Hello, i have about 30k photos on most of stock agencies but on iStock none at this point. I was wondering if it is worth to upload there or not. Hope to get some answers, i wish you happy holidays and a happy new year.

Istock upload process is worst of all but it's worth to upload there. it's my 2nd top earning microstock site this year next to shutterstock.

Yes it is absolute worth it.

Just keep in mind that they have a weekly upload limit of 999 photos. So it will take you at least 30 weeks to upload all your images. But anyway go for it!!!!

Mirco

If you don't mind receiving the pathetic 15% (!!!) commission for each license, then go ahead.

Or having a terrible report on your sales from the Partner Program where you don't know exactly what sold or not.

And actually, keywording 30k images on IS insane and terribly flawed system may lead you to spend money on a psychiatrist, so your commission may not be 15%, but 5%?

For all that I've stopped uploading there for more than a year, despite I'm with them since 2006/7 and on a middle tier commission level above 15%.

They may give you some money, but the time you spend uploading and keywording is so big, that if spend it shooting new photos you may end up earning more on the other agencies easier to upload.

Keywording is an issue. Especially with so many images.

Use Deepmeta uploading tool and keywording is not an issue anymore.

Mirco

Quote from: authenticcreations on December 28, 2015, 09:35
Use Deepmeta uploading tool and keywording is not an issue anymore.

Mirco

Isn't it?! The keywords are there but you have to activate them... at least some of them which have more than one meaning in their dictionary. So with 50 keywords you have at least 20 additional clicks with your mouse which I define as an "issue".

Quote from: andy_arden on December 28, 2015, 07:58
Hello, i have about 30k photos on most of stock agencies but on iStock none at this point. I was wondering if it is worth to upload there or not. Hope to get some answers, i wish you happy holidays and a happy new year.

With 30k images, I would think you can expect monthly royalties in the four digits on iStock - obviously depending on your portfolio and the variety/quality/popularity you offer. I don't think you will find many agencies that offer higher returns these days.

However, the uploading process is more complicated and requires time and a learning curve. DeepMeta is a big help but still requires manual work on each image. And you will also find that iStock is much stricter in rejecting images (or even banning your account if you don't improve) for keyword stretching, so it's unlikely you will be able to just batch upload thousands of images at once.

iStock upload process + their high rejections ratio drives me insane. I wish they first checked the quality of the photos and only later allowed to use this archaic user unfriendly UX freaking nightmare interface of theirs...

Quote from: andy_arden on December 28, 2015, 07:58
Hello, i have about 30k photos on most of stock agencies but on iStock none at this point. I was wondering if it is worth to upload there or not. Hope to get some answers, i wish you happy holidays and a happy new year.

Does not worth the effort IMHO:
No views, almost no credit sales, low level subs...
iStock is an abandoned ship sailing nowhere 

Quote from: seawhisper on December 28, 2015, 14:24
iStock upload process + their high rejections ratio drives me insane. I wish they first checked the quality of the photos and only later allowed to use this archaic user unfriendly UX freaking nightmare interface of theirs...

High rejection ratio? I think your are mixing Istock with other agency. Istock accepts everything people submit. They only reject for law issues or keywording.

Mirco

If you have time to upload such a huge port then I'd go for it, 30k of images might bring a nice extra $ long term.

If there are so many people saying yes and others no it means that you have to go for it. The only situation that you have to avoid something is when everybody advices to not to,

Mirco

The sales are 90% subs and nonexclusives earn miserable $0.28! No new uploads from me!

i think i am going to give it a chance. thank you all so much for your help

Quote from: authenticcreations on December 28, 2015, 14:38

Quote from: seawhisper on December 28, 2015, 14:24
iStock upload process + their high rejections ratio drives me insane. I wish they first checked the quality of the photos and only later allowed to use this archaic user unfriendly UX freaking nightmare interface of theirs...

High rejection ratio? I think your are mixing Istock with other agency. Istock accepts everything people submit. They only reject for law issues or keywording.

Mirco

I have higher rejection ration on IS than on SS. -_-

Quote from: seawhisper on December 28, 2015, 17:50

Quote from: authenticcreations on December 28, 2015, 14:38

Quote from: seawhisper on December 28, 2015, 14:24
iStock upload process + their high rejections ratio drives me insane. I wish they first checked the quality of the photos and only later allowed to use this archaic user unfriendly UX freaking nightmare interface of theirs...

High rejection ratio? I think your are mixing Istock with other agency. Istock accepts everything people submit. They only reject for law issues or keywording.

Mirco

I have higher rejection ration on IS than on SS. -_-

Just out of curiousity.... what is the reason for the rejections? It think it can only be for legal issue....

Quote from: authenticcreations on December 28, 2015, 17:56

Quote from: seawhisper on December 28, 2015, 17:50

Quote from: authenticcreations on December 28, 2015, 14:38

Quote from: seawhisper on December 28, 2015, 14:24
iStock upload process + their high rejections ratio drives me insane. I wish they first checked the quality of the photos and only later allowed to use this archaic user unfriendly UX freaking nightmare interface of theirs...

High rejection ratio? I think your are mixing Istock with other agency. Istock accepts everything people submit. They only reject for law issues or keywording.

Mirco

I have higher rejection ration on IS than on SS. -_-

Just out of curiousity.... what is the reason for the rejections? It think it can only be for legal issue....

A mix of kewords + dull / flat colours / overprocessed / artifacts / direct flash (when no flash used and mostly flat curve ) / harsh light / lens flare (couldn't find any tbh) / incorrect white balance. What I HAVE to give them is even though I do not agree mostly with these reasons (but truth to be said I seldom do ) is that these are very descriptive. It's not fotolia "we have problem with anything and everything, pick your fancy".

But I  tried now a few and got accepted, so maybe times changed. Still their way of clicking each and every word to describe what you mean + categories + having to scroll in this tiny little post stamp for ants input area while living in era of 1900+ screen resolution drives me wild and makes me wanna scream offensive words that ladies should only when being alone.

If only their uploading and keywording system was a lot easier. It's such a chore to upload to iStock.

It's hard to answer your question but uploading 30K and dis-ambiguating the keywords would take me hundreds (probably thousands) of hours.
I have over 7K files with IS and sales have bumped a little the past two months.
Like you however I wonder if new uploads are worth the time. I estimate 98% of my uploads over the past two years have ZERO views. Probably just poor images or key-wording on my part, but the only thing I have changed is submitting better images than I used to. Just not getting looks. That discourages me significantly.
Someone mentioned rejections.  My experience has been that problem is far in the past. Only 1 rejection in the past 2 years and it was for a copyright issue.  The often accept them within a couple of hours.  Cell phone, noise, filtering, flash, lens flares all seem to be acceptable now.
My advice is to try a few hundred and see how it goes.  Then again, don't, just what we need is another 30K good photos to compete with for views

Lets assume that you are determined enough to submit (that clicks almost for every keyword) 100 per hour, 10 hours a day, it will cost you one full month, couple of mouses, an aching finger, lots of depression. I wouldn't.

I deleted my whole port but one and have debated going back.  But I will return with the knowledge that they are now a subscription service only and there is no freakin way I will be uploading 32 MP photos, everything will be 4 or 6.  Lots of extra work I know.  Not sure its' worth the effort.

It's mostly subs now with the occasional credit sale for me, but still one of the better earners for me, so I'm sticking with them for now.

uploaded some files but only editorials accepted, how long is it for you to get non-editorial accepted?

Quote from: andy_arden on January 03, 2016, 12:56
uploaded some files but only editorials accepted, how long is it for you to get non-editorial accepted?

Editorial always get reviewed straight away, non-editorial usually take 7-10 days lately, sometimes longer