Yo también pensaba que la crisis no afectaría al microstock, ya que las ventas de macrostock (getty, alamy, jupiter, corbis,...) se dirigirían hacia el micro, pero parece ser que eso no ha ocurrido, o si lo ha hecho no ha sido suficiente para compensar la bajada. Yo ahora tengo el doble de imágenes que hace cinco meses, y la mitad de descargas (por tanto, cada imagen se vende una cuarta parte que hace cinco meses, un 75% de bajada).

Pienso lo mismo que Lee, con la salvedad de que el esfuerzo para conseguir cada venta irá en aumento, conforme aumente la cantidad de imágenes. Supongo que, en poco tiempo, esta actividad sólo será rentable para personas en países en vías de desarrollo (además, debemos tener en cuenta la disminución global de ventas debida a la crisis mundial).
A pesar de esta pérdida de rentabilidad, la cantidad de imágenes se incrementará aceleradamente, ya que siempre habrá contribuidores cuya motivación principal no sea el rendimiento económico (aficionados, diseñadores y fotógrafos que comienzan,...).
Actualmente muchos sitios (istockphoto principalmente) están favoreciendo a contribuidores veteranos, en perjuicio de los novatos, aunque supongo que esto cambiará ya que no favorece a las websites que venden microstock (IS, SS, DT StockXpert, FL, 123RF,...)

Crestock has deleted my account this morning, and they write me an e-mail to confirm  it. Thanks.

Sincerely, i´m sorry for to cancel my account (in this site and in others), but i think this is the best way for me.

According to Alexa, traffic in istockphoto is now less than 50% of one month ago. I think istockphoto clients are professional designer in bigger proportion than others microstock sites.

I think that to sell images without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal.

I sent Crestock this email about 2 weeks ago:

"
>> Hello. I wish stop selling and delete my images here, and delete my
>> account. Unfortunately, crisis has down my earnings below the
>> surveillance line and I must find another way to sell my designs.
>>
>> Thanks, ...
"
I sent too two more e-mails remembering the question, one with "read confirmation request", but I have no response.

In this site, contributor can´t delete his own images. Must request it to an help e-mail.

Crestock continues selling my images. The question is urgent to me, because I have "sell the rights" of one image in Dreamstime and I must stop selling this image in all microstock sites.

What can I do?

Postdata: Excuse me my bad english.

Quote from: lisafx on July 04, 2008, 14:59

Quote from: Pixel-Pizzazz on July 04, 2008, 01:24

If Istock really wants to attract the die hard independants they should find out what matters to them.

They know what matters to us - Money! As in a 50% or better stake in the earnings from our own images.   

And that is one thing they don't seem prepared to give...

I think they must be prepared in the near future

Yo estoy en la misma situación que tú, Trebuchet. Me gustaría mucho poder vivir de esto, pero lo veo complicado (quizás no tengo el talento suficiente). Cualquier intento de unir a los contribuidores o promover acciones que los beneficien está, por la propia naturaleza del mercado de microstock, condenada al fracaso. Lo que yo intento hacer es tomar mis propias decisiones y hacer lo que creo que me beneficia a mi. En el fondo, esa es la esencia del capitalismo: el egoísmo individual favorece el beneficio colectivo.

El problema es que el mercado de microstock es complicado de entender y extremadamente variable en el tiempo. Hay que ser muy cauto con los planes a largo plazo y con los compromisos que se adquieren.

I think exclusivity in vector images becomes better option each day.

I was surprised because all my vector images at SS have, at least, one download. Maybe the response is a thef. A collector that resales CDs with SS images?

Quote from: hatman12 on May 30, 2008, 13:25
Well IMO it is very unlikely indeed that iStock will ever introduce image exclusivity.

And also very unlikely that they will increase commissions.

They are the leading agency.  Why on earth would they need to pay more or offer more flexibility?  Don't you think there are enough photographers already queuing up to go exclusive there?

And that queue will get even longer if Fotolia do indeed introduce subscriptions paying 23c.

I agree, but I think istockphoto is interested in "best selling photographers" exclusivity because they can create a professional microstock market, apart from amateur microstock market based in subscriptions and low prices.

Yo creo que, con esfuerzo y mucha dedicación, es posible vivir de esto ahora. La questión es si será posible hacerlo dentro de un año, o de dos. Creo que cada vez será más difícil por la saturación del mercado.

Otro más. Saludos desde Murcia.

Intento aprender inglés, pero me cuesta, sobre todo escribir, lo que hace que participe poco en el foro.

All agencies

I am still sending images to 5 agencies, but I have send to 9 before. In the future maybe I send to only 3 or 4. That´s remember the evolution of search engines in internet. Survival of the fittest become with 2 or 3 sites alive.

Same for me

I had  several Royalty Free Small Business Extension sales too, and a collection sale. My sales are biger than in Crestock, 123rf, BigStock and Fotolia. It´s my fourth site.

I prized the images in the basis I get the same amount that in istock (cheaper for buyer, but equal for me).

I like that site.

Quote from: fintastique on March 23, 2008, 08:39
Featurepics is really only a viable option if you have your own website and you want to redirect sales back to them.

Why? I have obtain more money here than in Crestock in the same time and with the same portfolio.

I think each one must define its own upload strategie.

I, as vector uploader, try to obtain the same amount per image in each site (uploading only simple vector images to subscription obligatory sites; uploading to all sites in which I can define the price;...), It´s not easy but possible.

SS 100%. The same for me. There must be one or various Shutterstock collectors (vector at least).

I get 20 $ at Featurepics in my first month here.

Quote from: anonymous on February 28, 2008, 22:50
I still find their "pro-photog" business model a "good thing" and will continue to upload religiously.

I too. The effort is minimal... and who knows the future?

Congratulations. You have a sharpen portfolio.

Very interesting information, Ron. Thanks for sharing.

Quote from: rustyphil on February 08, 2008, 11:55
sales tick along for me, but I would happily take a cut in commission down to 50 or 60% if they were to put the extra in advertising

I accord to this. May be positive for all.