Like everyone with a camera, I get excited about all of the birds on the beach while on vacation (I didn't see any shore birds on a recent trip to Maui).  I shoot them.  But the reality is there isn't much demand for them and the stock agencies have tons of these pictures already.

My advice - concentrate on uploading a good number of appropriate works - i.e. things people would want to display in their homes.  Spend time on keywording and descriptions - people search for places.   Social network.  Plan for the long game as it takes time for search engines to find you.

Keep in mind that previous sales figure into the search engine.  Market outside of FAA.  Soliciting votes and comments from other members is a waste of time.  I've sold more the less I spent on FAA and the more I've spent creating work.

Looking at a four figure check from them this month.

stockphotos.com

 
All I see on the site is this:
 

This URL is currently for sale.

For more information contact Jeff Kubarych at:

[email protected]

phone: 203-200-0607

My top earner.  FAA has been cranking for me.  4x Shutterstock.  But I create Fine Art type images, not just repost stock shots.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/moonrise-over-airstream-edward-fielding.html

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/little-reindeer-christmas-card-edward-fielding.html

If there is a wb problem on this, I certainly don't see it.

As suspected - the four rejected by SS for WB issues have been accepted on Fotolia and Deposit Photos.

Two more WB rejects from SS today.

My b-school background finds this all fascinating.  For years GCU choose quantity over quality. Now they seem to be in some kind of flux. Lately they've reduced the commission on their contributors and even jettisoned long time contributors for having sub-standard work.  Rather than pay higher commission to attract better talent, they are bringing in professional standard images from BS and then letting the monkeys key in verses for peanuts.  Such low regard for the artist they (GCU) originally attracted me thinks.

I guess the winner is the BS contributor unless they also contribute to GCU and now have to go against their own images.

GCU pays about 10 cents a card sale so can you image the Big Stock royalty?  1 cent perhaps?

"In partnership with BigStock, GCU is excited to roll out a soft launch of a new feature - Stock Card Creations.  This targets card creators who are good with words and verse and/or have clever ideas but do not have access to high quality art / images. 
 
The intent is not to replace the creative artists in our community today but to open the same opportunity to new contributors, different types of contributors.  These cards by nature will not hold a candle to the highly stylized designs that we revere on GCU, but will shine in other ways.
 
Here are some highlights:
1. Access to millions of high-quality stock images licensed by GCU (no charge to card creators)
2. Simple interface to create cards
3. Standard earnings  (these cards are exempt from premium earnings and will not apply to meeting quarterly earnings thresholds)
4. GCU review process and Submission Guidelines apply however since images are �pre qualified� reviews will be much quicker
5. Cards must be marketable & serve less populated and niche categories on GCU.  GCU will decline cards deemed not marketable, considered �more of the same� and with little to no added value.  This will be very subjective.  Simply overlaying �Happy Birthday� over the image of a cake will not pass muster.
6. Cards automatically appear in Private gallery until reviewed
7. Approved cards are limited to this category: �Collections >> Off the Cuff�.  Over time top selling cards may be moved to their functional occasion based category
8. Card visibility relies on self promotion and search (search engines & onsite search) � cards will thrive or not by their metadata (title, keywords, artist notes, etc.)
9. GCU artists can participate within their existing store "

Happened to me last month, took forever to get my last 50 cents for a payout.  My earnings are down at least 50 percent over a two months ago despite uploading a ton.

Had my second sale last week.

What a dbag.  Looking at the link to his presentation to the Miami Ad School, his lack of professionalism seems to be the norm - drinking beer during a presentation to students?  Showing a bunch of Goggled images for his life story and basically just running some reels from Gray without any explanation of his involvement in the creative process.  My guess is he is basically the guy they send out to pick up the sandwiches.

Big Holiday weekend in the US especially for leaf peepers around here in New England - but my SS sales were great on Monday so there must have been a lot of people with the nose to the grind stone.