Author Topic: How do I know when I am doing bad in the Microstock Business? (Read 36545 times)

Goofy · « **on:** January 19, 2014, 11:54 »

I thought maybe we could make a list for fun thus here is my first entry on that list:

1. When Fotolia is my number one seller

Shelma1 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2014, 12:16 »

2. When the PP clawback is more than I usually make all month at iS.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2014, 12:48 »

When the only food you can afford is leftover props. Donuts, apples and beer.

cthoman · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2014, 13:00 »

When you pay the entirety of the janitor's salary at iStock and he still makes twice as much as you.

Snufkin · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2014, 13:15 »

5. When you're an IS exclusive.

6. When you start to suspect that DT exclusivity wasn't such a brilliant idea.

7. When you're an IS, DT and FT exclusive at the same time and luissantos84 discovers it.

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2014, 13:38 »

8. When Yay stops to promise that they will delete your portfolio tomorrow, and just does it

Goofy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2014, 13:49 »

all great and funny replies!

9. when most photos is the only one accepting your photos

Goofy · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2014, 15:36 »

10. When you owe the IRS more than you made that year

Gel-O Shooter · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2014, 15:53 »

11. When you have so few sales that you don't bother to check your balances for 5 years and forget both your logins and passwords.

(In my defense I only uploaded about 50)

heywoody · « **Reply #9 on:** January 19, 2014, 15:55 »

Quote from: Snufkin on January 19, 2014, 13:15

5. When you're an IS exclusive.

6. When you start to suspect that DT exclusivity wasn't such a brilliant idea.

7. When you're an IS, DT and FT exclusive at the same time and luissantos84 discovers it.

Pure class

mlwinphoto · « **Reply #10 on:** January 19, 2014, 16:42 »

Isn't doing bad in the microstock business a given?

Lizard · « **Reply #11 on:** January 19, 2014, 17:07 »

When you realize that you are putting twice of the effort for keeping the earnings steady or you get 10% more of earnings out of it and you put the blame on your efforts and promise yourself to try harder and start investing the time that belongs to your family, friends and cut your dog for 50% of his walks.

When you take your last 10 sales a cumulatively you are lacking few cents for pack of bubble gums.

When you start inventing jokes about it and realize that reality itself is funniest joke you can think of.

JPSDK · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2014, 17:14 »

When you sell 1000snds of images and then talk to your brother, the freak artist in the family, and he says he just sold a tiny watercolour for the same amount as you earned.
Then he mentions oilpaintings.

heywoody · « **Reply #13 on:** January 19, 2014, 17:29 »

Or when your day job employer pays you more from the time you spend smoking outside than you earn from your images

Goofy · « **Reply #14 on:** January 19, 2014, 17:57 »

"Or when your day job employer pays you more from the time you spend smoking outside than you earn from your images"

So true, I don't smoke but maybe I should start! If you take say 15 min per cigarette and have four breaks than my daily earnings would be around $56 which I don't even come close to in my microstock business for sure on a regular basis...

ShadySue · « **Reply #15 on:** January 19, 2014, 18:31 »

Quote from: heywoody on January 19, 2014, 17:29

Or when your day job employer pays you more from the time you spend smoking outside than you earn from your images

True, but day jobs aren't always a bed of roses either.

donding · « **Reply #16 on:** January 19, 2014, 22:54 »

That's obvious....when you don't make any sales and wonder why.

Goofy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 19, 2014, 23:12 »

"When the only food you can afford is leftover props. Donuts, apples and beer."

and the donuts, apples and beer are stale! plus all that salt you added to the beer to make it foam up lol!

HughStoneIan · « **Reply #18 on:** January 19, 2014, 23:28 »

When you get Stockholm Syndrome towards Lobo.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2014, 03:33 »

When you start to forecast whether your next payout will arrive in time to pay towards your funeral costs

luissantos84 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2014, 07:13 »

Quote from: Snufkin on January 19, 2014, 13:15

5. When you're an IS exclusive.

6. When you start to suspect that DT exclusivity wasn't such a brilliant idea.

7. When you're an IS, DT and FT exclusive at the same time and luissantos84 discovers it.

ahahah

arkadia56 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 20, 2014, 07:59 »

When the time spent to shoot, prepare and upload your images is high and the returns on your investment are so low that you can't help but conclude that you have just lost your time, like thousands of others, to the only benefit of stock agencies...

If you think about it, you represent the unhappy majority

SNod · « **Reply #22 on:** January 20, 2014, 09:38 »

Well that cheered me up

klsbear · « **Reply #23 on:** January 20, 2014, 09:53 »

When you're an iS exclusive and you ardently defend their every move while trashing their competitor and you suddenly realize your payouts are no longer enough to pay your internet bill, your connection is terminated and you can't post on MSG anymore.

Muskoka Imagery · « **Reply #24 on:** January 20, 2014, 10:06 »

When your infrared photos are rejected for "White Balance issues".

When you became a contributor after July and have a lower than 99% acceptance rating at IS.

Goofy · « **Reply #25 on:** January 20, 2014, 10:13 »

When Lobo is your only friend in the business...

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #26 on:** January 20, 2014, 10:56 »

My answer was going to be: When you are in the Microstock business. But I thought too many people don't see the ironic humor in that?

Quote from: mlwinphoto on January 19, 2014, 16:42

Isn't doing bad in the microstock business a given?

ShadySue · « **Reply #27 on:** January 20, 2014, 12:10 »

When you know that taking part in a fun thread on msg is as likely to be profitable as shooting something new for iStock.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #28 on:** January 20, 2014, 14:52 »

When you tell an agency exactly what you think of them in their forum.

gostwyck · « **Reply #29 on:** January 20, 2014, 15:42 »

When you find threads like this an absorbing distraction from ... anything else at all really.

Red Dove · « **Reply #30 on:** January 20, 2014, 15:50 »

When you've got a hole in the bottom of your shoe and its pouring with rain - but you don't care because the Christmas card you got from Shutterstock provides a neat solution.

Red Dove · « **Reply #31 on:** January 20, 2014, 15:54 »

When your cat refuses to put his paw print on your model release.

Travelling-light · « **Reply #32 on:** January 20, 2014, 16:16 »

When you prepare a food shot and decide it's not worth the bother of photographing it, and just eat it hot instead.

Gel-O Shooter · « **Reply #33 on:** January 20, 2014, 21:31 »

Christmas card? You got a Christmas card???

roede-orm · « **Reply #34 on:** January 21, 2014, 00:44 »

When you not deal as a professional with professionals

Red Dove · « **Reply #35 on:** January 21, 2014, 04:43 »

When an old school friend who stands on his front lawn photographing the rainbow created by his sprinkler system and takes snapshots of his offspring picking their noses, shows you his camera....and it turns out to be worth more than your camera and the car you drove up in.

MxR · « **Reply #36 on:** January 21, 2014, 05:53 »

when you spend more time looking lens, forums and sales statistics than taking pictures.

Me · « **Reply #37 on:** January 21, 2014, 07:09 »

Quote from: Gel-O Shooter on January 20, 2014, 21:31

Christmas card? You got a Christmas card???

You know you're doing bad in microstock when......you don't get a Christmas card!

4seasons · « **Reply #38 on:** January 21, 2014, 09:53 »

When after hundreds of rejections of your test photos from 63 main stock agencies you finally received an approval email from a new stock agency 'www.forevercheapeststockphotographsandillustrations.ki' in Republic of Kiribati.

Goofy · « **Reply #39 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:02 »

When my nine year old daughter gets more money for her birthday, from her grand parents, that I make a month in the business!

ignard · « **Reply #40 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:03 »

When Lobo feels sorry for you

Goofy · « **Reply #41 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:08 »

"When Lobo feels sorry for you"

The topic name would have to be "What happens to your business when you pass away" for this to occur which still probably wouldn't happen...

ignard · « **Reply #42 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:09 »

Quote from: 4seasons on January 21, 2014, 09:53

When after hundreds of rejections of your test photos from 63 main stock agencies you finally received an approval email from a new stock agency 'www.forevercheapeststockphotographsandillustrations.ki' in Republic of Kiribati.

Is Kiribati in the Vancouver area?

? More specific Calgary

4seasons · « **Reply #43 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:19 »

Quote from: ignard on January 21, 2014, 10:09

Quote from: 4seasons on January 21, 2014, 09:53
When after hundreds of rejections of your test photos from 63 main stock agencies you finally received an approval email from a new stock agency 'www.forevercheapeststockphotographsandillustrations.ki' in Republic of Kiribati.

Is Kiribati in the Vancouver area?? More specific Calgary

As Wikipedia states, Kiribati, is an island nation in the central tropical Pacific Ocean.
Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999.
And I don't think Kiribati is in the Vancouver area...

ignard · « **Reply #44 on:** January 21, 2014, 10:20 »

When you leave IS and after that sales at IS increases

bspudd · « **Reply #45 on:** January 21, 2014, 18:55 »

When your returns are more than your income.

Rage · « **Reply #46 on:** January 22, 2014, 01:57 »

When you join the MS world with hopes of fame and fortune and the vetrans there talk like they're all living like hobos, eating stale food and warming themselves by burning their dreams and aspirations.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Ariene · « **Reply #47 on:** January 22, 2014, 04:31 »

Quote from: ignard on January 21, 2014, 10:20

When you leave IS and after that sales at IS increases

The best reply lately!

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #48 on:** January 22, 2014, 04:49 »

When you go faux-exclusive at iS and the SS share price rises.
When you work out that selling your mountain of gear and investing the money in a deposit account at 0.3% interest would be a good financial move.

Red Dove · « **Reply #49 on:** January 23, 2014, 04:28 »

When you explain to your mother's cronies what it is you do and afterwards there is complete silence, apart from the cat releasing a fart. Then your mother says: "My other son is a lawyer."

elvinstar · « **Reply #50 on:** January 23, 2014, 07:07 »

When you stop lusting after new gear to produce new microstock photos.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #51 on:** January 23, 2014, 09:44 »

Quote from: Red Dove on January 23, 2014, 04:28

When you explain to your mother's cronies what it is you do and afterwards there is complete silence, apart from the cat releasing a fart. Then your mother says: "My other son is a lawyer."

That's a good one!

Ron · « **Reply #52 on:** January 23, 2014, 10:07 »

When you make less than Mike Ledray

landbysea · « **Reply #53 on:** January 23, 2014, 10:20 »

When you plan all your shoots for new Zazzle products.

Muskoka Imagery · « **Reply #54 on:** January 23, 2014, 10:32 »

Bad:

When you refer to your most recent rejections in terms of "batches".

Worse:

When you start to get image rejection notices from your "Self-Hosted" site.

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Author Topic: How do I know when I am doing bad in the Microstock Business? (Read 36545 times)

Goofy

Beppe Grillo

Goofy

Goofy

mlwinphoto

Goofy

Goofy

Goofy

Uncle Pete

Goofy

Goofy

Ron

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