The way it is presented, the 'up and coming' link shows a list of 10 sites which didn't make it into the Big 6 list:

Canstock
123RoyaltyFree
StockPhotoMedia
ScanStockPhoto
MicrostockPhoto
Crestock
Gimmestock
ImageVortex
FeaturePics
LuckyOliver

If it is easy to do, I would suggest splitting this list into 3, which would reflect more the reality of these sites.

Out of this list, I only see one site rising (LuckyOliver), and the other ones either stable (FeaturePics for example), or declining (the photographers having pulled out or never joined for different reasons).

This way, it would save the energy for the photographers who visit this forum and who are new to microstock not to waste their time at first with old non-successful sites.  I find the 'up and coming' title misleading as it is.

What do you think?

Exactly how I'd bust them out into categories based on my limited experience.  I'm assuming that there is no  'position'  being implied in the Big 6.  As that would vary photog to photog... but I'm sure most with agree with your categorical analysis.
     This site has been a tremendous help to me starting out in the biz. Never underestimate the value of your forum, Leaf.  It is so much more than a place for photogs to shoot the bull. In my case, it also serves as an important tool in my day to day micro activities and I'd bet that is true for many here.   Keep up the good and appreciated work!

123rf and Featurepics are better than Canstock for me plus one has a bigger backer and the other gives good commission.

I would sneak FP up there anyway just to promote them even if you dont think they make the cut.

I don't know if it would be unethical but we could have a black list.  I would have Gimmestock, SPM and Image Vortex in it...

Regards,
Adelaide

There is a big difference between rising stocks, like LO, and the ones without vitality.

But if you prefer to keep the simplicity of the 2 list, that's fine.  You could maybe just change the title.  This was only a suggestion so that the new photographers wouldn't have high expectations with the 'up and coming' sites.  Most of us here know what to expect from each one anyway.

These are my experiences concerning smaller sites:

FeaturePics is ranked 7th for me, just after the Big6.  It seems fair for it to be listed along with LO.

123RF comes close in 8th place (with 4x more sales than FP, but I chose higher sale prices for FP).

CanStock comes in 9th place with half the revenues.

These 4 sites above, if 3 lists are still an option, would be my choice as rising or stable with lower sales.

Regarding the 6 remaining sites:

I don't plan to join Gimmestock nor Crestock.  Waste of time.

I pulled out of ImageVortex in September.

I had pulled out of MSP but decided to give a chance to the new owner, so I re-uploaded my portfolio in November, but there is still no activity on the site, not very promising...

I am considering leaving ScanStockPhoto and StockPhotoMedia because I only got one sale on each in November.  Adelaide, apart from the lack of sales, is there another reason you don't like SPM ?

Lucky Oliver is fun, but I gotta say, for the amount of time and pictures I have there you would think that I would have at least one download by now.
If it wasnt so darn easy to upload, Lucky Oliver would be on the back burner with CanStock.
If I were a stock site groupie, I would be hanging out at Lucky Oliver  and commenting on other folks work (as if I really am qualified) or would be spending my time over at the shutterstock forums and picking on all the new photographers, pretending I was qualified....
But as it stands, I would rather shoot and sell so.....

My personal top sites (for sales)are
ShutterStock
BigStock
iStock
Dreamstime
Fotolia
Stockexpert (almost forgot that one)
FeaturePics
123RF

Lagging far behind is Canstock and Lucky Oliver.
I have been on Canstock for two years and have yet to have a payout.
Is it worth my time to keep feeding ones that don't feed me back?
I think not.....

Have a great evening all  and feel free to spend your tokens downloading my pictures on Lucky Oliver!
;-)

S

Void- I took a look at your portfolio, you've got some good images- it's a bummer we haven't got you any downloads yet! Hopefully you'll get one soon- things have been picking up. Our top photographers have around 300 downloads- but you can guess that they have a lot of planned people concepts. They also upload on a regular basis.

We�re in the middle of the pack- we�ve still got a lot of work to do- but we�re gaining ground every month.  This market is still very new and we feel there�s room for innovation. We�re going to continue to work our butts off.

With all due respect to Void,  in fact, I COMPLETELY understand where he's coming from. I personally only have 6 sales on LO after several months with pix that sell very well at SS, StockXpert, FT, DT BS, and others.
    My professional background is in management training,  one of the things I teach and really enjoy teaching  is marketing.  Looking at all the sites I submit to I have to say that  I am not all that impressed with most of the sites format, as formated from a marketing perspective.  And not just microstock websites, I mean the web in general.  On the other hand,  I think Bryan and the folks at LO are on to something.  If I were building a microstock website....  I'd be off an a completely different approach, something fresh, out of the box,  dump the status quo, something   "what's happening?" ,  look at me. ...   like, LO.
   You click on some of those sites mentioned above and you come on a bland, colorless, featureless, home page.  Hey, a couple of them don't even have a   "photo"   on the home page, just text.  What's this site all about?  click in/click out.
    I could go on, but this isn't one of my classes, sorry, I do tend to ramble.

I'm sticking with LO and uploading as fast as I generate new work or convert old.  I think that once this Lucky Oliver Machine takes off, it's going to be one heck of a ride.  It'll be in the   "TOP  ?" whatever  Leaf decides to put up,  sometime this coming year.

And Leaf, as you no doubt know full well,  you can't please all the people all the time, just some of them some of the time.  Everyone is going to view the 'list' differently and probably change that view on a weekly basis...LOL    Perhaps the best listing would be what reputable agencies that review the biz have to say. We can always 'debate' the issue here in the family.  In my own case, it wasn't what any of those lists said that swayed me as a newbie, it was  in total, the conversations the folks had in the threads.  Their personal experiences.            peace - tom

Void, totally understand.  I'm not suggesting you're doing anything wrong.

We're in the early stages on building a customer base- I thought I would convey the images that are selling well on our site right now.  I'm guessing these are also big sellers on other sites as well.  As our reach becomes greater, a larger pool of our images will become marketable. People concept shots sell well. 

I also wanted to convey as a general trend, the photogs that seem to upload on a regular basis have more downloads.  This trend has changed a bit since we introduced our related images.  This is specific to our site.

Our growth is being measured by weeks now, so I'm optimistic that we're on an upward trend that will benefit our members. I'm ok with being in the second group now, but we're not satisfied with just resting in the middle. I appreciate all the hard work our Carnies have put into our site.

Thanks Adelaide.  As long as a site is legit and fair, I wouldn't penalize it with a 'black' connotation.  I would just say that the sales have been lacking for quite a long long time...  that's why unless a miracle happens I find the 'up and coming' misleading for some sites 

As long as a site is legit and fair, I wouldn't penalize it with a 'black' connotation.

I don't mind the name that is given, as long as the community understand that these sites are really, really slow and so most of us would advise not to waste time on them. 

If we have several people here submitting to some sites (such as IV or SPM) and after months there we haven't sold anything, what do we take from that? 

Regards,
Adelaide