It would be interesting to hear how long people have been doing microstock when they claim best months ever. This type of talk is usually a dead giveaway for someone who hasn't been doing this very long.

Since I'm one of those who said they had a best day ever (not best month, though): I sold my first license in 2002 and took stock a bit more serious from 2007 onwards. Not sure if that counts as "very long" or "veteran". I'm still a hobbyist, even though I'm a full time hobbyist today.

My best day ever on Monday was mainly caused by an Extended License sale at Stocksy plus a very large SOD at Shutterstock on the same day. Add to that, the buyers seems to have to returned to their desks this week.

Quote from: MichaelJayFoto on January 14, 2016, 05:15

Add to that, the buyers seems to have to returned to their desks this week.

I've noticed that too. After a long dry spell from Christmas through last weekend, this week has picked up nicely for me on all three of my stock sites. May the sales continue!

Hell yes!!! 

Quote from: Minscer on January 14, 2016, 02:07

Quote from: stockmarketer on January 13, 2016, 22:38

It would be interesting to hear how long people have been doing microstock when they claim best months ever.  This type of talk is usually a dead giveaway for someone who hasn't been doing this very long.  I don't hear many veterans saying things are great.  But if you doubled your port size in the past year, you will of course have higher earnings.  For those of us with a lot of years under our belts, we're only increasing our port sizes by, say 10 or 20% each year, and since the agencies are growing overall by more like 30 to 40% a year, on average we are falling behind.  It's a numbers game, and if you're in it long enough, you lose.

Veterans started when the market was young. You hear the same about veteran app developers who started when the App Store just opened. They were making tons of money and now they're making peanuts. The market has changed, but that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities. Veterans just have to play the game like everyone else now.

I started microstock a little less year ago and I was optimistic at the start and I still am. In a way, it is a numbers game, but there are a lot of intangibles and you can take advantage of to make a portfolio more successful. You can look at things another way...if you play the game enough, you'll have more experience and that gives you an edge.

I remember being a teenager and spouting off to my dad on my views of the world.  He would smile and tell me that I would learn the realities of the world soon enough.  It didn't take many years to show me he was right.  And a few decades later I find myself listening to my teenage son about how he sees the world, and I smile and tell him he will learn the realities of the world soon enough. 

I remember being new to microstock 8 years ago and coming to this forum saying how I had figured everything out, and the veterans tried telling me the reality of the market.  I laughed and said I had things figured out.  Today, I'm the veteran trying to talk reality to microstock newcomers, and the veterans of yesterday are nowhere to be seen.  It appears they've given up on microstock altogether.  Perhaps that's the future for us all.

Amen. Very well said!

You are correct Old friend. No one I know. what im seeing that is depressing is...there is No sense of community anymore on SS. It's fragmented. 40,000 is the number of forum users and the last year alone all I see is the same 30/40 people. definitely time to Move along. everyones gone. at least those with something to say.Im not uploading either and in the process of building a new Port to go back to my roots. I have about 1700 Posts left on SS forum to reach my goal of 50,000 then, I gotta go. I can't keep saying the same things that many times and Im sure others are tired of reading it. I wanna start another Microstock Blog Kind of thing If anyone would be interested in doing with me. I'll sure Listen. Not to take away from here , But add to. with a possible critique section,gear section, pro talk,etc,etc. Or Not...LOL

I remember being a teenager and spouting off to my dad on my views of the world.  He would smile and tell me that I would learn the realities of the world soon enough.  It didn't take many years to show me he was right.  And a few decades later I find myself listening to my teenage son about how he sees the world, and I smile and tell him he will learn the realities of the world soon enough. 

I remember being new to microstock 8 years ago and coming to this forum saying how I had figured everything out, and the veterans tried telling me the reality of the market.  I laughed and said I had things figured out.  Today, I'm the veteran trying to talk reality to microstock newcomers, and the veterans of yesterday are nowhere to be seen.  It appears they've given up on microstock altogether.  Perhaps that's the future for us all.

We all have to make a conscious choice about who we want to be. Veterans (of any sort) like to talk a certain way, the way of the 'good ole days'. Despite the fact that I have more experience than many people in my field of work, I made a conscious choice to not talk like that, because it's a fairly pessimistic tone.

Many veterans of microstock are like veterans of any field. John McCain have experienced life more than any of us here, and yet he still don't know how to use a computer properly. He got beat out by a man half his age, someone more tech savvy. Many veterans (not all) are set in their own ways and doesn't pick up many new skills required to compete at a higher level.

There's a difference between 8 years ago and today. Today, you can't rely on the skills you learned 8 years ago. The market was young back then. What works then no longer works today. Today, you need to have knowledge of SEO, marketing, a broad understanding of different fields and a mixed portfolio (instead of just a photography portfolio). 5 years from now, different skills will be needed. The question is...will the veterans learn those new skills or will they give up altogether?

Minscer

You hit the nail on head. As a veteran of life at 89yrs,I have this to say: "Things is a changing" and they always will. As pilot and aerial photographer doing aerial mapping I do it all on my home computer with a small digital camera. Before it took a room full of machines and operators and a huge camera. I haven't embraced every new "app", but just enough to say I am"cool"

Quote from: Minscer on January 14, 2016, 17:36

There's a difference between 8 years ago and today. Today, you can't rely on the skills you learned 8 years ago. The market was young back then. What works then no longer works today. Today, you need to have knowledge of SEO, marketing, a broad understanding of different fields and a mixed portfolio (instead of just a photography portfolio). 5 years from now, different skills will be needed. The question is...will the veterans learn those new skills or will they give up altogether?

You've been doing this less than a year.  You're not a guru.

Och well, you know, the 'Arrogance of Youth'.   

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on January 15, 2016, 10:56

Quote from: Minscer on January 14, 2016, 17:36

There's a difference between 8 years ago and today. Today, you can't rely on the skills you learned 8 years ago. The market was young back then. What works then no longer works today. Today, you need to have knowledge of SEO, marketing, a broad understanding of different fields and a mixed portfolio (instead of just a photography portfolio). 5 years from now, different skills will be needed. The question is...will the veterans learn those new skills or will they give up altogether?

You've been doing this less than a year.  You're not a guru.

I'm doing this since more than 3 years. I'm obviously not a guru, but you don't have to be a guru to realise that he is right.

I'd say he's partly right. It helps to be up to date on the latest stuff but I'm still selling shots every day that I took 12 years ago. No doubt having a lot of video as well as photos would add to sales (if it didn't involve shooting fewer photos), but the photo market is still as strong as ever - in fact stronger than ever, given that stuff keeps selling despite the scores of millions of shots that are available compared with a few hundred thousand a decade ago.

While i talk a lot about buyer perception of image value being reduced rather quickly these days, it is interesting to note how much contributors value their time and efforts for the returns these days. Everyone's value of time spent vs rewards gained are different. Where is the bottom that contributors are willing to accept? Its hard for me to see contributors thats been doing this for less than 2 years seeing this as a viable full time prospect unless they have very little options.

The payout isn't worth the time invested in my opinion. Maybe it is different for videos and the market is shifting that direction.

While i talk a lot about buyer perception of image value being reduced rather quickly these days, it is interesting to note how much contributors value their time and efforts for the returns these days. Everyone's value of time spent vs rewards gained are different. Where is the bottom that contributors are willing to accept? Its hard for me to see contributors thats been doing this for less than 2 years seeing this as a viable full time prospect unless they have very little options.

The payout isn't worth the time invested in my opinion. Maybe it is different for videos and the market is shifting that direction.

In 2015, I made 50% more than the official minimum wage in my state and I only had time during (some of) my weekends/vacation to invest in this activity. From this point of view, I'm OK with the rewards.

Full-time stock going on my 6th year, I have been at it since 2004 but full time for 6 years. It has it's ups and downs and I have around 8k video files. I am never bored and I do side jobs as well to keep balance. 2015 was a down year for me but I am hoping I can pick back up in 2016! I have been with my family more and wouldn't trade a day of it. I love the stock life and as with any job frustrations are there but the freedom is priceless! Still learning a lot and will have to learn until I die. I have to change and adapt but I am still here :-) I have already shot 6 commercials for yp in 2016 and more book so even when Jan is slow I still work! I say stop crying and start using your skills in as many areas as you like and can.

My Old friend Lev Dolgachev Has 159,597 Perfect stock Photos. and the best Pure stock Port I've ever seen, Probably Ever.

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-64260p1.html?id=64260&rid=64260

yes, absoluto... i always thought he was one super stock photographer. anyone with a port like that
has to make money. even if he did not have 100,000 images, he would still make money because
his work is like you say, perfect.