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Author Topic: A new personal threshold with Shutterstock  (Read 9837 times)

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steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« on: May 31, 2013, 13:58 »
+19
Yes, I know this is really only interesting to me, but today I passed the $1000 mark for monthly sales on Shutterstock - my first month earning over $1000 with them. What is also interesting (I think) is that I'm within one month now of achieving lifetime earnings of $20,000 with them. It took me 4.5 years, from early 2008 to June 2012, to earn the first $10,000 and just 12 months to earn the next $10,000. Soon I will be getting $10K a month!

Steve


« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2013, 14:05 »
0
Thanks, st.  With all the negatives now about microstock, it's encouraging to know that it can still be done.

CD123

« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2013, 14:06 »
0
Yes, I know this is really only interesting to me, but today I passed the $1000 mark for monthly sales on Shutterstock - my first month earning over $1000 with them. What is also interesting (I think) is that I'm within one month now of achieving lifetime earnings of $20,000 with them. It took me 4.5 years, from early 2008 to June 2012, to earn the first $10,000 and just 12 months to earn the next $10,000. Soon I will be getting $10K a month!

Steve

Well done Steve! It is encouraging to read about success stories as well. Just to proves it can still be done.

CD123

« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2013, 14:07 »
0
Thanks, st.  With all the negatives now about microstock, it's encouraging to know that it can still be done.

Simultaneous posts - same message  :D

Donvanstaden

« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2013, 14:12 »
0
As a matter of interest Steve. What percentage of your sales are your monthly running costs? Model / studio hire etc. I am very impressed with what you have achieved in a short amount of time!

steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2013, 14:28 »
+2
Quote
As a matter of interest Steve. What percentage of your sales are your monthly running costs? Model / studio hire etc. I am very impressed with what you have achieved in a short amount of time!

Pretty much zero. My best seller on Shutterstock is a picture of our bengal cat, and she poses for peanuts. Then I have travel images, and although this last year I have specifically flown to places just to take photos, most of my travel is related to either vacations or work related travel (I'm a consultant in International telecoms in my spare time...).

Then I do take pictures of myself in various poses (all clothed) and still life/macro. Whatever catches my eye or interest.

Steve

Poncke v2

« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2013, 14:43 »
0
How many images?

tab62

« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2013, 14:50 »
0
Hi Steve, what percentage does SS bring in for your entire monthly sales? I am around 40% for my sales coming in from ss...


Tom

steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2013, 14:54 »
0
3900 images and video clips (maybe 100 video clips). You can see the popular images here: http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?gallery_id=138433

I try to take a variety of styles - and try to re-use images if I can. I remember that post some time ago about someone who added a wooden deck in front of other people's landscapes - sometimes with a cup of coffee on it. I've done some of those (although only using my own images!). The surfboards that appear 3 times on the popular page are another example - one shot turned into 5 saleable variations.

SS is normally 45% - 50% of monthly income - I'll calculate that tonight for May.

Steve

Poncke v2

« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2013, 15:13 »
0
Thanks Steve, nice clean port !

« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2013, 15:15 »
0
interesting that you share your income / stats / etc every month here at MSG and some needed this topic to understand there is still time to get some $$$

anyway, I believe you shouldn't share that much information ;D

lisafx

« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2013, 15:29 »
+1
Congratulations Steve!  You are a wonderful example of what hard work and talent can accomplish :)

« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2013, 15:45 »
0
Congrats Steve - nice portfolio! Might take a while to get to 10K  though  ;)
And thanks for sharing your stats!

OM

« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2013, 16:01 »
0
Congrats Steve. Great port. Clean, high CV images. Not generally a fan of moggies but yours is gorgeous.  ;D

« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2013, 16:05 »
0
Well done!

« Reply #15 on: May 31, 2013, 16:06 »
0
I love your cat.  She would get treats instead of peanuts for being my model.   ;)

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #16 on: May 31, 2013, 16:28 »
0
Congratulations  ;D
Onwards and Upwards


gillian vann

  • *Gillian*
« Reply #17 on: May 31, 2013, 23:28 »
0
congratulations, love your varied port!

I was super thrilled to crack $100 for the first time, lol. onwards and upwards, your port is 7x bigger than mine, so I'd better get back to work.

steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« Reply #18 on: June 01, 2013, 08:16 »
+2
Gillian

Keep at it - that is the only secret I know.

I just produced a graph that I will post a bit later today that plots the number of online files on SS against the earnings per online file. The number has grown over the past 2 years (more than doubled the number of files for sale), and the great news is that the earnings per online file has stayed static - maybe even gone up a bit. It was $0.25 in May, but is normally around $0.22.

What all that means (for my sort of portfolio at least) is that my income is almost directly proportional to the number of images I have available for sale - take more pictures (of the same quality) and you get more money.

Steve

« Reply #19 on: June 01, 2013, 19:15 »
0
Your port is great Steve!  I got started in 2005 with Shutterstock.  I submitted four images and got flustered because of rejections.  I regret not moving forward now.  It is good to know that success can be had.  Thanks for sharing.  Your cat is adorable!!!

gillian vann

  • *Gillian*
« Reply #20 on: June 01, 2013, 19:47 »
0
Gillian

Keep at it - that is the only secret I know.

I just produced a graph that I will post a bit later today that plots the number of online files on SS against the earnings per online file. The number has grown over the past 2 years (more than doubled the number of files for sale), and the great news is that the earnings per online file has stayed static - maybe even gone up a bit. It was $0.25 in May, but is normally around $0.22.

What all that means (for my sort of portfolio at least) is that my income is almost directly proportional to the number of images I have available for sale - take more pictures (of the same quality) and you get more money.

Steve
thanks for sharing.

« Reply #21 on: June 01, 2013, 21:20 »
0
Congrats!  ;D

« Reply #22 on: June 01, 2013, 22:20 »
+1
Congratulations for your achievement :)

Im new in the Microstock world, so i was in there for just 2 month

I reach 10US$ in the first month and 37US$ in the second one. I really want to do as well as your.

Regards ;)

« Reply #23 on: June 02, 2013, 05:20 »
0

« Reply #24 on: June 02, 2013, 05:20 »
0
Thats actually an impressing achievement!

« Reply #25 on: June 02, 2013, 10:06 »
+1
Now I know what I have to do. Take more good photos. The only thing I have to learn is what is a good photo. But all kidding aside - that is the best straight forward advice I have heard. The two key words-MORE and GOOD. Thanks Steve.

P.S. You might HARD WORK
Smiling Jack 


 

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