There's lots of sites that are easier to upload to, pay a higher commission, have better communications with contributors and buyers, have a more stable website with less bugs and don't keep coming up with nasty surprises.

Everything but....sales...

Because they DO generate income! its basically a great agency and lets say that when this " bad luck" has blown over, it will all go back to normal.

I hope so.

sharpshot - at risk of repeating previous postings, I'll give you a better answer.  

I have about 150 images that sell reasonably well on SS DT and IS (although less than half are on IS).  Every day, I get a couple of sales, sometimes several.  I'd  like to start doing more, and I don't want to support IS.

I've had those same images on CC for about 2 years without a single sale.  I put them on GL last year, made some sales for a few months, made a payout - then absolutely nothing since November - stone cold.  

My point is, I'm totally open to these new sites, but I need to see some number greater than zero before I'd invest more time in them.  If either one of them started to generate some sales, my whole picture would change.  But zero multiplied by any number is still zero.  

I remain hopeful.

my 2nd best agency.. hard to let go after so many weeks/months of uploading (growing over time too)

sharpshot - at risk of repeating previous postings, I'll give you a better answer.  

I have about 150 images that sell reasonably well on Shutterstock Dreamstime and IS (although less than half are on IS).  Every day, I get a couple of sales, sometimes several.  I'd  like to start doing more, and I don't want to support IS.

I've had those same images on CC for about 2 years without a single sale.  I put them on GL last year, made some sales for a few months, made a payout - then absolutely nothing since November - stone cold.  

My point is, I'm totally open to these new sites, but I need to see some number greater than zero before I'd invest more time in them.  If either one of them started to generate some sales, my whole picture would change.  But zero multiplied by any number is still zero.  

I remain hopeful.

Why not concentrate on SS and DT until you have a big enough portfolio to get more sales on the smaller sites?  I'm not saying we should all dump istock for the small sites that don't have sales but I'm sure if we just carry on as normal with istock things will just get worse.

Quote from: sharpshot on April 05, 2011, 15:28

There's lots of sites that are easier to upload to, pay a higher commission, have better communications with contributors and buyers, have a more stable website with less bugs and don't keep coming up with nasty surprises.

Everything but....sales...

+1

I agree with what you say about the other sites but pure and simply I (and most other people) do this for the money, and those other sites don't produce the same revenue that iStock does.

Using the OP logic, the question would be "Why support ANY microstock site?"

Quote from: lagereek on April 05, 2011, 16:58

I think both Lisa and myself are concentrating just as much on Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Fotolia and some of the smaller sites. Thats the name of the game, is it not? and perhaps thats whats annoying people like Getty, etc. I dont know?

Absolutely right Christian.  I am devoting more of my efforts toward the sites I am on, and toward getting portfolios on some of the smaller "fair trade" sites.  I have also sunk considerable time and money into starting my own site, and uploading to Dan's Contributors Collective too.  

ITLR I am hoping those avenues will offer a lot more to contributors.  But in the short term I am not about to give up the substantial monthly income I make at IS.  Unless someone here is offering to finance my daughter's 46k/year college education.....??  Any takers?

make her work, 4k monthly??

make her work, 4k monthly??

She does work.  But what 19 year old can make 4k/month?  I have money saved since she was a baby, and she has gotten some academic scholarship money.  

I'm not saying we can't manage it.  Just that I need the Istock money.  As much as I would like to pull out, I am not going to "cut off my nose to spite my face".  

Quote from: lisafx on April 05, 2011, 17:07

Unless someone here is offering to finance my daughter's 46k/year college education.....??  Any takers?

Holy canneloni!  Is that what it costs over there?

 

If she wanted to stay in Florida and go to a state college it would be much cheaper. 

Why not concentrate on Shutterstock and Dreamstime until you have a big enough portfolio to get more sales on the smaller sites?  I'm not saying we should all dump istock for the small sites that don't have sales but I'm sure if we just carry on as normal with istock things will just get worse.

As an illustrator, iStock (despite the low royalties) still pays 2 to 3 times more per sale than DT or FT and about 5 or 6 times more than SS. So, I don't really see why I should treat them any different than any other agency. That said, I've stopped uploading to all the big 4, and ditched FT. None of them are growing very much anyway, so I figured I'd focus on some smaller agencies and my own stuff.

Quote from: stockastic on April 05, 2011, 15:35

Quote from: sharpshot on April 05, 2011, 15:28

There's lots of sites that are easier to upload to, pay a higher commission, have better communications with contributors and buyers, have a more stable website with less bugs and don't keep coming up with nasty surprises.

Everything but....sales...

+1

I agree with what you say about the other sites but pure and simply I (and most other people) do this for the money, and those other sites don't produce the same revenue that iStock does.

I only do this for the money.  I'm not saying we should all ditch istock, I just don't understand why lots of people are complaining about them constantly but carrying on uploading new images.  They are going to find it easy to cut commissions again in the future because they know people will kick up a stink but they wont stop supplying them.  The other sites will probably do the same.

If she wanted to stay in Florida and go to a state college it would be much cheaper. 

Thanks for clarifying that.  I hope she does well, reaps great rewards and is eternally grateful to you!