Author Topic: Where has the high selling season gone??? (Read 3634 times)

bokehgal · « **on:** September 17, 2013, 12:13 »

Usually from August to September I see an immediate increase in sales right after Labor Day of about 20-30% above my August sales.

So far I have seen no increase in sales this month on last month's sales and we are into the second half of September already.

Perhaps the wave of high season sales isn't coming. Maybe there is no longer a high season on iStock.

Considering my downloads have fallen to 1/5th of what they were at the peak, I guess this is par for the continued downward sales spiral of the new iStock post Sept 2012 when the pressed the self destruct button.

Perhaps the gig is really up this time.

Snufkin · « **Reply #1 on:** September 17, 2013, 14:22 »

Down is the new up at iStock.

08stock08 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 17, 2013, 14:31 »

it is happening with other sites as well. I am not on istock but I can tell you how it is with other sites.

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2013, 15:11 »

Quote from: bokehgal on September 17, 2013, 12:13

Perhaps the gig is really up this time.

It's beginning to feel like it might not pull up enough to prevent a hard crash. I used to sell 150+ images a day, now I regard 20 as a normal day with three times the number of images.

Some of the problem is dilution of the library, that's been inevitable for years. We all saw that coming. But I do think a big problem is the destruction of the company as a trusted, desirable brand. I think they greatly underestimated how much cross over there was between buyers and contributors, if not directly then through a shared experience of the creative industry. Treat contributors badly, squeeze them until they squeak and customers leave in droves, as we have seen.

The new logo is good, but it'll take a concerted effort and real rewards to return the trust of designers and artists. iStock's dead in the water without them.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2013, 15:13 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on September 17, 2013, 15:11

The new logo is good, but it'll take a concerted effort and real rewards to return the trust of designers and artists. iStock's dead in the water without them.

But... but... it's got a period at the end!

gostwyck · « **Reply #5 on:** September 17, 2013, 15:30 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on September 17, 2013, 15:11

Quote from: bokehgal on September 17, 2013, 12:13
Perhaps the gig is really up this time.

It's beginning to feel like it might not pull up enough to prevent a hard crash. I used to sell 150+ images a day, now I regard 20 as a normal day with three times the number of images.

Some of the problem is dilution of the library, that's been inevitable for years. We all saw that coming. But I do think a big problem is the destruction of the company as a trusted, desirable brand. I think they greatly underestimated how much cross over there was between buyers and contributors, if not directly then through a shared experience of the creative industry. Treat contributors badly, squeeze them until they squeak and customers leave in droves, as we have seen.
The new logo is good, but it'll take a concerted effort and real rewards to return the trust of designers and artists. iStock's dead in the water without them.

Yep. The real destruction started in Sept 2010 with the introduction of the hated RC system. It's all been downhill ever since ... and so it will remain until they get rid of it.

Monkeyman · « **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2013, 15:54 »

My sales have been going down the whole year... and September could be the worst month of the year, unless sales take off the rest of the month. I'm thinking about leaving exclusivity but after snooping around the microstock forums I'm getting the feeling that sales are poor on most sites... so it's a tough decision.

Guess it's time to get a real job... this business is dying. $:-\$

loop · « **Reply #7 on:** September 17, 2013, 16:09 »

Sorry, selling moderately well here (money wise). On path of a +50% over August, beating also last year's Setember numbers.

ThisIsTheWest · « **Reply #8 on:** September 17, 2013, 16:15 »

Seeing a moderate increase here too. We'll see if it is sustained. Overall, royalties are still solid and considerable. No reasons to go in panic mode from my perspective.

wds · « **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2013, 16:33 »

If you don't mind my asking, loop and "This is the West" are you istock exclusives?

ThisIsTheWest · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2013, 16:36 »

Exclusive.

tickstock · « **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2013, 16:38 »

loop · « **Reply #12 on:** September 17, 2013, 17:10 »

Quote from: wds on September 17, 2013, 16:33

If you don't mind my asking, loop and "This is the West" are you istock exclusives?

Yes, I'm exclusive.

gillian vann · « **Reply #13 on:** September 18, 2013, 03:53 »

last year my top 3 months were December, November and July.
this year, so far, July is BMY, I'm not holding out much hope for September. I don't have thanksgiving, back to school, halloween or other US type imagery though, so that may be why I don't have big septembers.

ACS · « **Reply #14 on:** September 18, 2013, 04:54 »

I have a personal statistic about the sales trend of my portfolio accross the year. Since I didn't upload anything in 2010, 2011 and 2012 (0 in 36 months) I was able to do it, otherwise it would be effected by my uploading pattern.

So in the graph you can see my average monthly sales for 3 years from IS + SS. My best months were March and April, there was a %15 increase in September compared to August and my November/December sales were weak (maybe because I didn't have any Christmas/New Year images).

wds · « **Reply #15 on:** September 18, 2013, 07:39 »

^ I can believe your trend. For the last few years at least, I haven't really seen any significant uptick towards the end of the year, at times quite the contrary.

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Author Topic: Where has the high selling season gone??? (Read 3634 times)

bokehgal

Snufkin

08stock08

fotoVoyager

Sean Locke Photography

gostwyck

Monkeyman

loop

ThisIsTheWest

wds

ThisIsTheWest

tickstock

loop

gillian vann

ACS

wds

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