MicrostockGroup

1

iStockPhoto.com / Re: Buyers Bailing on Istock

« on: December 08, 2010, 19:58 »

Quote from: SNP on December 08, 2010, 19:26

I think the Agency search bug should be a priority too. it's absolutely ridiculous that buyers have to go through that to search for files. I don't get the hold up on that bug. how frustrating.

Somehow I suspect that if the bug locked the buyer into view only the dollar bin files it would have been fixed the first day.

2

General Stock Discussion / Re: November 2010 Microstock Earnings Thread

« on: December 02, 2010, 12:55 »

OK so first full month as an independent after giving up iStocks crown in October.

Amounts are % of income and total files online. The big time factor is still keywording everything into the file itself which I hadn't done with most of my library. Still focusing on the big 4 (or 3 in my case). Expect things to pick up speed on uploads after the first of the year when my wedding business is taking no time at all.

iStock     46.62%   3006
Dreamstime   9.22%   689
Shutterstock   37.30%   545
Fotolia     2.74%   188
Bigstock     0.95%   502
Canstock     1.49%   460
123RF     1.00%   130
Veer     0.50%     9
Depositphotos   0.18%   171

Income up 5% from last month when I made the break. While combined income is still about 80% on average of my exclusive income - it's certainly not the worst month this year - I had several months this summer slower than this with the crown.

3

General Stock Discussion / Re: October 2010 Microstock Earnings Breakdown

« on: November 01, 2010, 16:42 »

First month of being at least partially independent I don't think I can compare this month to just about anything with any certainty other than to say not as bad as I feared it would be.

October 2010   % of income Total files online
iStock     76.77%     2999
Dreamstime     1.74%     451
Shutterstock     20.21%     344
Fotolia     0.65%     106
Bigstock     0.25%     158
Canstock     0.38%     229

The big challenge is getting the bulk of the files keyworded and uploaded to the other main sites. Focusing on Dreamstime/Fotolia/Shutterstock first then I'll worry more about the others.

Total income down about 20% from last month - but two weeks of no Vetta and E+ took more of a toll than the other sites could pick up during this transition period. Still for every dollar I lost on iStock I know they lost more.

What is interesting is my daily downloads at iStock didn't take as big a hit as I feared, of course the only thing being found is older files with enough downloads to keep them in the best match results.

4

General Stock Discussion / Re: Dilemma - should I drop iStock exclusivity

« on: October 27, 2010, 14:33 »

Also keep in mind that you can always go back to being exclusive in the future if being an independent doesn't work for you

I've got my target numbers set and I'm going to be looking closely at them the next 3-6 months. If at that time I feel my decision to ditch the crown was the wrong one I'll look at the minimum time online agreements with everyone and cease uploading to them in timeline that will allow me to close them at around a 1 year mark and become exclusive again via iStock.

Granted year long experiment might not be the best thing for my stock income, or it might be the best thing I could have down. Either way I'll know and if I take the crown back I'll at least feel it really is the best thing for me.

5

General Stock Discussion / Re: Dilemma - should I drop iStock exclusivity

« on: October 26, 2010, 16:52 »

Quote from: cclapper on October 26, 2010, 16:45

Just a little tip if you are uploading to Veer...the first time around they rejected every single big seller I had on istock. They may have eased up a bit since the Dash for Cash promo, but try uploading fresh and new things to Veer (perfectly understandable from their point of view).

Yup, my first time around was a total strikeout with them. Second time around I sent in more of the artsy former Vetta's and they took every single one of them.

6

General Stock Discussion / Re: Dilemma - should I drop iStock exclusivity

« on: October 26, 2010, 16:37 »

Just going to ditto what everyone else has said - don't be too scared to jump.

After being exclusive since early 2006 my 30 days was up and the crown actually came of on my birthday a few weeks back. :-)
While the initial shock of losing Vetta and E+ is indeed painful - knowing that next January I was going from 35% (and slowly getting closer to 40%) all the way back to 25% was just too much to take.

On the bright side when those former Vetta files have sold over the last few days I look at the money I lost and realize that iStock lost even more. Yeah, not like they'll notice - but makes me feel a little better.

Stick with hitting the other 3 of the big 4 first. Keyworking if you didn't do it on the file will be the big challenge with a large portfolio. But most likely once you're in you'll get a pretty good acceptance rate on everything that iStock took - although I've had a few flames and Vetta's turned down. Just don't worry about losing a few here and their and just focus on getting the library up all over and being ready to add new stuff to all the sites.

Mark