Author Topic: New files don't sell (Read 3946 times)

Artist · « **on:** November 15, 2023, 08:13 »

I am seeing this trend that my old files are selling while new files don't sell... is this normal?

fotoroad · « **Reply #1 on:** November 15, 2023, 08:31 »

So far for me is selling new and old. From old I have many firs time sellers this year.

Bauman · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2023, 08:44 »

Yes, I confirm.

I have about 5000 files on Shutterstock, and I started in 2012. I sent 400 images this year, and the "2023 file earnings" are 1.4% of the total.

When I sent 400-500 images in 2012-2015, they sold $5000 in the first year and $7000 in the second year ($12000 in the first two years). Today, I can't earn $300 in the first year... and my quality level has grown significantly recently.

Now I'm wondering if it's still worth sending new images. $:-\$

thx9000 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2023, 10:31 »

There was a very sharp decline in sales for me beginning of this month. Very unusual for this time of the year. Must be another search engine tweak or the cumulative effect of their clueless management

dacascas · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2023, 12:58 »

Quote from: Artist on November 15, 2023, 08:13

I am seeing this trend that my old files are selling while new files don't sell... is this normal?

They have been stagnating for a long time. Since 2015 or 2016

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2023, 14:31 »

Quote from: dacascas on November 15, 2023, 12:58

Quote from: Artist on November 15, 2023, 08:13
I am seeing this trend that my old files are selling while new files don't sell... is this normal?

They have been stagnating for a long time. Since 2015 or 2016

Depends on what files, and who you ask. Some new files that have "caught on" do well, but not as many as years ago. More like, it seems that best sellers, keep selling, while old files that died off, are just as dead as new files that don't make it.

Not that I actually disagree about the idea that new, just don't get as much activity as the old did, in the same period after uploading, but we used to get paid more, more for ELs, more for SO and the rest. New files just don't have the same opportunity to earn as much, as fast, as old files did.

New files are up against more and better competition.

I'm just going to say, that it's not about anything as simple as New vs Old, as the times have changed.

And as a fact, new vs old, probably has never been a fair comparison, as old, always has had an advantage, once an image starts to be popular. The exception is/was with the new boost and new image searches, that most agencies applied.

So, you're right? No they don't and I'd say, they never have.

RalfLiebhold · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2023, 15:53 »

Some of my new pictures go on sale quite quickly, just as old pictures are suddenly sold. So I can't confirm the supposed general trend.

Unamas · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2023, 16:17 »

just sold the photo that uploaded a week ago

Jaggy · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2023, 16:33 »

Quote from: thx9000 on November 15, 2023, 10:31

There was a very sharp decline in sales for me beginning of this month. Very unusual for this time of the year. Must be another search engine tweak or the cumulative effect of their clueless management

I have seen a sharp decline both this month and last month when compared to the rest of the year.

wordplanet · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2023, 22:23 »

After putting my portfolio on hold for nearly 2 years in protest of the new royalty structure, I added a few new files when I unfroze the account and some sold. This year, I added about a dozen travel editorial photos and some have sold; I even got a nice $30 SOD for one, but most of what sells there are the same bunch of images that have been my best sellers there since 2010-2012. I have only 563 images there, so I can't do a statistically significant comparison. But given how tiny my portfolio is, I can attest that new photos can still be found and sell.

thx9000 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2023, 06:10 »

Quote from: Jaggy on November 15, 2023, 16:33

Quote from: thx9000 on November 15, 2023, 10:31
There was a very sharp decline in sales for me beginning of this month. Very unusual for this time of the year. Must be another search engine tweak or the cumulative effect of their clueless management

I have seen a sharp decline both this month and last month when compared to the rest of the year.

True but I got some large single sales the second half of the month which kind of softened the impact

Roscoe · « **Reply #11 on:** November 16, 2023, 12:41 »

I read this "complaint" before. Every now and then people complain that new images don't sell, or sell less than older ones.

I always saw this as an increase in competition.
Meaning: the search algorithm shows a mixture of images that sell well and newly added content, and you're up against an increasing volume of new uploads, and battling against already settled images. In popular niches your new image gets replaced or pushed down rather quick in favor of an even newer one, so I guess it's a matter of luck or having unique content that is in demand to get some traction.

In addition, I also see a decrease in sales volume on Shutterstock last past months, so I guess there is, apart from ever increasing competition, something else going on too.
They seem to be losing customers too.

Unamas · « **Reply #12 on:** November 17, 2023, 14:52 »

One more "new file" is sold on SS. Both recent sales are unique. There's nothing similar on SS

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #13 on:** November 18, 2023, 12:33 »

Quote from: Unamas on November 17, 2023, 14:52

One more "new file" is sold on SS. Both recent sales are unique. There's nothing similar on SS

And that's why I joke about Sliced Tomatoes, because people think they can upload things that are available by the thousands and get sales, when the images are lost in a flood of similar, old and new. On the other hand, some of us, think we can upload less likely, unique or at least unusual images, get noticed and get some sales.

I started tracking files uploaded by the year on SS, just for some fun. It's true, the newest 100 images from 2021, don't have as many sales as, the 100 from 2020. But each year has at least one new photo that somehow has caught on and keeps selling, year after year. More of those were uploaded in 2012 when there was less competition for getting ranked and noticed.

Quote from: Roscoe on November 16, 2023, 12:41

In popular niches your new image gets replaced or pushed down rather quick in favor of an even newer one, so I guess it's a matter of luck or having unique content that is in demand to get some traction.

I think you have that right.

And the simple fact that old images have had more time to get noticed or be sold. It seems like sales will raise the search rank and produce more sales. Over time, a dead image remains dead, but if something catches on, it can grow more interest.

Unamas · « **Reply #14 on:** November 18, 2023, 17:33 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on November 18, 2023, 12:33

It seems like sales will raise the search rank and produce more sales.

Once I uploaded a much better version of my bestseller photo, but people keep buying the same old photo. Most likely the new photo is not showing anywhere, because of low rank

Pacesetter · « **Reply #15 on:** November 18, 2023, 23:51 »

Quote from: Roscoe on November 16, 2023, 12:41

They seem to be losing customers too.

Never would of thought of saying anything like this some months ago but my shutterstock vs adobe stock port performance suggests adobe stock's customer acquisition strategy is taking customers from shutterstock.

tätarätä · « **Reply #16 on:** November 19, 2023, 03:08 »

Quote from: Pacesetter on November 18, 2023, 23:51

Quote from: Roscoe on November 16, 2023, 12:41

They seem to be losing customers too.

Never would of thought of saying anything like this some months ago but my shutterstock vs adobe stock port performance suggests adobe stock's customer acquisition strategy is taking customers from shutterstock.

Years ago contributors and customers left istock. Shutterstock did benefit most of this escape.
Now it seems the same happens to shutterstock.
But its very simply. If customers want to buy my latest images, they only get it at Adobe Stock :-)

Artist · « **Reply #17 on:** November 19, 2023, 05:13 »

Quote from: Pacesetter on November 18, 2023, 23:51

Quote from: Roscoe on November 16, 2023, 12:41

They seem to be losing customers too.

Never would of thought of saying anything like this some months ago but my shutterstock vs adobe stock port performance suggests adobe stock's customer acquisition strategy is taking customers from shutterstock.

I agree and even my new files on adobe stock sells.
SS management seems don't care now whether they fail or pass.

bennu99 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2023, 02:09 »

Say no more......

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.shutterstock.com?sort=recency

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2023, 11:21 »

Quote from: Artist on November 15, 2023, 08:13

I am seeing this trend that my old files are selling while new files don't sell... is this normal?

Just thinking of your post, I wanted to add this. Image ID# 2,399,478,055 was accepted this morning on SS. (It's one of mine) That doesn't mean 2.4 Billion live images will be competing for the buyers attention, but there are many more than when most of us started. If the blank search is accurate: 451,393,732 stock photos, 3D objects, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free.

I stopped keeping a close watch on this. Just in case someone new wonders, or for a refresher.

2006 = 1 million images
2009 = 6 million images
2010 = 10 million images
2012 = 20 million images
2014 = 40 million images
2016 = 80 million images
2017 = 160 million images
2020 = 320 million images
2021 = 340 million images
2022 = 405 million images

As others have pointed out, if I had 1,000 images in 2010 I'd need to have 40,000 now, to have increased at the same rate as the competition. 🤯

Sure thing, new files don't sell as fast or as much as old files did. If getting noticed is necessary to get better rank and future sales, then that's less likely.

wordplanet · « **Reply #20 on:** December 13, 2023, 16:10 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on December 13, 2023, 11:21

Quote from: Artist on November 15, 2023, 08:13
I am seeing this trend that my old files are selling while new files don't sell... is this normal?

Just thinking of your post, I wanted to add this. Image ID# 2,399,478,055 was accepted this morning on SS. (It's one of mine) That doesn't mean 2.4 Billion live images will be competing for the buyers attention, but there are many more than when most of us started. If the blank search is accurate: 451,393,732 stock photos, 3D objects, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free.

I stopped keeping a close watch on this. Just in case someone new wonders, or for a refresher.

2006 = 1 million images
2009 = 6 million images
2010 = 10 million images
2012 = 20 million images
2014 = 40 million images
2016 = 80 million images
2017 = 160 million images
2020 = 320 million images
2021 = 340 million images
2022 = 405 million images

As others have pointed out, if I had 1,000 images in 2010 I'd need to have 40,000 now, to have increased at the same rate as the competition. 🤯

Sure thing, new files don't sell as fast or as much as old files did. If getting noticed is necessary to get better rank and future sales, then that's less likely.

I remember when I started and ss hit 6 million images, thinking how amazing it was that my photos could be found in such a gigantic database LOL. I sure miss the days when I averaged $60/mo with a portfolio of just 100 images. I wish I'd gone all in on microstock back when you could really make decent $$$ but you can't look back.

As I mentioned above, I've gotten sales with images uploaded this year and agree with your point that if you have something more unique that won't get buried under millions and millions of similar images, sales of new images are still possible. Granted, new stuff still has a better shot on Adobe, but since I can't upload regular editorial work there, ss still gets the occasional upload from me.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #21 on:** December 14, 2023, 12:49 »

Quote from: wordplanet on December 13, 2023, 16:10

I remember when I started and ss hit 6 million images, thinking how amazing it was that my photos could be found in such a gigantic database LOL. I sure miss the days when I averaged $60/mo with a portfolio of just 100 images. I wish I'd gone all in on microstock back when you could really make decent $$$ but you can't look back.

As I mentioned above, I've gotten sales with images uploaded this year and agree with your point that if you have something more unique that won't get buried under millions and millions of similar images, sales of new images are still possible. Granted, new stuff still has a better shot on Adobe, but since I can't upload regular editorial work there, ss still gets the occasional upload from me.

Now and then I have a first time sale of some old image. I really wonder how anyone found it? I can't find my own images in the searches, they are buried so far down. I guess my only positive is, I upload some pretty obscure things and maybe someone wanted something specific.

After that, all my sliced vegetables, cheeseburgers and breakfast eggs are lost in the deep morass.

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Author Topic: New files don't sell (Read 3946 times)

Artist

fotoroad

Bauman

thx9000

dacascas

Uncle Pete

RalfLiebhold

Unamas

Jaggy

wordplanet

thx9000

Roscoe

Unamas

Uncle Pete

Unamas

Pacesetter

tätarätä

Artist

bennu99

Uncle Pete

wordplanet

Uncle Pete

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