MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Your opinion about the Istock Partner Program  (Read 20549 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« on: January 18, 2011, 14:57 »
0
What is your opinion on the Istock partner this year with all the changes?

Is it good?
I opted out last year when I found out that one of the partners were using my real name instead of my pseudonym. I don't use my real name on microstock.
On Istock I have my copyright set to show my "member name.

I'm wondering if they fixed that, and if the copyright will be under the option you set at Istock?


« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2011, 15:15 »
0
never opted in.  I did not like it from the beginning so have not bothered with it nor do I plan to. 

« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2011, 15:59 »
0
I never opted in as well.  Effectively helps Getty undermine Istock's position as it seeks to sell much of the same content at very low subscription prices.  I did not want to compeat against myself as an exclusive.

« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2011, 16:31 »
0
I'm not interested in $0.25 subs with thinkstock.  I don't upload to istock any more.  Such a shame what has happened with microstock, I was optimistic 18 months ago, now I've lost all motivation and I'm looking at other ways to make money.

« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2011, 16:51 »
0
As an IS exclusive I think it's not in my best interests to opt in - because I think it's helping Getty undermine iStock exclusivity as noted above. Unfortunately, not all exclusives share that view. OTOH the portal between the sites has been busted for many months, so there is no flow of new material going from IS to the partners.

However as an independent the calculus is a bit different. The payment sucks compared to SS but may end up higher than some payments from IS itself with the new royalty rates as of Jan 11th. The site that has the most to lose from Thinkstock and Photos.com being successful is SS, so you might decide not to help Getty switch users from SS to their sits. Or, you might just take the view that uploading everywhere is the only sane strategy and let the sites sort out the competition and whichever one wins, your portfolio will be there.

lisafx

« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2011, 16:59 »
0
I didn't opt in for the partner program for all the reasons listed above.  

But aside from those reasons - undermining Istock and accepting the lowest rates in the industry - consider that nobody has gotten paid for PP sales in several months.  People are still waiting for NOVEMBER royalties.

And the final reason not to opt in to the PP, is that all transfers of files between Istock and TS are suspended indefinitely and have been for quite some months.  So even if you do opt in, your images will not be transferred over and put for sale.

ETA:  JoAnn typed faster and made a more coherent case :)

« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2011, 17:18 »
0
The PP is a mess, both software and sub-plan wise.  Everyone is advised to go back in time and not sign up.  That way, you won't start down the spiraling wormhole.

« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2011, 17:42 »
0
November royalties were payed.

« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2011, 18:01 »
0
I never opted in for all the reasons stated above, and if anyone were asking my advice, I would say to not opt in (again, for the reasons stated above).

lisafx

« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2011, 18:12 »
0
November royalties were payed.

Oh, hooray.  When did that finally happen?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2011, 18:13 »
0
Plus they told us that the PP subs would be a 'different market' then directly targetted their biggest buyers with adverts for the cut price program.

« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2011, 18:45 »
0
November royalties were payed.

FALSE! (only PP were payed, no sales from Hemera (XP))

I can tell sweetgirll that 30% of my income from IS is made there, dont think it is disturbing my regular IS (growing slowly, not this month..).. actually I am with 4 XS for less than 0.25$..
« Last Edit: January 18, 2011, 18:52 by luissantos84 »

« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2011, 18:51 »
0

lisafx

« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2011, 18:55 »
0
Sorry, I am confused Luis.  Did you get paid for November partner program sales yet?

« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2011, 18:58 »
0
Sorry, I am confused Luis.  Did you get paid for November partner program sales yet?

like I said I got from PP but not from XP, which is owned by getty right? :)

actually XP sales (Hemera at thinkstock) were never delayed used to be payed at the first week but they have some kind of problem, like lack of staff and dont care..

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2011, 18:59 »
0
I don't know if royalties have been paid or not. but I have been opted out since the second month. the ROI versus the risk (or perceived risk) just wasn't worth it. Now seeing the PP on steroids in the form of mirroring Agency and Vetta at Getty. Best case scenario=sales start happening elsewhere without a drop at iStock. worst case scenario=sales start splintering all over the place and Getty really pushes sales at sites (PP, Getty etc.) where contributors get paid far less.

it seems TPTB want profits at almost any cost; in the form of any download from any of their sites...and my fear is it will be at the expense of sales at iStock where contributors are more expensive....if that's the case (since I'm purely speculating based on communications and flubs of late), it's a sad and short-sighted business model for all of us. I'm hoping it isn't the case, of course ;-)

lisafx

« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2011, 19:13 »
0
Sorry, I am confused Luis.  Did you get paid for November partner program sales yet?

like I said I got from PP but not from XP, which is owned by getty right? :)


Okay, by XP, you mean StockXpert, right?  Haven't seen that abbreviation before.  Thanks for clearing it up. 

Out of curiosity, when did you get paid for PP?  Last I read, payment had still not been made.  Must have happened fairly recently?

« Reply #17 on: January 18, 2011, 19:17 »
0
Sorry, I am confused Luis.  Did you get paid for November partner program sales yet?

like I said I got from PP but not from XP, which is owned by getty right? :)


Okay, by XP, you mean StockXpert, right?  Haven't seen that abbreviation before.  Thanks for clearing it up. 

Out of curiosity, when did you get paid for PP?  Last I read, payment had still not been made.  Must have happened fairly recently?

lol dont know why but I called it XP but yeh StockXpert fits better :)

November PP sales were payed on the third week of December like usual (next month and the end..) Like they will this month, perhaps next week (for Dec sales)..

« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2011, 19:18 »
0
I'm not interested in $0.25 subs with thinkstock.  I don't upload to istock any more.  Such a shame what has happened with microstock, I was optimistic 18 months ago, now I've lost all motivation and I'm looking at other ways to make money.

+1

« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2011, 19:29 »
0
I don't know if royalties have been paid or not. but I have been opted out since the second month. the ROI versus the risk (or perceived risk) just wasn't worth it. Now seeing the PP on steroids in the form of mirroring Agency and Vetta at Getty. Best case scenario=sales start happening elsewhere without a drop at iStock. worst case scenario=sales start splintering all over the place and Getty really pushes sales at sites (PP, Getty etc.) where contributors get paid far less.

it seems TPTB want profits at almost any cost; in the form of any download from any of their sites...and my fear is it will be at the expense of sales at iStock where contributors are more expensive....if that's the case (since I'm purely speculating based on communications and flubs of late), it's a sad and short-sighted business model for all of us. I'm hoping it isn't the case, of course ;-)

Good post.

Getty does appear determined to destroy their chunk of the microstock market as quickly as possible. I don't even see any significant short-term gain to explain their actions. They spent all that time and money marketing Istock as the premier microstock site and then, for the last year, they've been tunneling underneath Istock's foundations promoting their feeble subscription offerings. I doubt that potential customers fork out the sort of money required for a subscription without doing at least some research and, if they do, they they're unlikely to be buying from TS, etc. I reckon they are accidentally promoting SS instead. I'm expecting a really bad year at Istock during 2011 __ and entirely of their own making too.

Back to the OP's question. The PP is rubbish and I'd recommend you avoid it at all costs. You will come to regret it if you participate. It started off really badly and it is now descending into farce.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2011, 19:55 »
0
Back to the OP's question. The PP is rubbish and I'd recommend you avoid it at all costs. You will come to regret it if you participate. It started off really badly and it is now descending into farce.
Unfortunately, it's not only the PP which is becoming more and more farcical.  :(

RacePhoto

« Reply #21 on: January 19, 2011, 03:15 »
0
November royalties were payed.

I see Nov. PP on IS paid until December. Maybe some people are looking at StockXpert which has not been paid.

And yes, they did screw up and used peoples real names on Thinkstock, which I would assume is offensive to those who would rather stay anonymous and not be outted for being microstock sellers. Some people have friends who would frown on their participation in Micro. Some people would just rather have their artists name and keep their real name private. Whatever the reason, IS never asked when they moved files from StockXpert and used real names. Mark one more for their incompetent programming crew.

I wouldn't know if anything is being ported over, I stopped uploading to IS in May.

No I wouldn't say the partner program pays and it seems all cocked up. Next thing we'll hear they are changing it again and dropping the IS files. Who the heck knows what they will do next, it's like some random acts of an insane person.

traveler1116

« Reply #22 on: January 19, 2011, 04:11 »
0
Opted in and the opted out as soon as the royalty cuts were announced although it took a while and some support tickets to get the images off.  I opted in originally because I thought I could trust IS to do what was best for them and us, obviously that changed.  I agree about what people are saying about it hurting SS and as an exclusive that looked like it  could be a promising market to get into for some of my images, for you nonexclusives I would carefully consider  this before opting in.

« Reply #23 on: January 19, 2011, 08:54 »
0
This is my experience:

November 2010
Regular downloads -> 134 -> 785$
PP downloads -> 290 -> 98$

which means i had more then twice downloads in PP which resulted in 8 times less earnings compared to regular sales. I had a feeling that I am comepteing against myself. I just didn't like those numbers so i quit PP.

lisafx

« Reply #24 on: January 19, 2011, 13:31 »
0

November PP sales were payed on the third week of December like usual (next month and the end..) Like they will this month, perhaps next week (for Dec sales)..

Weird, I seem to remember reading a bunch of people complaining just recently that they still hadn't gotten partner program royalties from november.  I thought it was on Istock's forums.  Maybe it was really StockXpert they were talking about and I am misremembering. 

Anyway, thanks again Luis, for providing clarification.  I don't want to be spreading misinformation... :)


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
17 Replies
12067 Views
Last post October 20, 2009, 18:41
by lisafx
4 Replies
7519 Views
Last post September 02, 2010, 15:49
by lisafx
123 Replies
38715 Views
Last post March 04, 2011, 12:58
by Noedelhap
41 Replies
18142 Views
Last post April 22, 2014, 19:41
by ShadySue
6 Replies
12101 Views
Last post May 01, 2014, 01:45
by Red Dove

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors