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Messages - PowerDroid
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26
« on: June 14, 2010, 13:14 »
When do you reckon the summer slowdown starts and for how long in your experience, approximately?
Cheers 
In my limited experience (year and a half or so)... 2009: March - great April - big drop May - back to March level June - great rise over May July - flat to June August - flat to June Sept - good rise 2010: March - great April - big drop May - back to March level June - slight rise over May so far
27
« on: June 14, 2010, 11:09 »
I'm fairly new and a small player but maybe that makes me a valid sample of current conditions.
I started about 18 months ago and the story has been basically that earnings went steadily down as my portfolio increased and my images improved. As I said earlier, most of the sales are from a few that I did fairly early, that seemed to catch on and build some ranking. Nothing I've submitted in the last couple of months has done anything.
I had no real expectations at the start. and I made a few bucks along the way. I've now quit doing microstock, but would be happy to resume if some new channel or business model appears. All my images sell now and then, but they're never going to be blockbusters. At 25 cents a download, it just isn't worth doing.
I should probably quit posting here, because I'm no longer an active microstocker. So I'll shut up now.
I've also been doing ms for about 18 months, so maybe I'm another valid "newbie" sample like stocktastic. However, my results are quite different. My RPI has been constant since day 1. My old stuff sells, and my new stuff sells. I have been experiencing a dip the past few months like everyone else, and I'm concerned about whether it's a larger trend or just the summer slump. For what it's worth, my 2010 seems to be following the same pattern as my 2009, according to my data. Great March, awful April, May is back to March level, and June shows slight growth on May. Looking at the four months on a chart is uninspiring as it looks fairly flat, but I'll keep chugging along!
28
« on: June 07, 2010, 11:25 »
As someone who has just been reading the back-and-forth exchange between Microbius and Dreamframer, here's my take...
Started out completely in the Microbius camp... I've agreed ideologically with everything he has said.
But by the last posts in this chain I've become convinced that it is impossible to judge Dreamframer without having lived his life in the difficult conditions he's been trapped in. No, I don't condone piracy under any conditions, and it sounds like he also knows it's wrong. It sounds like he wants to live the life the rest of us enjoy, and he's desperately trying to get himself and his son out of the country and into a life that makes it possible to enjoy the things we all can easily buy without even considering piracy.
Those of us in comfortable, safe, less-corrupt areas of the world can sit back and tell him how to live, how to affect change, etc. have no idea what it would take to actually act on those lofty ideals. You're telling him that he is his government and he should change it if he doesn't like it? Easy for you to say, and probably an easy way for him to get killed and make his son a fatherless child.
29
« on: June 02, 2010, 10:45 »
I had a bit of a chuckle with the depth graphic. Americans usually relate to how long something is by comparing it to a football field - I guess depth is done with how many Statues of Liberty it is.
Fact is, comparing something of massive size to an instantly recognizable "thing" is an effective way to describe scale. It fires up the imagination in a way that saying 330 feet does not. But to be fair, perhaps Americans should instead start using some iconic Canadian landmarks for scale comparisons, like... um.... help me out here...
30
« on: June 01, 2010, 12:11 »
I had been an eternal optimist cheering for DT in this thread, but a terrible April and May have changed my tune. It's like someone flipped a switch... DT was doing outstanding for me until early April, and the bottom fell out. My April sales at DT were LESS THAN HALF my March sales. May was a repeat of April almost to the dollar. What the heck happened in April to bring such a steep, sudden drop? And you can't just say "it's the market, increased competition, blah blah blah" because my sales at all the other sites have been either steady (SS, BigStock, 123) or growing rapidly (IS, FT).
31
« on: June 01, 2010, 12:05 »
Year over year comparison for me is not too helpful, since May 09 was only about my 7th month. May 2010 is roughly my 19th month, and my revenue is nearly triple my May 09 revenue. Of course, my portfolio also tripled in that time. My daily RPI is exactly the same year over year, at 11.1 cents per image per day. That's the most encouraging thing to me... it suggests that every new pic I upload will yield a predictable rise in income, assuming that RPI holds.
Month to month comparison is more insightful since I'm still relatively new. My BME had been March 2010, followed by an April that dropped about 10% (just like in 2009). Things bounced back in May, which just barely squeaked by March to be my new BME.
32
« on: May 20, 2010, 14:21 »
My sales have been light but steady... a few downloads a week... and I just hit my first payout there, so as far as I'm concerned this is a site with real promise!
33
« on: May 17, 2010, 14:37 »
I've commented in this thread a few times about DT being strong for me lately.... BUT... I must not have knocked wood. In the past few weeks, my earnings at DT have been about half what they were a month ago. This comes after many months of good, solid growth every month. Other sites are doing OK this month... why DT has taken a sudden nosedive is beyond me.
34
« on: May 12, 2010, 16:25 »
You may not think so, but there would still be plenty of doctors, firefighters, clerks, and shelf-stockers to go around. Not *everyone* is trapped in a job they utterly dislike, you know. Plenty of shelf-stockers would do their job for free? Really? The majority of us dislike our jobs, according to this study... http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=3820QUOTE: "Americans of all ages and income brackets continue to grow increasingly unhappy at work-a long-term trend that should be a red flag to employers, according to a report released today by The Conference Board. The report, based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households conducted for The Conference Board by TNS, finds only 45 percent of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61.1 percent in 1987, the first year in which the survey was conducted." I suggest that if those 55% quit their jobs to fly-fish, fingerpaint or microstock, society would fall apart.
35
« on: May 12, 2010, 15:15 »
I say everyone should quit their jobs and just do what they love. You get more time with your kids and spouse. Times will be tough, but you'll be stronger, happier. Just don't get cancer because the doctors are all on the golf course. Be careful not to set your house on fire because the firemen are now fly fishermen. And learn how to hunt for your food and knit your clothing from pelts, because there will be no stores... why would clerks and shelf-stockers toil away in a soul-crushing store when they could be making jewelry or finger-painting?
But then... who will be left to buy your photos? Hmmm... maybe we need capitalism to still function after all.
36
« on: May 12, 2010, 14:50 »
I don't mean to offend anyone but, some people will just never make the jump to be independent. They just don't have the spirit to go that way. They have been educated to have a boss and need to feel they are "safe".
On the contrary, I need to feel that my family is "safe."
...
Or it may be that, like a few others here, you're risk averse; you value financial security more than a healthier family lifestyle. I'm at the opposite end of the scale: As a single father with a college-bound teenager, the freedom I have now when taken together with the time I've been able to spend with my son far outweigh the benefits I had when pursuing a traditional career. Like you, I truly enjoyed my well-paying job, but it's absurd to compare where I would still be to where I am now if I hadn't accepted the risk. And I'm not alone in this - there are many who tell a similar tale. Like they say: no pain, no gain.
There's "risk averse," and there's "risk aware." I think anyone trained in financial planning would advise that microstock is not stable enough to place a significant bet on. And quitting a good-paying, secure job is about as big a bet as you can place. It's a market still in its infancy, companies are gobbling each other up and affecting our sales, and many of the top sellers are reporting declining income no matter how hard they work at it. So far I've managed to defy the "no pain, no gain" rule by putting in a few hours each night (not too painful) to acheive sales that could rival my full time salary in the next year or two if my trend lines hold. But who's to say if and when the microstock model blows up and we're all left with scraps? I don't expect it to happen soon, but I don't like the idea of telling my kids they won't be going to college because I threw away a sure thing on a shaky bet.
37
« on: May 12, 2010, 13:53 »
I don't mean to offend anyone but, some people will just never make the jump to be independent. They just don't have the spirit to go that way. They have been educated to have a boss and need to feel they are "safe".
On the contrary, I need to feel that my family is "safe." I am driven and independent-spiritied. I intend to be in the $50,000/yr club soon. But even if I join the $100,000/yr club I will not give up my full time job. Not because I've "been educated to have a boss" but because my microstock income could decline at some point in the future, I would be a fool to give up a good-paying job that I enjoy. I can't just "follow my heart" and chart my own course if it means putting my family at financial risk. I prefer to have my cake and eat it too: make good money at a job that's fulfilling, AND spend some free time on a pursuit that is financially rewarding.
38
« on: May 12, 2010, 11:35 »
I think most of you people need a reality check: 75% of working people in the USA earn less than $50k, and 88% earn less than $75k (USA Census Bureau, 2008). Referring to $50k as "residual income" or mentioning it in the same breath as a McDonald's or student wage is way, way, way, out of touch with reality, as is regarding it as an insufficient salary to provide a good quality of life. From his grammar, I'm guessing that the OP doesn't live in the USA, which may make $50k USD even more significant. As whitechild said, if he was making that much he'd "be awfully rich".
To answer the question, I started doing this full time in Jan 2007 - with zero images and zero microstock income - and haven't ever looked back or regretted it. I'm fortunate to live in Canada, where healthcare and pension are taken care of. For what it's worth, I agree with Microbius:
I would certainly go full time. Not because it is a lot of money-- what we are forgetting is that money isn't everything.
For me there is no better way to make a living, no boss, no awkward clients and flexible hours, need I say more
While I agree with the "money isn't everything" ideal, it also makes a difference if you're raising a family. $50K is not sufficient for raising a large family, at least in the US. You might be able to 'get by' but you probably won't be saving for college or retirement. Even if we're looking at $80K annually from microstock, that might be more comfortable for supporting a family, but there's too many uncertainties in this game. Will your sales start heading south? How long can you count on it? It's too big a gamble to just kiss the full-time job goodbye if you have others relying on you to support the whole family. (Believe me, these are all things I've spent a lot of time thinking about.)
39
« on: May 12, 2010, 08:55 »
I haven't noticed much of a change since I started. Produce something that the buyers want and hasn't been done to death and there are lots of buyers. There's still an infinite amount of subjects that haven't been covered. Just avoid the over saturated subjects.
+1 If your income is slipping, that doesn't mean microstock's future is gloomy, but rather your future is gloomy. People are still buying, in fact, more people are buying than ever before. But there may be more contributors posting images just like yours than ever before. And you may not be staying updated on what today's and tomorrow's buyers need. The future of microstock belongs to contributors who don't just have expertise in photography, illustration, etc. An expertise in marketing will separate the winners and losers. If you can't study the market and figure out what is making people buy certain images and not others, where trends are headed, etc., success in microstock will be unattainable for you.
40
« on: May 12, 2010, 08:46 »
I think you'll eventually come to the conclusion that 'quality' is virtually the only thing that matters because increasingly only the very best of new images that will ever see sales.
I think we're now mixing our definitions of the word 'quality'. I figured this would happen, and it's why I stated "Why TECHNICAL quality doesn't matter" as the title of the thread. To restate my thesis: I believe we've already reached a point where 'technical quality' is irrelevant because virtually everyone has it. The thing that will matter most as we move forward is clarity of concept. Yes, only the best of new images will ever see sales and the rest will quickly be buried. But 'the best' will be those who best communicate their concept and grab the attention of buyers from the moment they hit the microstock sites. It will have nothing to do with technical quality. The majority of shots from technically proficient contributors will slip into a black hole if they do not immediately scream to the buyer "I AM the message you want to convey!" That's the new definition of quality in the evolving microstock world.
41
« on: May 12, 2010, 08:13 »
Many people look at their paychecks and think that dollar amount you see is what you make. You have to add in your benefits like health care, paid vacation time, 401K match or a pension (if such things exist anymore). Your actual compensation could be worth twice what you're actually seeing in your paycheck. Could you cover those added forms of compensation with your microstock income even at $200 or $300 a day?
I look at my microstock revenue as my second income, and even if it gets to $300 a day, I'll still keep the day job. I'm putting in about 2 hours a day on microstock, and I'll keep it that way. When you have kids to put through college and retirement to plan for, there's no such thing as "enough money."
But it's nice to know that if I lost the day job, I could coast on the side income for a while, maybe even take a low-pressure, relatively low-paying job that gives me benefits like health care.
42
« on: May 10, 2010, 21:08 »
Of course, I put this out there at the risk of educating my competition, and will be called a fool for doing so. But I've learned a good deal about microstock in this forum and I believe in giving back. I hope it helps.
What was the lesson? That it is hard to catch lightning in a bottle?
The lesson was figuring out how lightning got in the bottle, and why wasn't it hard? It took me over a year of trying to duplicate my earlier successes to figure out why I succeeded. It boiled down to this... the buyer is buying the idea and not the picture. I could knock myself out composing pictures with lots of cool detail and obsess over minutia in PhotoShop, but it took me a while to figure out that less is often more. My instinct was to keep adding for the sake of "art" but I came to realize that the additional time investment would not make a sale more likely and therefore wasn't worth it. Don't let "art" get in the way of a concept that can be communicated in the most direct way possible, and you'll be bottling lightning on a production line.
43
« on: May 10, 2010, 11:17 »
There have been a number of recent posts wondering why sales could be slumping while a contributor's skills are sharpening. If I'm getting better, the quality of my pictures is improving, so why don't I see an increase because of this? I've wondered similar thoughts lately, noticing that my old pictures still sell about as well as my newer ones. It doesn't seem to make sense. I see my earliest shots as crude and not very appealing to look at, while my latest stuff is better framed, more attractive, etc. What gives?
I think the answer is that technical quality doesn't matter. OK, that's not really true. You need a certain level of quality to even get accepted into the microstock sites. But quality has become the high school diploma of microstock. Everyone has it... you can't even get in the door without it... but it won't get you the job or the sale.
Aside from calendar printers who want the most gorgeous, perfectly framed shots of mountains, rainbows, puppies, etc... buyers don't want images, they need an extension of the message they want to convey. They're buying concepts. And the image that best communicates a concept is the one that gets the sale. Further, the image that screams its concept loudest even when reduced to a thumbnail on a page of 100 competing images, is the one the buyer will first click on and most likely buy.
I believe this is why some of my earliest shots, as simple and as crude as they may be, can still outsell some of my more recent shots on similar subject matter. It was almost a happy accident that I was doing well at this early on, and pretty dumb of me that it has taken me this long to figure out why my best sellers still sell. But now I keep this idea at the front of my mind for every new pic I submit... it doesn't matter how much time I put into it to make it perfect... it has to be the best image out there to convey its message.
Of course, I put this out there at the risk of educating my competition, and will be called a fool for doing so. But I've learned a good deal about microstock in this forum and I believe in giving back. I hope it helps.
44
« on: May 10, 2010, 05:11 »
Seriously though, comparing notes about sales on these forums is really helpful in detecting industry trends, vs. individual sales fluctuations. It may seem pretty random and pointless at first, but once your sales volume reaches the level where they are supporting you the trends become easier to spot, and they also matter a heck of a lot more to you.
I'm with you, Lisa. This is why I've complained in the past that seeing earning percentages isn't helpful... I want to see actual sales to see if others are having the same experiences as me, and if not, where are the opportunities I'm missing?
Myself, I'm finding that as my port and sales rise, the numbers seem to become more consistent and predictable with fewer wild fluctuations. And of course as you mentioned, the overall trends become more and more important to me as my sales become a significant part of my overall income.
So in the interest of sharing sales trends, I can offer this... my April was pretty lousy, giving me my first significant month-to-month decline in 18 months. But comparing 2010 to 2009, I see that last April was my most disappointing month last year as well. May gave me a nice sales rebound, and looking at this May so far, I think that pattern is repeating. This month should end up my BME, with overall sales up about 10% over April (so far... knocking wood.)
If my 2009 pattern holds, I'll look for sales to slow in June, stall again in July and slowly pick up in August, then have some great months in Sept-Dec. ... that is unless I experience the "sales are falling no matter what I do" overall trend that many others on this thread are reporting. Maybe I'm still too new to this and that time is coming... I hope not.
45
« on: May 06, 2010, 09:26 »
I'm more and more impressed with CanStockPhoto every day. Seeing almost daily Fotosearch Regular sales now. CanStockPhoto is now blowing BigStock and 123 out of the water. It's still a good distance behind the Big 4, but well ahead of the rest of the Middle Tier, which I now see as a bunch of underperformers. For me, the ones that matter are the Big 4 + 1 (CanStockPhoto)... plus maybe Graphic Leftovers which is showing great promise... delivering a sale a day ($2.60 commission) on average.
46
« on: May 06, 2010, 09:11 »
My sales are what it used to be, but DT are rejecting everything I upload. April 0% accepted, May 0% accepted. With an acceptance ratio of more than 87% it doesn't make sense to be. In the last couple of months my acceptance ratio dropped from 93% to where it is now. Is it just me, or are others experiencing the same? I'm not going to waste time and upload photos if everything is rejected, and without new images a microstock site will die.
What reasons are they giving for rejections? They're accepting everything I send, aside from the occasional "too many similar images" rejections (a few a month out of about 60 uploads).
47
« on: May 03, 2010, 08:26 »
Check out the arrows to the right... at this moment, Dreamstime is the only green UP arrow in the bunch. Dying? Hardly.
48
« on: May 01, 2010, 15:23 »
Partially the same story here... April 2010 down about 10% from March 2010. Was my biggest month-to-month drop in my microstock experience so far.
But April 2009 vs April 2010 is a different story... mainly because I was only about 6 months into microstock in April 2009. My total this April is about 4x my total from last April (port size of about 1000 now vs. about 250 then).
49
« on: May 01, 2010, 07:47 »
more views + more sales. Keep it up, CanStockPhoto!
50
« on: April 29, 2010, 09:36 »
I have the solution to make everyone happy. If you're not selling well at Dreamstime, and filled with so much anger about it that you have to keep badmouthing DT here, stop uploading. You'll save yourself a lot of hassle and frustration. And you'll be providing less clutter for those of us who are doing extremely well at DT these days. Plus, buyers won't have to sift through so many images they don't want, and the DT reviewers will have less work to do. It's win-win-win-win!
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