Author Topic: New submissions and initial download amounts (Read 6421 times)

tubed · « **on:** February 14, 2011, 12:34 »

So I had taken a break for almost a year from submitting as I was busy with my design business and a new kid etc. etc. So I hadn't uploaded anything for a while, but I have been taking pictures all along.. So over the past couple of weeks I have uploaded and had accepted a couple of batches a shutterstock.. But the initial downloads I was expecting is not happening.. I remember when I would upload a batch, and there would be a pretty high volume of dl's in the first few days, and then it would slowly taper off and then only the real good/lucky/popular ones would continue to get dl's.. I am not seeing that initial jump over these last couple batches, I mean they are getting downloaded, but only a few of them and even then it's only a couple of dl's.. I am just wondering, if this is me, or a bad timing thing, or if this is getting to be more normal that the big thrust of new images is not there anymore.. Anyone have any insights?

camiart · « **Reply #1 on:** February 15, 2011, 13:56 »

Hi,
I've got the same problem. I took some pictures and sure of their success waiting for DLs... Shutterstock had some technical problems last week and many of my friends had the same situation: new photos didn't appear in portfolio/search engine and hadn't got any sales... $:-\$

Mantis · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2011, 19:14 »

That does not happen anymore at SS. The BOOST you used to get was changed a couple of years ago. It's now much harder to make money there, way more images to compete with and a glut of them I might add. The good ol' days are over. It's quality, usefulness and volume.

lisafx · « **Reply #3 on:** February 15, 2011, 19:38 »

Downloads seem pretty evenly divided among my portfolio now, rather than concentrated more heavily on newer images. I think Mantis must be right that the search engine no longer gives much (if any) advantage to newer images.

tubed · « **Reply #4 on:** February 15, 2011, 21:03 »

Aww I see,
a way it's good in a way it's bad I suppose, as I felt that was how you made better dl's there and how your images had a chance in the mass of uploads and subscription buyers needed fresh stuff.. I imagine what Mantis said is true then about the quality / volume thing.. Although Most of my quality / usefull images get first priority with Macro sites and Micro was secondary with what didn't cut for Macros, or shoots where I had a lot of the same Genre of images.. I guess with IS, FT pulling down our pants and images at SS not getting the initial exposure, to help them climb up the popularity Ladder and no initial rush.

Macros are somewhat dissapointing these days though too..

guess it might be time to re-think the strategy.. Things they are a changin..

Back to working on my design business..

tubed · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2011, 13:06 »

Just Curious how this has affected others, for better or for worse? I pretty much maintained steady sales at SS over the past year while I was busy working on other things, although it slid slightly with minimal uploads over last 8 - 10 months.. Has the change from heavily reliant on new images to spread out over a balance helped or hindered people?

pancaketom · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2011, 13:55 »

I made more there in 2008 (and I uploaded more that year). I was barely down in 2009 (at a higher return but less downloads) and up (above 2008 levels for $ but not DL) in 2010. I almost doubled my port in 2008, and increased it by 70% over the next 2 years. The DL #s and $ in general have picked up lately but I have been uploading fairly regularly too. No ELs lately either. New images definitely don't get the downloads they used to though. I don't know how that will play out over the long run. I am guessing that for the people with fairly big old ports this is better and for the people trying to start out now it is worse.

My all time best seller got onto the newest first page just before they had a computer glitch so it stayed there for a week or so before they got the indexing fixed. That was enough to put it on the best match first page where it has been ever since (It is a good image too, but had I uploaded it a few days later it probably would have just been buried forever).

tubed · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2011, 14:12 »

Yeah, I am a little worried that these new images I sent in are going to be burried and not get the exposure to get them a push upwards.. I spent a good amount of time and money on them with Models, Travel, editing Etc. So I am wondering how this spread the exposure adjustment is going to affect things as before they would get the initial exposure and then the least popular ones would slide away and the more popular would climb up.. Hmm.. I have suspended submissions to FT and IS for the moment while I figure out if I want to drop my trousers for them or not

.. SS was what gave me a little incentive, but I'm curious to see how new uploads are going to work for me.

gostwyck · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2011, 18:09 »

Quote from: tubed on February 14, 2011, 12:34

... I am just wondering, if this is me, or a bad timing thing, or if this is getting to be more normal that the big thrust of new images is not there anymore.. Anyone have any insights?

No, it's not just you! There's no doubt that it is getter tougher, much tougher, for new images to 'take off'. It's not actually new, it's been happening gradually over the last 5-6 years ... and it's only going to get worse too.

The phenomena isn't exclusive to SS either, it's also happening everywhere else, only it tends to be more noticeable at SS due to the surge we've come to expect from new uploads.

Essentially for new uploads to be noticed they have to be either 'different' (but still good & useful) in their subject matter or similar but notably excellent in comparison to what already exists. That's the way it is now.

tubed · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2011, 10:21 »

Quote from: gostwyck on February 16, 2011, 18:09

Quote from: tubed on February 14, 2011, 12:34
... I am just wondering, if this is me, or a bad timing thing, or if this is getting to be more normal that the big thrust of new images is not there anymore.. Anyone have any insights?

No, it's not just you! There's no doubt that it is getter tougher, much tougher, for new images to 'take off'. It's not actually new, it's been happening gradually over the last 5-6 years ... and it's only going to get worse too.

The phenomena isn't exclusive to Shutterstock either, it's also happening everywhere else, only it tends to be more noticeable at Shutterstock due to the surge we've come to expect from new uploads.

Essentially for new uploads to be noticed they have to be either 'different' (but still good & useful) in their subject matter or similar but notably excellent in comparison to what already exists. That's the way it is now.

Good to know.. Thanks for that.. It is quite a morphing scene these days isn't it?

gostwyck · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2011, 13:42 »

Actually, to some extent I don't mind what is happening. Although it is getting tougher it also means that the barrier to entry is getting higher too, which is probably a good thing for established contributors.

I'm hoping it will dissuade the annoying type of contributor who upload hundreds of lousy, similar and badly keyworded images that just clutter the searches, especially when set to 'Newest'. There's nothing worse than uploading some good new images only to see them quickly swamped by irrelevant nonsense with spammed keywords that have nothing to do with the subject matter. Unfortunately, at that stage of an image's life, the automatic keyword weighting cannot differentiate between the wheat and the chaff.

For the most part genuinely good or unique images still get noticed and can still climb quickly to the top of the 'Most Popular' search order.

tubed · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2011, 14:00 »

Quote from: gostwyck on February 17, 2011, 13:42

Actually, to some extent I don't mind what is happening. Although it is getting tougher it also means that the barrier to entry is getting higher too, which is probably a good thing for established contributors.

I'm hoping it will dissuade the annoying type of contributor who upload hundreds of lousy, similar and badly keyworded images that just clutter the searches, especially when set to 'Newest'. There's nothing worse than uploading some good new images only to see them quickly swamped by irrelevant nonsense with spammed keywords that have nothing to do with the subject matter. Unfortunately, at that stage of an image's life, the automatic keyword weighting cannot differentiate between the wheat and the chaff.

For the most part genuinely good or unique images still get noticed and can still climb quickly to the top of the 'Most Popular' search order.

I think you are right to an pretty good extent.. I don't mind the bar being higher either, although it makes me have to work a little harder, although I'm OK with that if the balance is there.. It is unsettling though that some decent (maybe not super) images get swamped out so fast though.. I may have a few top images in a batch that get noticed and then the rest seem to just go off into the abyss somewhat.. The thing is, is that was kinda what made micro sustainable (for me anyway) was that there are multiple dl's from even secondary selection images.. If the only images that get dl's are the top of the line, then I'm unsure that will make micro worth the effort as those images would probably sell at higher price points as well.. I don't know though, it wouldn't be an issue really if FT and IS weren't screwing us at the moment, then it might be more acceptable to have to edit tighter and only get the cream uploaded..

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Author Topic: New submissions and initial download amounts (Read 6421 times)

tubed

camiart

Mantis

lisafx

tubed

tubed

pancaketom

tubed

gostwyck

tubed

gostwyck

tubed

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