Author Topic: Is this normal? (Read 6627 times)

bbettina · « **on:** April 30, 2007, 20:27 »

I need to do a bit of an reality check:
I have been on Shutterstock for just over two weeks and the first few days were crazy 14 downloads with 7 pictures - what's not to love about that? I uploaded more and am now at 67 pictures but the downloads have dropped quite a bit I am now seeming mainly single digits (uploads were in small batches of 3 to 8 so I have been uploading pretty regularly). Maybe that's normal and others have experienced that as well - just want to find out whether its me or whether a pretty quick saturation point is reached and new pictures need to be uploaded at a higher rate (and therefore have to be taken at a higher rate ...).

Thanks for your feedback,

Tina

KiwiRob · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2007, 02:10 »

Yup that's how shutterstock works, you get heaps of downloads in the first week or so then it trails off unless you keep on uploading everyday, shutterstock is geared towards photographers who upload hundreds of images per month. There are dozens of threads on the SS boards and more than a few here that discuss this. Other sites (namely IS) work a lot better for people who don't upload a lot.

fintastique · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2007, 02:23 »

I would say small regular (daily) uploads are a better bet at SS than once a week or once a month giving them 50 or more. As they want NEW images if you submit large batches with similar shots you are competing with yourself,they will reject some of them.

Search options like newest and most popular at SS will favour your new uploads.

At SS a good photo can be uploaded on its first day at the others sites it could be days, weeks or months before you see any sales.

leaf · « **Reply #3 on:** May 01, 2007, 02:29 »

i think it is rather unfair to say that shutterstock is geared towards those to upload often, and that other sites are better for people who don't upload.

I think it is more accurate to say that shutterstock gives a bonus when you upload - then the bonus dies off after a week or so. If you keep uploading you keeping getting little bonuses, if you stop uploaded your downloads will go back to normal.

I have uploaded very little in the past several months and shutterstock is still my top earner.

KiwiRob · « **Reply #4 on:** May 01, 2007, 07:39 »

Quote from: leaf on May 01, 2007, 02:29

i think it is rather unfair to say that shutterstock is geared towards those to upload often, and that other sites are better for people who don't upload.

That might be unfair but it's true, the same can also be said for 123rf, upload all the time and you get sales, stop uploading and they drop off, this doesn't happen at IS or DT in my experience.

leaf · « **Reply #5 on:** May 01, 2007, 07:51 »

well i agree that it is true that sales drop off, but what i felt was being said was that - shutterstock is not any good unless you upload almost daily.

I don't feel that is true. I haven't uploaded for a while and my downloads are still better than anywhere else - despite the fact that my downloads are MUCH better when i upload a bunch of images.

Read_My_Rights · « **Reply #6 on:** May 01, 2007, 07:55 »

SS is almost like an addiction. The beginning is awsome. After the initial rush things slow down. Just to get back to the initial level one has to increase the dose (pictures) higher and higher. Can you tell? I just missed my payout this month

sharply_done · « **Reply #7 on:** May 01, 2007, 09:11 »

Quote from: fintastique on May 01, 2007, 02:23

...
if you submit large batches with similar shots you are competing with yourself,they will reject some of them.
...

Just curious: How is it possible to compete with yourself? Are you suggesting that by uploading similar images you will have fewer overall sales?

ludesal · « **Reply #8 on:** May 01, 2007, 14:19 »

if you upload similar images seperatly, for example, one per week, they will sell better than if you upload all together. the images will have better expose this way... that's my experience.
maybe this is what fintastique wanted to say.

Lucía

sharply_done · « **Reply #9 on:** May 01, 2007, 15:44 »

Yes, spacing things out does make sense. That's about the only way to get similar images accepted, too.

One thing I was thinking about is how similar images may affect exposure. If you upload 3 similar images and they get, say, 30, 20 and 14 DLs over a short period, you may inadvertently miss the what's hot/best seller list if the cutoff is 40.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2007, 16:14 »

SS.... for sure... works for me and has been for some time... i upload only a few pix, 3 times a week and my sales keep on coming.. don't know why, but they do. also, that's not just the new pix, the older pix keep selling as well..

-tom

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Author Topic: Is this normal? (Read 6627 times)

bbettina

KiwiRob

fintastique

leaf

KiwiRob

leaf

Read_My_Rights

sharply_done

ludesal

sharply_done

a.k.a.-tom

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