Shank Ali,
'Banal rubbish' - you say.
Non-exclusives complaining about rejections.
Last time I uploaded to Istock (more than 2 months ago) they rejected one of my files with the following reason :
'Clipping, Path' - keywords, not relevant to an image with a clipping path included!
Please fix and resubmit.
I have never done so. Not once.
Instead I stopped uploading.
Now you tell me, can an exclusive get a rejection based on such a motive?

3 days ago IStock waiting list was 20.100 files.
Same day on DT - waiting list over 64.000
Last week on SS - number of new files - 60.000
Numbers, numbers, they say it all.
From a buyer's point of view, IStock simply doesn't look good.

Hi there,
Richard, worrying about quality of photos? Well then, follow your own advice and go out there and improve yours.
You don't have to read the blog, and most certainly you don't have to waste your time posting fruitless messages here. 
When it comes to 'Lei' or 'Tu', I would strongly advise you to keep it on second person, 'tu'.
It is a friendlier, more open approach.
None of my Italian photographers friends would even think of getting ticked the wrong way by the use of 'tu', instead of the formal 'Lei'.
They're inteligent people, have read many books and blogs and know the proper etiquette.
'Tu' is just fine.
Finally, thank you, LebanonMax, for posting the link, for your efforts and your time.
Regardless of what has been said here, I'm sure there are a lot of newbies and more experienced photographers alike, who will find it useful.
Mille grazie,
Anna

Ok Whitechild ,
sorry for confusion! For some reason I thought you were Polish.
However, Serbia is not that far away, and still quite expensive.
Go for the job!
I agree, hard or not, it is an interesting position and keeps you close to what you love most.
Best of luck and let's have you among the reviewers. It makes for a nice change.

Anna

Hi Whitechild
I remember I read one of your earlier post and if I'm correct, you're Polish.
Poland has been part of the EU for years now and it is definitely not what I would call a 'low costs living' country.
Poland, like all other EU country is not cheap, and 400 dollars would not bring you too far
In order to get real value out of that money we should leave Europe altogether. Emigrate to sunny ... somewhere else
Coming back to your question about reviewers, I'm afraid I can't be of any help. I don't know what the procedure is, but I would like to find out.
Whitechild, I've been reading this forum, and your posts,  for quite some time now. It is clear to me that you are a very kind, caring man. Always eager to help, optimistic and forgiving.
Are you sure you're able to reject files?
Have you got the heart ?
I can only see you accepting everybody, sending tons of messages and spending all your time trying to help every single contributor
I certainly wish more people like you were reviewing our images.
So good luck! I'll vote for you!
And if you do find out how to get a reviewer job, please post it here.
It is an interesting option and I would like to know more.
Best of luck,
anna

Very, very S...L...O...W
Not only right now, but the whole month and even November.
Strange, something must have happened there.
Or maybe not.
Maybe it's just me.

Hi Larry,
nice to see you around here
Don't think twice! Upload to DT!
They are fair, easy going, friendly, and their inspectors are consistent and well trained.
They're are looking for new images, they want them and will accept easily most of your portfolio.
More over, they WILL sell almost everything.
Payment is good and once your images hit higher levels, you'll be flying!
Their HTTP uploading process is one by one, but not as complicated as it sounds.
While waiting for review you can still modify/delete any of your files.
Nice, friendly forum with many happy contributors.
The only problem is the waiting time. Sometimes it takes weeks for them to review your files.
You'll get used with it though, and it is well worth the wait.
Give them a try!
Soon enough they'll be high up on your favorites!

Best,

From rainy Dublin,
thank you Litifeta, and Merry Christmas everyone!
May we have peace in the world and may you all stay healthy and creative!
A thought for MIZ - I miss him and still can't believe he's never going to be around again.
Great loss, RIP MIZ!

Anna

DT!
Reasons - everything that Lisa, Hoi Hu and others have already said.

Steve - Fintastique,
I was actually looking for a way to send you a message. I'm going to take advantage of this topic and use it to say thank you for all your efforts!
My name is Anna and I work for a small photo studio and design company in Dublin.
I started reading your blog about a year ago.
Checked in every week or so, to see if you added anything new.
Among many, many other useful hints and tips it was your blog that actually gave me the address for this forum.
You told me to wait before applying to Shutterstock. Until I had at least some images up and running with companies like Fotolia, DT and IStock.
I did that.
And in a way it is your merit that I got in the first time with 10 out of ten.
In return I'm going to buy a few more of your images.
Because I'm grateful and because they're beautiful!
Thank you!
All the best.

PS I keep on recommending your blog to everyone interested. It is well worth the read.

The sentinel,
I'm not questioning your knowledge about women in general.
About me, though, you don't know anything.
I may be part of a different species altogether.

I read that post twice. 2 min after it was posted.
It said - 'Non exclusives will be able to participate to the Premiere Collection based on invitations'.
That is what it said.
No two ways about it.
And since you don't trust me, best thing to do is to ask an Istock Admin. They're part of a different species too. Once in the open they can't lie, (they choke and become green, thus revealing their true nature of perplexed beings).
He'll tell you the truth.

Regarding my post  and its reasons - read it again! I was answering to someone.
Something wrong with that?

Enough about Istock.
They've just made me 5 more dollars today. Unfortunatelly, not even that is enough to make me care.
See?
We're just different species...

Whatalife
I read it myself. Twice. Give you my word, it did say that independents will be allowed inside the Premiere Collection based on invitations.
Trust me
It did say so.
And you're right. I couldn't care less. Let them have it, the Premiere Collection I mean.
It is the best of what exclusives on Istock have on offer.
I wouldn't like them to call it 'The Best Stock Collection in the World', though.
Simply because that's not true.
Independents beat exclusives hands down. By far.
Still, let them have it! It is their business plan, let them live with it.
I couldn't care less...
All the best, 

Anna

This really makes my day!
How professional is this?
Post an announcement, listen to all exclusives in chorus go 'Yay, The best, Awesome, I'm so happppy, Love you Istock! Kisses!!! ', while in the back, 10 minutes later, the geniuses at Istock were rushing to change the post.
Complete failures!
I haven't uploaded to Istock for the past 2 months. And I know I'm not the only one.
Their waiting file list is now less than half the one at DT.
I know they don't care, but they should, they should. 

Whatalife
You're one the nicest exclusive I've ever 'met'
Nobody really wishes Istock to go bust, but if it does, you're most welcome everywhere!
Can't wait to compete with you, but I don't really think it will happen

Best,

Lagereek,
if they go down is only because they deserve it.
Right now I can hardly think of one, single, good thing about Istock.
Everything is awkward, painful, complicated, and their latest best match defies all logics.
I want to direct your attention to a new post in their forum.
Super fast reviews, and the waiting list is now down to 32.000 files. (Less than half the number of photos waiting at DT! It may seem great for Istock, but it's not).
Istockers exclusives are congratulating the inspectors for their hard work.
I wonder though, have the inspectors really worked that hard, or did photographers simply stop uploading?

They're an absolute nightmare.
Nothing seems to go well on Istock.
I haven't uploaded anything there for more than 2 months.
I know they don't care, but they should. I'm not the only one and this is bad business. 

Hoi Ha and WhiteChild - Yes!

Before starting to upload to any micro agency I was a buyer. I still am. Been doing this for years and years.
Right now, on this computer's hard drive I've got anything between 7 to 10 thousand stock images. Bought from all over the place and from a lot of you guys!
I work for a small design and photography company in Dublin.
Never, not ever were we bothered to care about the 'status' of a photographer.
You've got to be jocking! There is no time for such things and honestly, who cares?
I want an image, that's all.
Who cares about the photographer's status?
This Istock idea that I, as a buyer, should somehow be happy with a mediocre image only because the photographer works micro exclusively with Istock is pure nonsense.
If I want one unique shot I either shoot it myself, or, when location is out of reach, I contact photographers from all over the world and comission/buy.
That is all there is to it!
The only way a business stays successful is by providing its customers with the right content.
Istock is simply not doing it and one day this will spell disaster.
Just have a look on those poll results.
Crestock and Istock.
La creme de la creme.
Indeed.

Anna

Yuri,
it is so nice to see you here
If you ever consider going exclusive with IS, please think twice.
Forget about the money for a moment and think about us. Newbies, who believe in you. To us you are a symbol, no less than a hero.
The golden boy who against all odds, uploading limits, search engine positions, pressure, hate, envy, has made it to the very top of IStock.
Go on, Yuri!
Beat the crap out of them!
With their 15 files a week limit, painful uploading process, ridiculous keywording rejects, 3 weeks file queue, offensive forums and 'I'm an exclusive, you're not, therefore you suck!' attitude, they fully deserve it.
Best of luck Yuri, and thanks for all that you have given us!

Agree Goldenangel,
StockXpert accepts almost all my images and I almost always agree when DT rejects some of them.
Don't give up on micro, even if you get frustrated.
Try those 2 first!
They're open, friendly, looking for new content and most important - they SELL.
Best,
Anna

Hi there,
I've heard before that reviewing time at Fotolia can sometimes be very short. 1 day, hours, or even minutes!
I was never that lucky.
Normally my review time takes about 3 days. For the past 2 weeks (or so) pending time has increased to almost a week.
I'm in Dublin, Ireland - just in case location makes any difference.
Best wishes,
Anna

You're right Ichiro.
That photo is simply horrific.
That's the long and short of it, no matter what other arguments, 'calling out', 'calling in', 'shame on you' and the likes might be added.
That one is a scary photo and that's all there is to it.
No disrespect intended to the photographer.
Now let's be thankful it is only uploaded on IStock.

To all the Istock exclusives out here:
defending the obvious wrong, doesn't make it right.
At Istock, right now, reviewing times are almost 3 weeks.
That's wrong.
The keywords based rejection are ridiculous.
One of my images with a Christmas tree was rejected due to 'winter, holidays' not being relevant to the file.
I have never, not ever, spammed an image, and I will never do so. I respect the buyers too much to try such cheap alternatives.
However 'winter, holidays' not being relevant to a Christmas tree is a ridiculous idea.
Please resubmit?
And wait 3 more weeks?
Christmas done and dusted by then. Maybe next year... 

Hi everyone,
this is the first time I post in this forum. I'm too small a fish to be considered interesting, so I keep quiet. I'll make an exception in honour of MIZ.
His death was a shock and it is a great loss to all of us.
But I find it  sad and disturbing when people like the poster before consider him as 'definitely entertaining AT TIMES'.
He was far from it.
He was highly intelligent, highly creative, exceptional artist and an exceptional man.
He wasn't the average 'Joe'.
And that is why I will deeply miss his posts, his help and his views.
I doubt that the pixelbrat above will ever be able to produce anything as 'entertaining' as MIZ did. Not even 'at times'.
RIP MIZ.