Hello, just a small update for the interested and curious.
Finally made the leap about a year ago and dropped DT exclusivity. Just about time in retrospect since sales continue to drop and drop fast over at DT.
Started uploading to SS, AS, IS, P5 and 123RF, about 150 new uploads a month, and counting.
1) Quite rapidly ran into the IS corporate culture which I can only describe as nitpicky, rude, uncivilized and highly unprofessional - to boldy go where unprofessionality has never gone before as a matter of fact. Not to mention the tedious upload process. After having received another disgraceful mail from their end, I terminated my account within the blink of an eye.
2) SS: lots and steady stream of downloads, but royalties per image somewhat low. Steady and decent earner nonetheless. Fair reviews.
3) AS: top seller. Steady income and downloads, fair prices. Fair reviews, though illustrations tend to get far easier approved than pictures. The recent change allowing uploads of editorial images is also great.
4) 123RF: well, kind of steady sales, but nothing much when compared to SS and AS. Reviews: to submit is to be accepted. The only thing they refuse seem to be pictures of European castles ;-)
5) Pond5: accept about everything, only pictures with dollar bills they do not want ;-) But the site doesn't work for me at all. Virtually no sales.

So after 1 year of uploading - with all the new excitement of starting all over again - I have ports of about 1600-1800 images at those new sites.
Downloads: SS: 1933 - AS: 1243 - 123RF: 223 - P5: just 3
All in all it feels like I have made the right decision when looking at the AS and SS sales.
Happy camper.

@Brightonl @enstoker: Yes, it seems incredibly ludicrous in retrospect, becoming and staying exclusive to DT. But the 2010-2014 earnings paid a good part of the house we bought a few years ago. It's not exactly a crystal castle, but not a cardboard box either ;-)
So no DT (or DT exclusivity) bashing to be expected from my side. It was great while it lasted, but the good times didn't last. Time to move on.

Hello,

I've been a DT exclusive since about 2010 (you can start laughing your heads off right now)

4000+ images portfolio (half illustration, half pictures)

Until 2013 earnings were very decent.
During that year the earnings gradually dropped to half of what they used to be (despite a growing port and a growing number of sales)
Earnings remained "stable" afterwards. So I learned to get used to it.

Until July of this year, when -suddenly- earnings fell off the cliff entirely.
Struggling and just making the minimum payout amount every month now.

So I'm considering to drop my exclusivity. Long overdue I suppose.

However, I have a daytime job (not photography/illustration related) and have only 2 to 3 hours per week to start uploading to a (one?) new site.

Which one would be the best? One of the Big 4 mentioned here? What are the pros and cons of each of those 4 (upload process, treatment of contributors, earnings of recently uploaded images, ...)?

Thank you in advance.