Thank you all! You've been very helpful. 

Hello everyone!
It's been 5 years or so since my last upload to microstock. I want to come back, but first, I want to ask for your help.
Do you still make money from microstock?
I'm making like $70 without uploading anything and I have 500 images. What time and how many images do you think I need to make $500, for example?
How do you upload your content to every agency at the same time?

Thanks for your help!

Quote from: CofkoCof on September 24, 2008, 08:45
I don't think all the exclusives would agree, check this thread:
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=76456&page=1

I don't!

Quote from: bittersweet on September 19, 2008, 15:53
I'm not sure what that link to a thread about slow server issues has to do with this topic...

In this thread, kkthompson said this:
"We've had record days of downloads and accordingly the most we've ever paid out to contributors."

Quote from: bittersweet on September 18, 2008, 06:13
You gotta believe that istock is also "losing a  lot" because vectors are extremely profitable for them. They represent only a small percentage of the total files, but generate a vastly disproportionate share of the income. If there has been a conscious decision to handicap vector files, it would be a really dumb (and costly) thing to do.

I don't think they are losing, the same people that were buying our vectors, now are buying photos or 3D renders. Check this: http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=74187&messageid=1148256
I think that we have lost the undecided costumer that would buy a photo or a vector.

Quote from: sjlocke on September 17, 2008, 19:06
I can't imagine the "moving down" has anything to do with their sales.  People don't go in looking for a photo of something, and suddenly decide they want a vector, or the other way around.  If they can get the buttons at the top to stick, they search vectors, or photos.

I just can't see someone saying, "I'd like a vector of a cat.  Hey, there's a photo of a cat.  Let's use that!"

I thought so too, but it's the only explanation. Moving back vectors on the best match was the only thing that happened on August and our sales drop suddenly on the same date. And now, with the new change, a new drop... I don't like what's happening. I never complain, but this is too much, I'm losing a lot!
I used to love being exclusive, now, not so much. 

Quote from: yingyang0 on July 25, 2008, 22:13

Quote from: Opla on July 25, 2008, 21:16
I believe that if you're bronze, you're eligible to become an exclusive.

Yes, but there is also an acceptance rate requirement if you have between 250 and 500 downloads. Once you get over the 500 then they drop the acceptance rate requirement (I don't remember what it was).

50%, I think.

Quote from: Nemo1024 on July 04, 2008, 06:42
Great work, Perrush. Pity you stopped uploading - I liked watching your new images coming... But then again, this study wouldn't be possible without it....

I think it's a pity too... I love your images! and your grey cat it's a lovely model
Anyway, thanks for your work. It was very usefull when I started, and still is.
Which bike did you buy? My husband is big fun of bikes 

Downloads stayed the same, but there's a reason for that. On February I had 2 very successful  files (one of them reached the most popular) for valentine's day, the same files had a significantly drop in sales on march, obviously. So I can't tell you for sure what would happend if those images weren't seasonal and they continued having downloads.

Quote from: designalldone on June 17, 2008, 00:03
Wow, latex, if I understand your figures correctly, that's quite a jump in earnings and very encouraging.

So purely as an example, and forgetting canister levels for a moment:

Say as a non-exclusive you were earning $500 total a month, of which iStock earnings were $250, and a few other sites made up the rest.

A 25% total increase takes you from $500 to $625 a month, which means your iStock earnings went from the original $250 to $625 a month once you became exclusive. If I've not miscalculated, then that's pretty impressive!!

Yes! You understood me... something like that. In my case, it was a very good move 
These were the stats when I went exclusive:

Quote from: hatman12 on June 15, 2008, 04:47

Quote from: latex on June 15, 2008, 01:51
I went exclusive when I reached gold and IS was 64% of my total income. My total monthly income went up by 25% and IS's 50%. This is what happened to me and doesn't have to be what will happen to you, obviusly.

Hmmm... 125% is roughly double 64%.  So your income doubled.

BUT, as you were already Gold, your income would have increased from 20% commission to 35%, an increase of 75%.

So (64/20)*35=112.  This suggests that the benefit to you from going exclusive in terms of SALES has been an increase from 112 to 125 or about 10%.

This doesn't square with your remark that IS's income went up by 50%.  Given that their cut went down from 80% to 65%, you would have needed a big increase in sales for IS's income to improve.

Perhaps I've misunderstood your numbers.

Sorry, Hatman, I don't understand your numbers... But there's one thing I can asure you, and it is that my total income had an increase of 25% when I went exclusive.

I went exclusive when I reached gold and IS was 64% of my total income. My total monthly income went up by 25% and IS's 50%. This is what happened to me and doesn't have to be what will happen to you, obviusly.

My sales have been really good, and my newest uploads are not selling at all.

LOL! I read it wrong...

Quote from: Vonkara on June 09, 2008, 19:45
One just got 12.80$ whit a subscription sale...Wow...

Great! Congrats! I didn't have one yet... 

yes, that's too bad... I'm sorry that happened to you. I think you can learn from this things.
I said MAYBE because you never know, but something is true, we always have the best places on the best match.

nevermind...

Quote from: sharply_done on June 04, 2008, 20:50

Yep, my IS sales have recently fallen victim to this. Although I'm considering eventually going exclusive with IS, I'm glad that I'm not that way now.

Maybe if you were exclusive this wouldn't happen...

Yo estoy de acuerdo con Adelaide, creo que cada sitio tiene su "tipo" de cliente. No me parece que haya ningún tipo de discriminación y no entiendo que podría llevarte a pensar eso, Gualberto.
En mi caso, mis ilustraciones eran mucho más valoradas por los clientes de IS. Mientras que en SS mis ventas llegaron a un punto y se estancaron ahí por meses, en IS subían y subían sin parar...
Desde mi punto de vista, cada sitio premia a sus contribuidores basándose en diferentes parámetros. Por ejemplo, en SS se premia el número de uploads y la constancia, mientras que en IS se premia ser exclusivo y la creatividad. Es por eso que en IS una buena imagen tiene mucho más vida útil que en SS.
Eso es lo que yo he observado en el poco tiempo que llevo en esto, pero obviamente puedo estar equivocada y mis conclusiones también pueden ser divagaciones (me gustó esa palabra, Trebuchet, no la usamos mucho por aquí ).

I can't see mine 

Quote from: kycstudio on June 04, 2008, 17:31
posted jus to see how I am doing it!

wow! you're doing MUY bien!
let's see how am I doing...

Quote from: bittersweet on June 03, 2008, 12:46

FWIW, I don't have but a couple of one-credit vectors. It is VERY hard now to get something through that is accepted AND only 1 credit.

I don't know why, but I don't have problems with that. I made a lot to reach gold canister. You have to upload one simple design element, like an icon or a very simple background. Sometimes they come 5 credits, but if you send an email to vectorpricing, they usually listen.

Quote from: ironarrow on May 31, 2008, 00:43
but what if it goes bad and there are no other sites to compensate it?

I guess I trust IS enough to think this won't happen. I think they have the most creative and effective policies in this industry.

Quote from: helix7 on May 30, 2008, 18:14
I'm a long way from going exclusive at istock, though. I'd need to be at least Gold level and have istock represent 60% of my monthly total before I'd even consider it, and I tend to suggest people use a similar criteria. Anything less than that and you're pretty much taking a pay-cut by going exclusive. If you're over 60%, it's probably worthwhile and will definitely save on upload time.

I think this is a good strategy!
I went exclusive at IS when I reached gold and it was 64% of my total income. My total monthly income went up by 25% and I have to upload only to them. Can't be happier...

Quote from: anonymous on May 30, 2008, 13:35
Did anybody NOT receive the email?

I did not