I think it has on several front.  My wife says my images have improve quite a bit from when I started Micro stock a while ago and I notice I am a lot more picky when selecting photos to upload from when I first started also.

I don't think you can get a RAW file as a sub sale, I have never seen that option anywaz.  As far as credits go, RAW file cost more then the highest Res image under JPG. 

For IPTC I just enter the info in through Photoshop and as for uploading I use FileZilla (FTP) and create multiple tabs so it just keeps uploading while I do other things.  I used to use isynidca when I was in a hurry, but you still had to log into each site and process.

Quote from: stockastic on September 11, 2009, 15:50

I don't want to sound paranoid but I'm seriously worried about what would happen if a site went out of business - as some of these surely will.   

When a business is going under, ethics are the first thing to go over the side.  There may not be anyone around to clean up the archives and delete all the images - so they end up orphaned on the servers of some be web host company, who has no responsibility for them.  Or maybe they go out the door on the hard drives of some used systems being unloaded for quick money.  Maybe a "partner" makes a nice cash offer for all those images, which the microstock owners can't refuse, especially if the "partner" promises - Scout's honor - not to sell them illegally, or to move them downstream to one of his "partners."  At least not until he's down the street and out of sight.

Would be interesting to hear from folks that were on Lucky Oliver and Albumo.  From what I understand LO closed shop in a pretty orderly and ethical way.  Everyone's images got deleted and everyone got paid.  Am I remembering that right? 

Albumo there are a lot of horror stories if you search the forums. 

Ultimately you have to decide are you doing business with ethical people or not.  Usually there are plenty of signs before the actual closure one way or the other.

LO - pull down all the images, but they only gave payouts if you hit the minimum.  A lot of people who where not close to that turn their earnings into credits and gave them to others.
Snapvillage - pulled all the images down and then sent everyone's payments that where due.
Albumo - has not stated their doors are closed, they just have gone stagment...meaning your images can still be sold and you not get any of your money.

Basically, you should be careful with start up companies as they might not make it.  I don't think it would be worth a company that closes its doors to mass sell the images sense that could lead to lawsuits on the owners personal assest.

Man, you guys are hiring out everything...hiring to write blog and edit your image.  Sounds like you don't want to do any of the fun stuff...hahahaha

I have to be board at work to look, I don't really want to spend the time sifting through searches to see my name when I could be working on new images.  Typically how you do a search though is "Username or copyright name" | "stock company"  for example Moonb007 | Dreamstime - that is how I found some images before.  But like I said, its a lot of work, and the buyer does not always get credit to the photographer or site.

I have never used tinyeye before, looks cool

You will start to see it increase, Oct is when I notice stronger sales.  I think people get in the spending mood because of Christmas

Are you on modelmayhem.com? It's a great site for connecting models and photographers.

I was also going to recommend that site, its free for models.

Just to be explicit, the requirement is for images of 4-6 megaPIXELS.  That's independent of file size, which is measured in megaBYTES.  It's the nature of JPEG files that their size can vary quite a lot depending on contents, even though the pixel count doesn't.

Yea, I think a lot of people get that confused.  I never downsize my images unless you don't want people to get the high res. image for a subscription sale like was Rene is doing.  If you are shooting with a 15MP camera you should not have to upsize to Alamy

Only blog if you enjoy to blog.  I am a blogger, but I don't do it to increase my exposer to my personal images.  The easy thing you can do to help get noticed, it just keep an eye on the forums at each site.  Typical each site has a photo request thread, sometime that is helpful...but that may only help with 5% at the most of your sales.  Buyers do a general search and will find your work and buy it if its good and fits their needs.  My personal blog is more dedicated to fellow stock photographers with stock site news, so I personally doubt I ever get sales that way...why would a contributor buy my images when they can take their own.

I have some 200 something rejections.  Most of my images are textures and patterns, etc.  They accepted one and rejected every additional texture even know the image is 100% different.  Not sure what they are thinking really.

This is what I am looking like...after the last 20 I am 100% up.

Pending (20)
Approved (31)
Rejected (285)
Earned: $0.00

My views are increasing though.