I just received my Shutterstock earnings via Paypal. No fees deducted, so whatever the change is, it did not affect me - yet.

Question is:

Why to pay  20$ per a picture instead of 2$, and what it is worth about 10x cost of image with mid RF license?

Because:

• customer does only know the place where the price is 20$
• doesn't want to spend the time searching multiple sites
• gets (perceives to get) a better customer service
• thinks 20$ is cheap compared to the 200$ he used to pay and doesn't look any further

I think it has got nothing to do with what you get, but with marketing. I doubt that many buyers have a deeper knowledge about the variety of stock sites out there in the web...

I don't know how to find out if I have a sale. I browsed through some of my images and saw a few views. Is there a stats page somewhere re: sales that I haven't found?
You sellers: Have you been notified of a sale?

No notification. I found it by browsing my portfolio (the "approved" tab in the workspace). Below every thumbnail there are three lines, "Purchased", "Viewed", "Earned". That's were I found my first sale and the amount.

@borg: currently 508 approved.

that got me interested and I started to browse through my portfolio as well.

And: I found my first sale!



Just $0,20 (so must have been an XS sub sale), but it's a start!

Yes, you're right, I am emerald level and hadn't thought about that when I posted.  Obviously for the people that haven't had a chance to double prices their RPD won't be as high.

I'm only bronze, no exclusive files, so everything at the minimum price level.
Still my RPD at FT this month is at 1� (big advantage that I'm being payed in Euros).
IS is at $1,49, so slightly above that.
DT is at $0,54 (too many subs)...

The Istock subscription model doesn't compare to the others in the industry at all, since it has size-dependent pricing - and that is the main reason (my guess) why it hasn't reached any significant volume and never will... The only thing subscription buyers really want is huge discounts, and that's what they get at Shutter, Dreamstime, StockXpert, Fotolia...

Anybody ever had that before?

Today I had a PPD from JIU - 30$ 

Not that I want to complain, but I thought JUI would only sell subs? It was marked as "Jupiterimages pay-per-download" of size SUPER. Maybe an EL?

Just noticed that Shutterstock has the anounced tax center online now.

And to my relief: As an individual from a treaty country it is just an online form, no paperwork, no tax number needed.

It looks like processing of payments is done via the regional offices. I am at FT Germany, so a short wait there probably does not imply anything for folks at FT UK or US.

I requested my last payout on July 08, received payment via paypal on July 14. Nothing out of the ordinary for me.

Not necessarily more stable, but it spreads the risk.  With that I agree.  I have had no issues with stability with my iStock portfolio, but maybe thats just my portfolio and it doesn't apply to others.  The biggest logical hole I can poke into your argument is that if iStock dies, your exclusivity agreement is useless and you can run away if you want.  You can then submit to all the sites (not that I would want to submit to more than 5 or 6 because its a gigantic waste in my opinion) and you may or may not be any further behind, depending on the situation. 

But what if Istock doesn't die but just slowly looses business? Then you'll have to make a decision (without first hand knowledge about download trends in other agencies) if and when to pull the plug.

As others have said before, I think becoming exklusive is an easier decision than going back to independant.

The all the eggs in one basket cliche is becoming the most annoying phrase in this business.  There are many people with these proverbial eggs in iStock's basket and many of them are doing great.  You have the few disgruntled exclusive submitters who just comlpain the majority of the time, but they are going to be everywhere.

It may be only a boring cliche as long as the basket is sitting firmly on the table (and that seems to be the situation right now).
But once it starts slipping down, you want to get the eggs out as fast as you can.

(Paying for health insurance is just a waste of money - as long as you are not sick...)

My advice is:  Do your research, educate yourselves and then make a well-informed decision on estimates you can derive from first- and secondhand- opinions.  There is no other way to do it.  If you listen to everyone else, you will just get more confused.

That is absolutely true, everyone as he/she wishes.
But listening to other people might give you some hints what variables in the equation to consider.

Quote from: dirkr on July 06, 2009, 16:13

But if you tell me you will offer my photos for the same price structure that is obviously ok for the same files if they come via a distribution partner, that would be a different story.

I'm more worried that pictures on Panthermedia will be sold as XS Extended License via Pixamba for a share of 2$.

Good point.
I checked, the XS EL goes for 18 Credits.

Now...

Assuming Pixamba pays Panther the same as they pay their direct contributors (40 cents per credit...) that would be $7.20 to Panther, thereof 30% = $2.16 to me....

These are the calculations that make me think of directly contributing to such partner sites, if possible - and if they allow me to sell for a decent price, which Pixamba obviously won't do.

Can we really 'undercut' something like this with our offer?

Why compare yourself with the worst offerings of others?

Compare yourself with Istock prices, Zymmetrical commission, and Shutterstock volume.

And then offer something on top.