Author Topic: A new personal threshold with Shutterstock (Read 11540 times)

steheap · « **on:** May 31, 2013, 13:58 »

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

Gel-O Shooter · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2013, 14:05 »

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 »

Quote from: steheap on May 31, 2013, 13:58

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 »

Quote from: Gel-O Shooter on May 31, 2013, 14:05

Thanks, st. With all the negatives now about microstock, it's encouraging to know that it can still be done.

Simultaneous posts - same message

Donvanstaden · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2013, 14:12 »

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 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2013, 14:28 »

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 »

How many images?

tab62 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2013, 14:50 »

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 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2013, 14:54 »

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 »

Thanks Steve, nice clean port !

luissantos84 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2013, 15:15 »

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

lisafx · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2013, 15:29 »

Congratulations Steve! You are a wonderful example of what hard work and talent can accomplish

Elenathewise · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2013, 15:45 »

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 »

Congrats Steve. Great port. Clean, high CV images. Not generally a fan of moggies but yours is gorgeous.

Mantis · « **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2013, 16:05 »

Well done!

Gel-O Shooter · « **Reply #15 on:** May 31, 2013, 16:06 »

I love your cat. She would get treats instead of peanuts for being my model.

ShadySue · « **Reply #16 on:** May 31, 2013, 16:28 »

Congratulations

Onwards and Upwards

gillian vann · « **Reply #17 on:** May 31, 2013, 23:28 »

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 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2013, 08:16 »

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

photothislife · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2013, 19:15 »

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 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2013, 19:47 »

Quote from: steheap on June 01, 2013, 08:16

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.

daveh900 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 01, 2013, 21:20 »

Congrats!

Mrblues101 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 01, 2013, 22:20 »

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

elvinstar · « **Reply #23 on:** June 02, 2013, 05:20 »

Quote from: photothislife on June 01, 2013, 19:15

Your cat is adorable!!!

I agree!

JPSDK · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2013, 05:20 »

Thats actually an impressing achievement!

MicrostockGroup Sponsors

Author Topic: A new personal threshold with Shutterstock (Read 11540 times)

steheap

Gel-O Shooter

CD123

CD123

Donvanstaden

steheap

Poncke v2

tab62

steheap

Poncke v2

luissantos84

lisafx

Elenathewise

OM

Mantis

Gel-O Shooter

ShadySue

gillian vann

steheap

photothislife

gillian vann

daveh900

Mrblues101

elvinstar

JPSDK

Related Topics

Sponsors

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors