Author Topic: Any reason not to put your port on every agency? (Read 6586 times)

MLeeS · « **on:** August 16, 2017, 22:13 »

Hey guys. I see folks mentioning that they don't work with some agencies, or that they've taken their portfolios off of them.

Why would you not put your entire portfolio on every agency, just in case you pick up a few extra sales? Is it simply because it's not worth the time to upload/tag images if you're only getting a few cents per month?

Is there any other reason, e.g. that putting your photos on numerous agencies lowers their value somehow?

Thanks in advance for helping me out.

Mantis · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2017, 22:25 »

Some agencies got caught cheating us, some keep coming up with royaty schemes to reduce royalties, some flat out lie, some take your work and dump it on another site and the list goes on. There are hundreds of threads on here about how agencies are simply corrupt, or act in shady ways. Some just have no customers and thus no sales.

cthoman · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2017, 22:53 »

Hard to say. There was a time when doing this strategy or doing that strategy made sense. Now, it is probably more about survival. How long will this last or will something better come along? I'm not sure how other people are feeling, but I definitely feel the whole party winding down.

MLeeS · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2017, 23:10 »

Thanks for the observations, you guys. From reading the threads, it does seem like some agencies are just not worth the effort to deal with them. Seeing people with hundreds or thousands of images reporting near-zero earnings from some of these companies is definitely worrisome.

Karen · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2017, 00:23 »

Quote from: cthoman on August 16, 2017, 22:53

I'm not sure how other people are feeling, but I definitely feel the whole party winding down.

Sames here. Only videos are selling on my port.

sharpshot · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2017, 03:06 »

I think if we all supply a site that pays only 15%, all the other sites will go down to that level. So I left istock, I don't understand why anyone would want to sell for that little? You might be losing out if buyers use istock instead of sites that pay much more. It isn't as simple as some people think.

Some sites sell so little, it's almost impossible to reach the payout level, it isn't worth supplying them.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2017, 07:14 »

Quote from: MLeeS on August 16, 2017, 22:13

Hey guys. I see folks mentioning that they don't work with some agencies, or that they've taken their portfolios off of them.

Why would you not put your entire portfolio on every agency, just in case you pick up a few extra sales? Is it simply because it's not worth the time to upload/tag images if you're only getting a few cents per month?

Is there any other reason, e.g. that putting your photos on numerous agencies lowers their value somehow?

Thanks in advance for helping me out.

I don't pull ports but stop uploading if it doesn't seem worth the effort. It is possible that sales will be cannibalised and buyers go the the cheapest sites....but no one can prove it happens to a significant degree but I know for a fact i do sell very small amounts at worst on the sites I continue with.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2017, 07:24 »

Quote

Is it simply because it's not worth the time to upload/tag images if you're only getting a few cents per month?

There's software out there that mass submits, such as Stocksubmitter, so it's not that much extra work.

I don't do it because I sell some of my images as Rights-Managed at Alamy, Getty, etc. Whether it makes more in the long-run with this approach rather than offering it everywhere remains to be seen but at least it gives me some peace of mind that usage is being tracked. The remainder of my more generic images will go on as RF to only SS and Adobe Stock.

I also don't want to have the extra work of pulling images out of agencies that are struggling and offering clients huge discounts (race to the bottom).

pancaketom · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2017, 12:08 »

you need to read the TOS at all the sites you submit to and decide if they are something you can live with. Yes, it is a pain, but then you won't be surprised to find out that they are doing something shady - until the sites change the TOS without notice or just flat out lie to you...

There is a lot of history available here if you wonder why people are not happy with and do not submit to for instance Getty.

Bad Company · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2017, 13:30 »

Quote from: MLeeS on August 16, 2017, 22:13

Hey guys. I see folks mentioning that they don't work with some agencies, or that they've taken their portfolios off of them.

Why would you not put your entire portfolio on every agency, just in case you pick up a few extra sales? Is it simply because it's not worth the time to upload/tag images if you're only getting a few cents per month?

Is there any other reason, e.g. that putting your photos on numerous agencies lowers their value somehow?

Thanks in advance for helping me out.

Some key questions to address for yourself. Are you doing this for some extra money? Or do you want to try to make a living out of it? Depending on which one you're considering will make big difference on your own business plan. For me, I am trying the later thus submit to all Top, middle and several low earners. I use FTP to make bulk uploads initially and than just submit via their web up-loaders (usually less than 10 images at a time) afterwards. If after sometime (one year or more) you are making less than say $20 a month I tend to stop uploading there and concentrate on the higher paying companies.

niktol · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2017, 03:31 »

Quote from: MLeeS on August 16, 2017, 22:13

Is there any other reason, e.g. that putting your photos on numerous agencies lowers their value somehow?

It might lower the value if the site is leaky, not secure or credible. You can have your entire portfolio and personal financial info stolen. This is internet, you know. Happens even with large established agencies.

Of course, even with credible agencies it is not worth the effort if the return is minuscule. For the sake of security I do not use third party programs to upload/download or process data in any way. I can * well write my own scripts. It takes time though.

rinderart · « **Reply #11 on:** August 31, 2017, 23:47 »

Listen to Mantis. I love My daughter dearly and she Has a amazing eye. I totally frown on her doing this. and I frown on myself and trying to get Out.To answer the question is this is "TRULY" what you want. you better get real Busy...Real quick and submit everywhere that will Take you. NO ONE KNOWS THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.

rinderart · « **Reply #12 on:** September 01, 2017, 16:07 »

And....Absolutely 100% for sure No ONE knows what will sell. We have a better Idea what won't than what will.

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #13 on:** September 01, 2017, 16:31 »

rinder, youve been trying to get out for years now, isnt it time you actually just left,? i mean microstock. seems its not for you, too much frustration

on topic
as for putting your port on every agency, if you have the time, why not. i dont believe in cannibalizing your own sales. a sale lost in one place is a sale gained in the other

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