I remember 1 day review times at 100% approvals on SS 

Hey Rhino here is an example of the source images from my drawings I put together. The Right side 4459_SketchSpaceSet_Drawings is what I added as my source when I uploaded the .eps today.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=470777679657381&set=a.310515332350284.71655.310236269044857&type=1&theater

Hello MisterElements,

We appreciate your questions and will do our best to answer them for you.

Please know that this policy has been in effect for some time now and is consistently applied across all vector and illustration submissions.  As you can understand, our reviewers only request reference images for vector or illustration submissions which appear to be similar to, copied, traced or recreated from a reference image.  Not all vector and illustration submissions will require a copy of a reference image.  This may account for why it appears that we apply this policy inconsistently, but please be assured that the same rules apply to everyone.

Our goal with this policy is to make the process of submitting vectors and illustrations easier for our contributors.  Instead of having an image rejected by the reviewer with a request for the reference image, the contributor can now upload both items to streamline review for that image. This, in turn, will reduce our review queues and expedite our overall review times.

Additionally, submitting a reference image will help protect you if there is ever a claim regarding ownership of your work.  While we can't go into detail about our internal legal processes, having a copy of your reference image on file will allow us to address these claims quickly without changing the status of your account.

Please note that a release is no longer required to submit reference images; you need only submit a copy of the reference image with your vector or illustration submission.  This means a scanned copy or clear photograph of the reference image will be enough.  For images created directly on a program, we would not need a reference image or screenshots of the process.

We hope this addresses your questions and concerns. We also hope that you understand that this policy is meant to expedite review as well as protect you from ownership disputes.  As always, please email us at [email protected] for any questions about your own submissions.

Sincerely,
Anthony Correia
Director, Contributor Success
Shutterstock | Bigstock

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for addressing some of our concerns. Hopefully we all do get to enjoy this consistency you talk about as things move forward.

Something that still needs clarification: Can Shutterstock please define what a "reference image" is? You say "Please note that a release is no longer required to submit reference images; you need only submit a copy of the reference image with your vector or illustration submission."  Will a scan of my drawing that I use to create my vector suffice? And wouldn't my original drawing be my "source file", not "reference"? The term "reference" implies that the artist is looking at some other source outside themselves, and since in my case I draw from my imagination, there is nothing to show except my original drawing.

Thanks for helping to continue clarifying things for everyone.
MisterElements

Hey guys,

Nice illustrations, MisterElements! 

To be clear, we only require a scan or picture of your reference images for vectors/illustrations. We do not require step-by-step images. We also no longer require you to submit the reference image with a filled out property release - a scan or picture of the reference image along with your submission is acceptable.

One of the main reasons we request reference images is so that we can help protect you if there is ever a dispute regarding the ownership of one of your images. Our hope with this policy is that we can reduce the disruption of a contributor's account should there be a complaint about the contributor's content. Our ultimate goal is to prevent the abuse of intellectual property rights, and this policy helps us do this.  In addition, this also helps us maintain the integrity of the collection for customers.

There's more information on the policy here (note that the images are only examples):
http://www.shutterstock.com/buzz/how-to-submit-vectors-created-using-other-images

We'll also be updating these posts as questions come up about specific scenarios, so we're communicating policy updates to the widest audience possible at once.  Again, most of these changes seek to either simplify an existing requirement, reduce the number of issues that hit the queues during review (i.e., addressing them proactively will make review faster), or ensure the integrity of the collection. 

We're also working on a dedicated guide on the legal aspects of content creation, which will include information about these questions and issues. 

Best Regards,

Scott
VP of Content
Shutterstock

Thanks for your response. If this is indeed a new policy, Shutterstock must make it clear that this new standard will be applied to everyone. Right now it feels like contributors are being randomly targeted as some people have not  had to jump through the hoops that other have. You guys have an extremely long review time and to have somethings rejected for not having a release and some accepted (that don't have a release) after waiting 2-3 weeks for a review is extremely frustrating, as I'm sure you understand.

The answer, at least to me, is to set a new policy and inform everyone about it. Make a standard and have all illustrators subject to the new rules.

You mentioned that the release adds a layer of protection to all parties involved, including me, the contributor. How exactly does an illustration release add a layer of protection for me? I'm not sure I understand Shutterstock's position on this and would appreciate very much to know how it helps me. Perhaps I am not appreciating its value fully.

Also, and this is very important, if the release is going to be required, Shutterstock needs to provide us artists with a different release form specifically made for illustrators. You current property release form is not tailored to contributors who are drawing their illustrations. As it reads now you are asking us to sign that we are releasing our own art to ourselves! Clearly some new policies/paperwork are necessary if you are indeed requiring this of all contributors. Make an illustrator release form and state clearly exactly what you require to see from us and have us sign a statement that we made the art. Is showing a photo of our drawing enough? Screenshots of the process? A scan of the drawing? And for folks who create their art 100% in the computer, what do you require to see from them? The list of question goes on. No one knows exactly what you need to see because Shutterstock has not officially addressed this issue. All artists create their art with a different process so this must be thoroughly thought through so all variables can be taken into account when making policy for all.

One of the main concerns all of us contributors have is ease of uploading on a site. The bottom line is we want to get our content online as quickly and easily as possible for customers to see and buy. Please help us give you our best content by making the process as easy and streamlined (and consistant!) as possible.

Thanks for your time discussing this important issue.

I think it would be important for SS to comment on this thread. All I know is the last time I got mass rejections from SS this is what I needed to do...crazy. It seems for me to get work accepted again I'll need to start doing this again.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=393290144072802&set=pb.310236269044857.-2207520000.1365540615&type=3&theater

Quote from: sharpshot on April 09, 2013, 03:30

Quote from: MisterElements on April 08, 2013, 21:00

I'm not fond of IS (understatement) however I see SS becoming much less contributor friendly of late. This position toward new content (massive rejections) from SS and the new rates on BS just allows IS the breathing room it needs to recover. Sadly IS/GI is clever..... very clever and SS mistakes will allow a recovery for IS/GI. New content is king and who gets the most wins no matter how these companies want to spin the facts making it seem we don't matter......we do in fact we control the content and its flow. This is only my opinion.

Massive rejections?  I don't see that.  They've always had some bad reviewers, like most of the sites.  I occasionally get more rejections than usual but it's always been temporary and most of the time they've had a very high acceptance rate.

I agree with you about the new rates with BS.  That's such a huge error and I'm still in shock that Jon Oringer didn't step in and fix that.  I'm sure a large part of the success of SS is because they haven't cut commissions like the other big sites in recent years.  They've shattered that by allowing a site they own to pay us less commission for subs.

But I don't think IS/GI are clever.  It would of been easy to crush the other microstock sites at one point, by paying us a bit more.  Then when there was little competition, they could of got away with cutting commissions.  Instead, they ruined their reputation with the majority of contributors and built up their competition.  Why would clever people make such a dumb mistake?  It might not of killed istock but it's so damaged now that I can't see it ever dominating the microstock business again.  They missed their chance and they wont get another one.

I think we judge sites bases on our experiences.  A year and a half ago I started getting mass rejections at SS after 7 years of almost 100% acceptance.  I am fine with rejections when they make sense, however these were completely off and the entire batch was always rejected. At one point I quit uploading because every batch was rejected and I was hearing the same thing from some very high end shooters.  This went on for about 6 month and I took a long break from uploading to SS because of it. I started uploading again after a long break and found that once again that 99% of my images are being accepted. While everything is back to normal for me, I am not surprised to hear that other submitters are experiencing the former.

If I had not experienced the bizarre run of rejections I would tend to agree with you. However my experience has coloured my view of the SS review process.

I agree with your IS summary.  As for BS, I suspect that Jon was involved with the entire decision and it is part of his long term business plan to improve cost per sale.

It is happening to me now   ......what is sad is I must now upload new content on IS again so my microstock income does not suffer during my time off from SS. This then just aides in a IS recovery but being a full time stock artist I have little choose. Thanks for your post

Quote from: MisterElements on April 09, 2013, 10:23

I feel Can is much better then BS. BS just cut our rates. I'm sure Can is working as hard as they can. I feel it is unfair to say Can is like BS. Canstocks rates are fair and they work really hard. I always have 100% of my batches accepted on Can with very fast review times.........in my opinion far better then the SS bridge to BS which could and does reject whole batches for no good reason after waiting weeks...... I like Canstock very much!

I don't understand your response.  The question is:
Does it take as long to get started at CanStock as it did at Big Stock?
Did YOU achieve immediate success at Can Stock?

As for "like" ... NONE of the agencies are my friend.  I'm not sure they want to be.
 

In my opinion BS is just awful ......and never did well for me and the bridge is a joke. I uploaded 1000 items last year on Can and I did see immediate success on Can. I really do enjoy uploading new content on Can.

Congrats and I hope you put another 10000 images on 123rf. I think 123rf is awesome! I had a BME in march on 123rf and in the first week of Apirl I'm a third of the way to BME.  123rf has an easy uploading process and I have a 99% approval rating. 123RF is my fastest growing site. Thank 123RF!

I just had a 100% rejection after waiting weeks... So after 6 years 4500 files and 150,000dls ......and now I get mass rejections?....I say SS has become clouded with future flops like skillfeed and Offset. SS should get review times back to normal and stop using barn yard animal as reviewers.

MrE: BME                                   
SS/BS: Avg
123rf:  BME
FT: Above Avg
DT: Avg
DP: Avg
Can: Avg
IS/TS: Below Avg
Zazzle: Below Avg
GL: Below Avg

MrE:  51%
SS/BS:23%
123RF: 6%
FT: 6%
DP: 3%
Can: 3%
DT: 2%
Can: 2%
IS/TS: 3%
Zazzle: less then 1%
GL: .01%

Quote from: MisterElements on March 21, 2013, 06:39

Is it real? You can sign in using your SS ID and password....anyone try yet? I'm not so sure about giving that info unless I'm 100% sure this is indeed a SS site.

The domain is owned by Shutterstock according to the whois info.

Thanks!

Whatever 123rf is doing I love it. Very Fast review times and awesome growth. If the next 3 weeks this month are as good on 123rf as the first I'll have a BME on 123rf. I've been on 123rf for 6 years and the last 24 mos have been just getting better and better! Thank you 123rf!