Before the change to big thumbnails, I was averaging about 14-18 views per download.  Since the change, it's been averaging about 5 views per download, which indicates to me that when buyers actually see my images they sell.  Problem is that only a small number of the images I've uploaded in the last few months has had more than 1 or 2 views.  Result is a decline in earnings of about 35-40% compared to same time previous year.  I'm happy for those contributors who are experiencing increasing earnings.  I'm sorry I'm not one of you.      

sure but much easier to see increase while you are small, you are actually on the top10 no?

I have created a topic while ago here and also on FT forum regarding this matter, I believe its because of the large thumbnail they have implemented a few months ago, I am having less views too but sales/earnings are better than ever

views (downloads)

July 2011              7101 (89)
August 2011         8286 (60)    
September 2011   4113 (100)   
October 2011       5453 (108)   
November 2011     949 (129)
December 2011     934 (103)
January 2012       1060 (120)   
February 2012       635 (77)

such confusing plans, like 40?? at least its UP

Quote from: luissantos84 on February 16, 2012, 10:13

Quote from: XPTO on February 16, 2012, 09:28

To make things worse people join these suspicious sites which undercut pricing and commissions from other established agencies, making room for the recent actions from Fotolia to reduce the commission of several members that submitted to those sites.

what agencies? photodune? depositphotos? how can FT, IS, 123RF be afraid of them? its pure greed nothing else my friend, these agencies do 10x less than them, they have only a strong motive which is their pockets, like 123RF, IS have said here and in the past that they have more buyers, more sales, so why the cuts?? thats not because of new agencies thats for sure! why have IS created the RC�s? they were afraid of who back in 2010?

You've already mentioned two agencies, and in the past 6 years there were many others which I don't even bother to remember their names.

And when people support agencies like those it's hard for me to contest any agency using the argument that Fotolia used: "If you don't bother to sell for half the price at another agency, then you won't mind if we cut your commission here"

Even if I know they are doing it for pure greed, it's an unbeatable argument. I'm sorry to say that it makes perfect sense to me!

You also say that they don't pose a threat to other established agencies. Are you kidding? When they reduce the image price they put pressure on the established agencies. Photo buyers are very quick to blackmail an agency pointing to the competition and questioning why they should continue to buy there when they could be licensing the exact same images, with the exact same license for much less!

On Alamy (a traditional agency), I make hundreds of dollars monthly and sometimes pass the $1000 (my cut), and I can assure you that this type of pressure has reduced the average sale price by 65% since 2007. Even if Alamy gives a much broader and naturally much more expensive RF License than Micro, they were forced to drop the prices.

Buyers may be bluffing and intending in fact to continue to shop there, but the threatened agency doesn't know that and will not upset the buyers just for fun.

Summing up, don't give weapons that your "enemies" (unfortunately some agencies became enemies, instead of partners) can use against you! Some people accuse agencies of being greedy, when they themselves with the greed to increase their monthly income by $5 upload thousands of images to every crappy and suspicious site that comes up! Who's more greedy?

Microstock is a business. Unfortunatly many people look at it like a gold rush, kicking every rock in search of the last gold nugget like there's no tomorrow.

I believe you haven�t read what I have just said

FIRST photodune is open with pictures since August 2012 (not September 2010 when IS announced the RCs and FT just a few months after) one thing as nothing to do with other, it has YEARS in between
SECOND they don�t even have a subscription plan which actually makes a nice RPD agency, lowest is 33 cents but my RPD with 185 sales is close to 1$
THIRD how are you so sure 123RF is doing this because of other agencies prices? if so tell why they said here that sales/buyers are growing? don�t tell me you have inside details lol

honestly I don�t understand why you guys come here with non fundamented stuff when there isn�t a positive argument to talk about.. BUT yes can make them look pretty, perhaps you will get somekind of reward, seriously don�t blame the agencies/contributors

someone said here that we shouldn�t join small/new agencies, what shall we join??

Quote from: gbalex on February 15, 2012, 12:51

To recap you will be expanding your operations department threefold "At Our Expense"!  Soon we will be seeing job postings bragging about stellar company benefit packages while we suffer the consequences.

I do not know about the rest of this bunch but I am sick to the bones at seeing others benefit at my expense. http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/day-in-the-life-jon-oringer-wsj-slideshow/

Our costs continue to rise, the companies are doing well, they are hiring and yet our standard of living continues to deteriorate.

Pathetic and dispicable!

So it has finally happened.  The "Occupy Wall Street" mentality has officially set up camp outside the walls of "Big Microstock."

why are you so happy about your 2% increase? LOL

I don't know if it's even worth it anymore, check out this pathetic sale and to make it even more absurd this is the gross price: 14 February 2012    Novel use    Novel Use Scheme 1
   $ 1.00

It takes at least 10x more time to upload and edit a photo and than they mock you with such sales at a macro site. 60c, that's just unbelievable...They've put me off of ULing for a while and if I won't earn at least as much as at FT and DT, forever

actually its 50

"Want only to upload to fair agencies?"  The way I see it, the bulk of microstock artists will jump on board any new player in the market in the desperate hope of increasing their overall income, no matter what the commissions and image prices are.  Yesterday people were falling over themselves to get into Lori.ru without even knowing what the commission structure was.

name me ONE agency BESIDE photodune what we shoudn�t have joined in order to have FAIR royalties at DT, IS, FT and now 123RF

you can give me 10 BUT they aren�t significant, they don�t sell like the top5, please explain me what AGENCIES you are talking about

p.s: not to mention that PD is live for a few months, IS screwed us long time ago...

very disappointed here too.. cannot understand really.. I believe I can be at the 50% if things continue to pick up but this is not a great move from 123RF, never saw you guys as a greedy company.. for me you were always the ONLY fair agency that was really worth my continuous upload and work.. please reconsider

what made you do this if you are growing like you have said? dont say to us its unsustainable..

I think cafepress removed business cards from their product list weeks ago for some reason.

guess not

http://www.cafepress.com/+business-cards

Yuri has 27k pictures and 1.4k sales (from November 2009)

10 months later

48k pictures and 2.8k sales

Quote from: stockastic on February 13, 2012, 16:21

There are lots of 'print on demand sites' but they take a big chunk of the money.   I've started putting together a gallery on RedBubble to sell cards and prints. 

What's the size of the chunk (percentage wise)? I can't find any info for contributors. Do you just sign up and have the contributor option afterwards? I'm used to stock sites, where all the info regarding royalties etc is available, I can't find any here. Any other sites? Does any support IPTC and how do you keyword them anyway, how many keywords can you use?

Zazzle, RedBubble - no IPTC
FineArtAmerica - IPTC imported but you can have only 25 pictures (30$ fee for unlimited)

you can set your own prices in all POD sites

Zazzle min share is 10%, other don�t know

I am on Zazzle cca for a year ad half...
Here is my store: http://www.zazzle.com/sbotas/gifts?cg=196861951357430013

you have TONS of products.. lately I am doing only business cards and it is working.. last month sold almost 20 for 100$.. it is a lot of work but its paying off.. it was an exceptional month, usual is from 20 to 50$, only have 850 products (141 business cards which seem the only thing selling) other is only time to time.. I never promote my stuff, no facebook no twitter, I do them and end of story.. perhaps tweeting hard would help but for sure not my dream life lol