MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => Shutterstock.com => Topic started by: DanP68 on June 02, 2008, 17:26

Title: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: DanP68 on June 02, 2008, 17:26
We are trying something a little different this month from the Earnings Ratings.  Let's measure the amount of earnings per image you received at this agency during the month.

This is a pretty simple calculation.  If you had $200 in earnings at Shutterstock in May 2008, and 400 images online, then you earned $0.50 per image ($200/400). If you had $100 in earnings and only 50 images online, then you earned $2.00 per image ($100/50).

For simplicity you might want to use the # of images online at the start of May.

If you just joined the agency, you should probably abstain this month until you have a full month of earnings to measure.  If we get enough participation, we might be able to better compare the earnings power of our agencies.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: jsolie on June 02, 2008, 19:24
Ooooo.... something I track!   ;D  I'm at .8586 before my latest batch-o-photos was accepted.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: faber on June 03, 2008, 00:29
-> 0,39 (that's half of my numbers at istock....).
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: Peter on June 03, 2008, 02:48
0.1
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: CofkoCof on June 03, 2008, 05:02
Around 1.5$. I used the number of pictures at the end of the month, don't know how much I had in the beginning.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: epantha on June 03, 2008, 05:40
$1.11
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: Kngkyle on June 03, 2008, 09:19
$0.22

Haven't uploaded anything in a few months. It shows.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: DanP68 on June 03, 2008, 10:49
I'll have to add a lower tier or two next month.  There are a lot of people at less than 25c per image in total sales.  Strange, because they lead the Earnings Ratings by a comfortable margin.   

???
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: Fred on June 03, 2008, 11:57
About .25 but I am estimating the number of images I had at the beginning of the month and I am still in the lowest payment tier (.25).  fred
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: jsnover on June 03, 2008, 12:58
I'll have to add a lower tier or two next month.  There are a lot of people at less than 25c per image in total sales.  Strange, because they lead the Earnings Ratings by a comfortable margin. 

I think the issue is that those who've been around a while have large (ish) porfolios but monthly sales are more related to more recent uploads. All those complaints about getting fairly constant monthly income regardless of how much you upload - over time that dilutes the earnings per total portfolio.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: Freezingpictures on June 03, 2008, 13:19
Thats right, I am now at $0.40 and it continues to constantly decline....
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: lisafx on June 03, 2008, 16:44
Yikes - not good.  I'm at .43
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: DanP68 on June 03, 2008, 17:53

I think the issue is that those who've been around a while have large (ish) porfolios but monthly sales are more related to more recent uploads. All those complaints about getting fairly constant monthly income regardless of how much you upload - over time that dilutes the earnings per total portfolio.


Yes, which probably makes this poll a little more interesting than the others.  Funny that a year later my SS earnings still grow along with the portfolio size, while at iStock my earnings are falling.  For some reason I cannot seem to get out of my own way at the big IS.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: pancaketom on June 06, 2008, 18:10
Next month, it might be worth looking at all the $/image stats and using the same scales for all the sites - this would mean extra low levels at some sites and extra high levels at others, but would make the info more useful across the sites. It would also be cool if the results could be all put on the same page.

On a side note, I calculate it based on the images at the end of the month, which skews it slightly lower, but not a lot.

SS probably is such a high returner because it is so much easier to get images up there (acceptance ratio and no upload limits), and the near instant sales after uploads. (compared to IS, where I only have 2 sales from the last months uploads while keeping my queue full)
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: Konstantin Sutyagin on June 06, 2008, 21:20
$1.27, or a little more. I don't remember the number of images by the beginning of the month.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: photosoup on June 07, 2008, 08:25
around $2.40 with a smallish port of 187. Upload regularly in small batches of 5 to 6 everytime the previous batch got approved (or rejected).
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: zastavkin on June 08, 2008, 10:59
I have started the similar poll on Russian-speaking Stock Photographers Forum: http://www.zastavkin.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4907
It is interesting to compare results. At this moment (75 russian-speaking voters and 76 englishs-peaking voters):

$2.00 or higher  E 5 (6.6%) R 3(4%)
$1.00 to $1.99  E 2 (2.6%)  R 5(6%)
$0.75 to $0.99  E 9 (11.8%)  R 7(9%)
$0.50 to $0.74  E 8 (10.5%)  R 12(16%)
$0.25 to $0.49  E 24 (31.6%)  R 24(32%)
Less than $0.25 E 28 (36.8%) R 24(32%)

P.S. Portfolio of this russian-speaking voters is about 3.5%-4% of entire SS portfolio.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: Hoodie Ninja on June 09, 2008, 14:36
.56 for me.
Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: mwp1969 on June 17, 2008, 16:47
Per Dan's suggestion, I will abstain as I just got accepted at the end of May.
However,  I will have a whole month of data for June and its looking to be pretty sweet  ;D

You can then use my numbers and as an example ratio for a newcomer so that you can compare the ratio to that of an established SS veteran's ratio.

Mark

Title: Re: May 2008 Earnings per Image at Shutterstock
Post by: litifeta on June 17, 2008, 17:21
As a business analyst, I am not sure return per image is a great measure. For a start, if we continue to build our portfolio it gives a false impression.

If we were to do this, i believe we would have to add some more maths to the equation, such as eliminating non performing images etc. from the equation. I actually do believe the measure for things is the basic growth in income over the period.

This also needs to be seasonally adjusted.