Obviously I don't know how the Adobe algorithm works, but I sincerely doubt there is a particularly large effect (or any) on how long you have been a contributor. I also don't think that there is some sort of set limit to how much you will sell - although that has been alleged for various agencies by a number of people over the years.
Produce content that is needed without a lot of competition and you will do well. Until it is copied or they switch the algorithm to push other content (newer, bigger images, AI, local, whatever) and then you won't do as well. Also as the price per image drops - either through price cuts or various custom deals or subs plans you will make less per sale. That is the true effect of time on microstock, not some magical constant certainty over time.
Yes, you can still make decent money with good smart work, but you could probably make more with that same good smart work in some other fashion.
This week my sales, $, and position are all below what they have been recently although I did have a few sales of recently uploaded images, which is nice.
Of course we're here to chat and try to understand something more together,I'm not an expert on how Adobe's sales system works.
But,how do you explain that I just need to look at how many sales I made last year and I already know how many sales I'll make?
on April 1st I already knew exactly the number of sales I would have on April 30th,how do you explain it?Am I a magician?
no,it's more likely that I simply sold the number I had to sell.
therefore there is an established limit within which I can stay within this period of time,and at a certain point,in a month,perhaps two,I will be able to take that extra step and my "range of action" begins to oscillate between values taller.
another example?
you could sell much more if tomorrow Adobe's contributors suddenly become only 1000,do you agree with me?
If Yes,you agree with me,it means that is because Adobe's sales system will be able to give you a wider "range of action" because there are few contributors to manage,and your content is shown with virtually every request,if you have in your portfolio.
If No,you dont agree then it means that our opinions differ on this point.
What matters in my opinion is what you have to sell,how much you have to sell,and how LONG you have had it for sale.
now,why is the time you have been a contributor important?because you have more content on sale for longer,and it gives you more visibility in general.
you gain visibility over time,over time ours contents are shown more,and therefore time is a fundamental factor in microstock.
then aside from these obvious reasons,I believe there is also a "step" in the Adobe sales system algorithm,specific to the time an account was opened and/or the number of sales made,but this last part is just my personal opinion.