MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: Chico on March 01, 2013, 08:12
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IS veterans will remember. Every month, when sales topic started, almost every dude had a BME. Today, almost everyone has a WME.
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Istock is on a foundation of sand.
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I'm in micro stock for about a year.. Just on october I become excl. The first two months boom up.. now down down ...
I don't know what can I do anymore..
Whas my decision good?:S
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'Whas my decision good?:S'
you probably already know the answer to this question already.
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I'm in micro stock for about a year.. Just on october I become excl. The first two months boom up.. now down down ...
I don't know what can I do anymore..
Whas my decision good?:S
Depends how well you were doing elsewhere (if you were submitting elsewhere).
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do you really think the grass is greener on the other side? there is simply an oversupply of images on the market. the revolution of cheap images is now in full effect, and will in my opinion further put the whole industry in decline.
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I had just 20-30 images(testing) on SS and I was generating a few dollars a mont here.
Now on IS I have 950 images on feb. I made around 100$.
:S
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do you really think the grass is greener on the other side? there is simply an oversupply of images on the market. the revolution of cheap images is now in full effect, and will in my opinion further put the whole industry in decline.
I am leaving ;D
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do you really think the grass is greener on the other side? there is simply an oversupply of images on the market. the revolution of cheap images is now in full effect, and will in my opinion further put the whole industry in decline.
I disagree. The oversupply will hurt the profitability of the individual contributor, but will not endanger the whole industry.
The total demand for images (properly licenced images) is not driven by the supply.
Oversupply may push prices down, but it will not eliminate the whole business.
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I had just 20-30 images(testing) on SS and I was generating a few dollars a mont here.
Now on IS I have 950 images on feb. I made around 100$.
That's not much of a sample to draw any real conclusions from, but for the sake of argument if you wanted to do the math, you were probably making about the same amount of money per image per month at SS as you are with istock. If I could make the same amount of money with SS that I could make as an exclusive with istock, I'd definitely opt for SS and then just ramp up my earnings by submitting to other companies as well.
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I had just 20-30 images(testing) on SS and I was generating a few dollars a mont here.
Now on IS I have 950 images on feb. I made around 100$.
That's not much of a sample to draw any real conclusions from, but for the sake of argument if you wanted to do the math, you were probably making about the same amount of money per image per month at SS as you are with istock. If I could make the same amount of money with SS that I could make as an exclusive with istock, I'd definitely opt for SS and then just ramp up my earnings by submitting to other companies as well.
I'm really not smart anymore... I have friend that is at IS for long years.. He told me that jan 2013 was better then 2012. On the other side I have a friend that makes 1K+ $ every month with 2000 images across 4 sites.
I will wait a few months if they fix the best match...
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I had just 20-30 images(testing) on SS and I was generating a few dollars a mont here.
Now on IS I have 950 images on feb. I made around 100$.
That's not much of a sample to draw any real conclusions from, but for the sake of argument if you wanted to do the math, you were probably making about the same amount of money per image per month at SS as you are with istock. If I could make the same amount of money with SS that I could make as an exclusive with istock, I'd definitely opt for SS and then just ramp up my earnings by submitting to other companies as well.
I'm really not smart anymore... I have friend that is at IS for long years.. He told me that jan 2013 was better then 2012. On the other side I have a friend that makes 1K+ $ every month with 2000 images across 4 sites.
I will wait a few months if they fix the best match...
wow! what a big universe ;D
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I'm really not smart anymore... I have friend that is at IS for long years.. He told me that jan 2013 was better then 2012. On the other side I have a friend that makes 1K+ $ every month with 2000 images across 4 sites.
I will wait a few months if they fix the best match...
You could ask a dozen different people and get a dozen different answers. You could take the average like the chart on the right, but that may not be the right answer for you either. It's really about experimenting to find the best solution for you. That's what I've found anyway.
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I'm really not smart anymore... I have friend that is at IS for long years.. He told me that jan 2013 was better then 2012. On the other side I have a friend that makes 1K+ $ every month with 2000 images across 4 sites.
I will wait a few months if they fix the best match...
You could ask a dozen different people and get a dozen different answers. You could take the average like the chart on the right, but that may not be the right answer for you either. It's really about experimenting to find the best solution for you. That's what I've found anyway.
:D
Thanks;)
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Nothing, nada, not 1 single sale in Feb. Tiny port but usually make 2 -3 times more per image than SS. From the sentiments here and over there and the fact that review times have gone to hell on the other sites, it sure looks like a sinking ship.
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
(http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg)
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
([url]http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg[/url])
And screw him.
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
([url]http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg[/url])
Link?
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
([url]http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg[/url])
Link?
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=351835&page=5 (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=351835&page=5)
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Topic is on fire. ;D
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Posted By Lobo:
Posted By PrairieArtProject:
December 2002, when I had 15 files in my portfolio, is the only month that I have ever done worse than I did in February of 2013. I am beyond shocked at how things have fallen apart here.
When was the last time you uploaded a file? I'm just curious as it might help other contributors if they had some addition clarity regarding the decline you are seeing.
Does it matter? We're not talking about a small decline. We're talking about a difference of hundreds of files that at least until the past month had managed to be not great but not terrible. But whatever, villify me if you want. The files I uploaded last summer have done nothing, so it wasn't terrifically motivating to keep on.
BTW, I thought this was the stats thread, not the commentary thread, so keep it on topic.
CLASSIC!!!!
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=351835&page=5 (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=351835&page=5)
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
([url]http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg[/url])
Which normally would be fair comment, except that since late Sept, new files have fallen like stones in most ports. So why upload and lose the file for ever?
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I think things are coming to a head over there, finally. Sales threads are usually around 50/50 in terms of doing well vs. not doing so well. Not this time. Time for Getty/iStock to let us know what is really going on as this can't be solely best match related (besides, we can no longer blame the price slider or lack of a zoom tool as contributing factors....not much left.).
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
([url]http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg[/url])
Which normally would be fair comment, except that since late Sept, new files have fallen like stones in most ports. So why upload and lose the file for ever?
Please stop me from doing this! ... No? .... No one? .... *#$^%!@%
I can't believe it, but I agree with Lobo. PrairieArtProject has UL'd a total of SIX files since July 2010. Who amongst us wouldn't expect to see a significant downturn with that kind of output? Of course we'd all prefer it if our older files continued to sell well, but we know that it's also necessary to feed the beast at least a bit more than that.
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I can't believe it, but I agree with Lobo. PrairieArtProject has UL'd a total of SIX files since July 2010. Who amongst us wouldn't expect to see a significant downturn with that kind of output? Of course we'd all prefer it if our older files continued to sell well, but we know that it's also necessary to feed the beast at least a bit more than that.
I am not one of the Lobo haters, and I can see how he might have had a point, if Tracey was the only person reporting such massive drops. But they are epidemic across the spectrum of people who have uploaded little to people who have uploaded thousands a year.
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Wow, Lobo does really seem to be a bit wound up about an innocuous post.
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Wow, Pieman is furious.
([url]http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/6789/fdrf.jpg[/url])
Which normally would be fair comment, except that since late Sept, new files have fallen like stones in most ports. So why upload and lose the file for ever?
Please stop me from doing this! ... No? .... No one? .... *#$^%!@%
I can't believe it, but I agree with Lobo. PrairieArtProject has UL'd a total of SIX files since July 2010. Who amongst us wouldn't expect to see a significant downturn with that kind of output? Of course we'd all prefer it if our older files continued to sell well, but we know that it's also necessary to feed the beast at least a bit more than that.
I too thought that Lobo's response was 'fair comment' in that instance. Of course he never seems to step in and point out, when someone reports a dramatic increase in earnings, that they have massively increased their portfolio over the timescale that they are reporting their earnings. Funny that.
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I can't believe it, but I agree with Lobo. PrairieArtProject has UL'd a total of SIX files since July 2010. Who amongst us wouldn't expect to see a significant downturn with that kind of output? Of course we'd all prefer it if our older files continued to sell well, but we know that it's also necessary to feed the beast at least a bit more than that.
I am not one of the Lobo haters, and I can see how he might have had a point, if Tracey was the only person reporting such massive drops. But they are epidemic across the spectrum of people who have uploaded little to people who have uploaded thousands a year.
And I don't disagree with you. My DLs were down 28% year over year in Feb, despite increasing my portfolio size by over 1/3. I just don't see how someone can basically not upload a thing for over 2.5 years and expect to continue to do well, that's all.
Clearly Lobo picked a target he could use to deflect what's happening. ilbusca's post pretty much tells the complete story:
Month Port size %$ vs previous year
2009-01 1750 +20,14%
2009-02 1836 +8,24%
2009-03 1922 +41,09%
2009-04 2036 +22,70%
2009-05 2129 +43,69%
2009-06 2164 +65,25%
2009-07 2216 +44,96%
2009-08 2329 +47,73%
2009-09 2362 +36,50%
2009-10 2414 +16,43%
2009-11 2459 +1,37%
2009-12 2488 +7,23%
2010-01 2549 +67,26%
2010-02 2634 +88,82%
2010-03 2771 +95,11%
2010-04 2890 +59,88%
2010-05 2970 +75,49%
2010-06 3024 +81,40%
2010-07 3051 +61,64%
2010-08 3132 +51,65%
2010-09 3185 +53,53%
2010-10 3229 +49,64%
2010-11 3276 +86,04%
2010-12 3307 +74,07%
2011-01 3398 +12,31%
2011-02 3688 +22,26%
2011-03 3874 +25,24%
2011-04 4053 +21,47%
2011-05 4138 +30,50%
2011-06 4234 +24,85%
2011-07 4460 +19,88%
2011-08 4575 +46,75%
2011-09 4822 +38,56%
2011-10 5249 +32,73%
2011-11 5836 +32,98%
2011-12 6257 +33,72%
2012-01 6593 +79,58%
2012-02 6799 +56,61%
2012-03 6880 +55,21%
2012-04 7019 +84,60%
2012-05 7131 +66,29%
2012-06 7323 +46,38%
2012-07 7458 +50,02%
2012-08 7561 +50,08%
2012-09 7870 +7,86%
2012-10 7973 +47,53%
2012-11 8193 +14,49%
2012-12 8267 -12,21%
2013-01 8379 -4,20%
2013-02 8412 -13,41%
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I can't believe it, but I agree with Lobo. PrairieArtProject has UL'd a total of SIX files since July 2010. Who amongst us wouldn't expect to see a significant downturn with that kind of output? Of course we'd all prefer it if our older files continued to sell well, but we know that it's also necessary to feed the beast at least a bit more than that.
I am not one of the Lobo haters, and I can see how he might have had a point, if Tracey was the only person reporting such massive drops. But they are epidemic across the spectrum of people who have uploaded little to people who have uploaded thousands a year.
And I don't disagree with you. My DLs were down 28% year over year in Feb, despite increasing my portfolio size by over 1/3. I just don't see how someone can basically not upload a thing for over 2.5 years and expect to continue to do well, that's all.
Clearly Lobo picked a target he could use to deflect what's happening. ilbusca's post pretty much tells the complete story:
Month Port size %$ vs previous year
2009-01 1750 +20,14%
2009-02 1836 +8,24%
2009-03 1922 +41,09%
2009-04 2036 +22,70%
2009-05 2129 +43,69%
2009-06 2164 +65,25%
2009-07 2216 +44,96%
2009-08 2329 +47,73%
2009-09 2362 +36,50%
2009-10 2414 +16,43%
2009-11 2459 +1,37%
2009-12 2488 +7,23%
2010-01 2549 +67,26%
2010-02 2634 +88,82%
2010-03 2771 +95,11%
2010-04 2890 +59,88%
2010-05 2970 +75,49%
2010-06 3024 +81,40%
2010-07 3051 +61,64%
2010-08 3132 +51,65%
2010-09 3185 +53,53%
2010-10 3229 +49,64%
2010-11 3276 +86,04%
2010-12 3307 +74,07%
2011-01 3398 +12,31%
2011-02 3688 +22,26%
2011-03 3874 +25,24%
2011-04 4053 +21,47%
2011-05 4138 +30,50%
2011-06 4234 +24,85%
2011-07 4460 +19,88%
2011-08 4575 +46,75%
2011-09 4822 +38,56%
2011-10 5249 +32,73%
2011-11 5836 +32,98%
2011-12 6257 +33,72%
2012-01 6593 +79,58%
2012-02 6799 +56,61%
2012-03 6880 +55,21%
2012-04 7019 +84,60%
2012-05 7131 +66,29%
2012-06 7323 +46,38%
2012-07 7458 +50,02%
2012-08 7561 +50,08%
2012-09 7870 +7,86%
2012-10 7973 +47,53%
2012-11 8193 +14,49%
2012-12 8267 -12,21%
2013-01 8379 -4,20%
2013-02 8412 -13,41%
I wish my stats looked like that.
It's unrealistic to expect sales growth of between 10% and 80% to continue year after year. Even for February, the earnings in that list are still better than 30% up on 2011, despite being 12% down on the year.
It does, however, suggest that the party is coming to an end at iS.
I'm somewhat bemused to find that my iS sales were actually 0.3% up on Feb 2012.
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Baldrick, IS sales or IS PP sales 0.3% up on Feb 2012 ?
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I made virtually the same Feb 13 as I did in Feb12 but it will be 40 to 50% more once the PP is added. Nor sure why because I rarely uploaded anything there last year.
Just to get it in perspective, it's about 35% of Feb 2011
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Honestly, I can't believe those numbers from ibusca are correct if just looking at IS. I just looked and images added over the last year are mostly zero downloads, with a few on every page up to 5 or so. My income has dropped the last two years. Negative percentages, and my new work is selling much more than his, and the old stuff too. I cannot believe he sold 50% from August of 2011 to August 2012 - ie, made $10k in 2011 and now made $15k in 2012. For example, my Aug 2012 was down %12 over August 2011.
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Baldrick, IS sales or IS PP sales 0.3% up on Feb 2012 ?
IS sales, I haven't seen the PP sales yet (so, obviously, I'm not including the 2012 PP sales, either), but 2012 and 2013 are both about 28% down on 2011
As for Lobo's point, sales of my new material have been so slow that I doubt whether stopping uploading in Jan has really had any effect on my income there.
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Well since I am banned at IS I will post my stats here. Too bad for them because I am one of the few with decent (for me) sales.
From Jan 2013 up 45% in regular royalties
From February 2012 up 39%
This is just straight iStock royalties. The one El I had this month would make the increase over January larger. Second to BME for regular dls. This could easily be a BME with the GI and PP sales. I didn't look at dls which have been in an overall decline. No big change in port size.
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Well since I am banned at IS I will post my stats here.
That was a truly senseless banning, but welcome to the club!
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Honestly, I can't believe those numbers from ibusca are correct if just looking at IS. I just looked and images added over the last year are mostly zero downloads, with a few on every page up to 5 or so. My income has dropped the last two years. Negative percentages, and my new work is selling much more than his, and the old stuff too. I cannot believe he sold 50% from August of 2011 to August 2012 - ie, made $10k in 2011 and now made $15k in 2012. For example, my Aug 2012 was down %12 over August 2011.
Hi all,
my numbers are real and they refer to istock only, without ELs. The reason why I had a great 2011 and 2012 is the fact that on May 2011 Istock became my full time job, whilst before was just a weekend activity. I rented a studio, I bought a D800 (I used to have a D80) and I submitted nearly 5000 XXXL files in the last two years or so. Also, I believed in E+ from the beginning which gave me an increase in $$. Percentages refers to the same month of the year before.
You can see from the numbers my port size in 2011 went from 3307 to 6257 and that's the reason I kept growing. obviously I couldn't go from 6000 to 12000 in 2012 so I have tried to increase quality, instead (many Vettas accepted). I would be happy to keep 2012 levels in 2013.
ilbusca
ETA: Also, my earnings in 2008 were very low!
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We have no idea what's happening at the technical level inside iS. They could have an algorithm that limits earnings for contributors based on folio size, earnings, etc, to try and spread the wealth. They could be using some of the profits to buy the occasional image to encourage production. We have no idea what they are doing. We just put in our images and the magical money machine pays out.
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Do you really think it is that sophisticated? They can't handle basic functions of the site, I doubt they have rocket science algorithms...
We have no idea what's happening at the technical level inside iS. They could have an algorithm that limits earnings for contributors based on folio size, earnings, etc, to try and spread the wealth. They could be using some of the profits to buy the occasional image to encourage production. We have no idea what they are doing. We just put in our images and the magical money machine pays out.
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We just put in our images and the magical money machine pays out.
Not lately. But those were the days I remember fondly :)
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We just put in our images and the magical money machine pays out.
Hmmm. The 'magical money machine' also manages to make 82% of my images' earnings disappear before my very eyes. That is an amazing trick..
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We just put in our images and the magical money machine pays out.
Not lately. But those were the days I remember fondly :)
Who doesn't remember... :'(