I've been submitting to SS for almost a year.  I do fractal art.  This is my gallery:  http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=94247

The past three submissions have been rejected due to keywording.  I always check the Illustration box, and pick Illustrations as my first category, so I know that isn't it.  I also know, understandably, that they are really cracking down because of keyword spamming.

What I want to know is what is descriptive.  I don't use words such as 'flyer', 'advertisement' and such as I have seen in quite a few of the fractal images.  I hate even going into concepts, because everyone always sees something different where fractal art is concerned.

I'm not going to post the picture, but I have a fractal heart that split into twin spirals, making for a very elegant, and nifty heart.  These are the keywords I am using, some of which I used when I resubmitted after the first mass rejection, just to be met with another rejection lol.

abstract, fractal, illustration, digital, art, design, background, dark, red, maroon, shade, color, pattern, spiral, curl, coil, twist, twirl, heart, shape, flow, curve, layer, fan, form, contrast,  smooth, texture, dynamic, surreal, detail, Valentine, day, illusion, move, motion,  movement

All of these words, other than Valentine's day, 'describe' what is in the image.  The heart is layered, so there is a fanning effect to it, in layered fashion.  I didn't even use "background" as a keyword.  Is there someone here that can help?  I've heard some mention limiting your keywords down to 10, which leaves not a lot of room to 'describe' an image.  I'm ok with that, but that leads to a question.  Do I just wittle it down to bare bones for SS, and then submit my normal amount of keywords to the other sites?  Is anyone having to deal with this, in that I want to know do you use the same keywords for all sites?

Here is a link to another image, a style which I like doing, very 'thready'.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-9213211-blue-flowing-and-curving-thread-textures-computer-generated-fractal-abstract-background.html

The keywords under it are what I just edited them to, today.  It was already submitted some time ago before the rejections started.

Please, any help would be so appreciated.

Without seeing the first image it's difficult for us to comment.  I would imagine that the problem is with the word valentines and day.  Is it obvious in the image that they are hearts?  The others all look good to me for a fractal image.

I thought of that.  But that was like the only 'heart' image the I uploaded recently, so it can't be just that, which they are flagging.  It's really confusing me, because all the keywords I am using describes my images.  The ones I have keyworded recently, which is at least 30 of my latest new arrivals (which I edited), have their keywording scaled down, which is the method I used to submit the batch that got rejected.   *smacks head into brick wall   

I get that they want to do away with spamming.  When I was a bit more inexperienced at keywords, I was guilty of it to, hence, the editing I have been doing, especially on the older images.  I'm just thrown for a loop.

LOL

Have you tried posting on the SS forums? Maybe somebody else that uploads fractals can help you.  The words all seem fine to me.
Good luck

I figured it out.  I have been 'too descriptive'.  They use like a picture of a family as an example.  You wouldn't have dog and tree as a keyword just because there is a dog and tree in the background running rampant behind the focus of the image...the family.  That was my eureka moment.  I spent as much time describing 'every' detail of the fractal.  Which kind of puts me in a pinch because I have made plenty of sales on DT using my regular method. 

I have had a terrible run with ss and keyboards last 4-5 batches.

what annoys me is they dont tell you what word they object too. I had some images knocked back 3 times for keywords while I took guesses at what they didn't like.

'image' on illustrations
photo, photograph on photos.

both have been fine for 12 months but not now?

without seeing the image but a quick look at your very nice portfolio my guesses would be digital and maybe  illusion?

maybe be best to put it on the ss foirum?

Phil

Phil, frankly, it's MADDENING.  How hard would it be to tell you the word(s) that is causing the flags???  Last night I was sooooo irritated I about threw the computer out the window and seriously contemplated even submitting to them anymore.  Contacting their 'support' is useless, as it takes them ages to get back to you.  I don't dare leave.  I love them, and they are a good money maker.  sigh  GRRRRR  lol

The whole point in keywording is 'describing' your images.  If I have a very 'thready' fractal, now I'm paranoid about putting any descriptive keywords such as threads, or filaments, or fibers.  Granted, just thinking about it, if someone typed in threads, looking for a spool of thread, that would be maddening having fractals come up.  But they NEED to put out there in a sticky what is is they want as far as keywords.   I put the basics down, but the whole point is standing out as well.  I've racked my brain to exhaustion and all this could have been so simply fixed if they just would tell me the words causing the flags..  What is so hard about that???  It's called being user (submitter) friendly.

Thanks for those tips, Phil.  Running back to SS now to edit my batch in waiting lol.

yep, the hard part of it too. is there is other words that could be in there like 'lines', 'wavey', 'waves?' on some but do you put them in?  What "type" of fractals are they? I dont know much about them but I have seen mandelbrot and julia and dont look like them to me? (just curious there again type of fractal could be keyword. but like you why can't they tell you.