:** January 02, 2011, 01:05 »

Quote from: aeonf on December 31, 2010, 10:22

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on December 31, 2010, 04:59
Aeonf knows how to become popular round here

I will continue to supply while I continue to earn significant amounts of cash there. But I am trying to develop new revenue streams because of the doubts iS has created about the future earnings potential of microstock. That means more of my effort is going elsewhere so my overall output of stock shots is down. So everyone is likely to get less from me.

Yeah I know I am not going to get the popularity vote...
Just stating my own opinion, which I am well aware is the minorityone here.
When I said fair, I ment for exclusives, for indys it is not, but IS cares much less about them, add to the fact that the vast majority of them won't really do anything in regards of the pay cut.

Seriously?? Many IS exclusives went exclusive because they were told the canisters would stay the same, check the forums and you see all kinds of people that made significant investments and changes based on a promise that things wouldn't change for the worse. This is not fair to anyone who is a member of IS, unless they signed up after the announcements were made.

Jonathan Ross · « **Reply #49 on:** January 02, 2011, 13:18 »

Hi All,

Unfortunately agencies across the board have reduced commissions for years, it used to be a 50/50 split and the company that made that split in the beginning were the most respected and powerful agencies in the world.
I just hope it doesn't sink anyones boat. If some photographer was taken for a great loss it could cost them their careers. If you got a big fat check and went out and bought a new car then they take their money back what are you supposed to do, try to resell the car? I really hope they set a clear president and share all punitive damages, that would make them look pretty darn good in the eyes of the stock photographers of the world. In my opinion.

Best,
Jonathan

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What are you going to do when istock cut commissions tomorrow?

Author Topic: What are you going to do when istock cut commissions tomorrow? (Read 40251 times)

BaldricksTrousers

lisafx

elvinstar

donding

Karimala

nruboc

Norebbo

lagereek

madelaide

blackwaterimages

BooKitty

jamirae

klsbear

stockastic

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louoates

ShadySue

gostwyck

nopow

Jo Ann Snover

sharpshot

Jonathan Ross

ShadySue

traveler1116

Jonathan Ross

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