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Author Topic: Stocksy - where are they?  (Read 48374 times)

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« on: August 26, 2013, 02:17 »
0
Stocksy is a newcomer but after almost half year probably most active contributors should have sales.
I like the idea of co-op and all artistic and human approach of this site. But what about a business side?
I'm seriously considering to invest my time and money to participate but is it worth? Do they have any chance to be successful?
Any thoughts after 5 months?


ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2013, 04:41 »
0
[semi-OT] I did a search on Scotland, and the results were 'surprising', and not just those which weren't actually taken in Scotland.

« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2013, 11:27 »
+3
If you are an accepted member you have access to the forum where some of the members report sales.
For a young agency I would say the results are very promising. Taking into account that this is not the low-cost segment of the market and the royalty structure, I'd rather say the results are excellent.
My port is very small so the numbers may not be so relevant, but all I can say is that I am pleasantly surprised.

The guys who work behind the scenes are doing an incredible job.
Do I have any reasons to complain? No.  I only wish I had more time to grow my port faster.

EmberMike

« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2013, 18:51 »
0
I'm still waiting to see if they come up with some sort of vector offering. So far I believe the only vectors on Stocksy are photos and textures with vector overlays in JPG format, like Simon Oxley's work.

Would be interesting to see how they approach vectors, if at all, and although I'd still be hesitant to participate in anything that requires any level of exclusivity, I'd still give it all due consideration. Always interesting to see how new companies are shaking up the vector graphics market.

Edit: Nevermind, looks like vector-based JPGs aren't on there anymore. Guess it's all photos on Stocksy for the time being.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2013, 18:57 by EmberMike »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2013, 19:39 »
+4
I don't get their slogan, "Your Stock Photos Shouldn't Look Like Stock Photos" superimposed on top of a very stocky photo on the front page. Nothing wrong with the photo, it's very standard stock-y, and has been there for a while - shouldn't they change the front page photo from time to time - at least every day? Also several photos there were previously on e.g. iStock.
I can't really work out their aesthetic or USP for the buyer. To me it's a lot of stock-y looking pics, some really nice not-very-stocky looking pics and some 'very average' photos (i.e. like mine, but they way they'd gone on about their super high quality before they launched, I didn't even think seriously of applying).

BoBoBolinski

« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2013, 06:19 »
+26
I think they might have helped their own PR if they'd bothered to reply to people who applied, even if it was a polite 'no thanks'.
Looking arrogant and lazy is normally the prerogative of big established players, not newcomers hoping to create a positive buzz.

jen

« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2013, 16:18 »
+4
Stocksy is a newcomer but after almost half year probably most active contributors should have sales.
I like the idea of co-op and all artistic and human approach of this site. But what about a business side?
I'm seriously considering to invest my time and money to participate but is it worth? Do they have any chance to be successful?
Any thoughts after 5 months?

In August, 64% of my earnings and only 8% of my downloads were from Stocksy. 

I'm making much less than I was making as an exclusive contributor elsewhere, but I feel confident that things are picking up and it will take far, far fewer downloads to get to where I was before.  So personally, I'm happy.

shudderstok

« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2013, 18:18 »
+2
I think they might have helped their own PR if they'd bothered to reply to people who applied, even if it was a polite 'no thanks'.
Looking arrogant and lazy is normally the prerogative of big established players, not newcomers hoping to create a positive buzz.

they lost me right at the beginning due to what you mentioned above, mainly the arrogance. send us your link to your successful folio on another site and we 'might' invite you.

now why in gods name would i send you a link from another site so that you can 'might' scoop me from them. a real class act i'd say. tacky tacky tacky.

then when i sent in an email in reply to the email they sent me, with some very solid questions, i think it was the total lack of reply and professional courtesy in doing so that made me decide i 'might' won't be putting anything with them.

honestly, the arrogance and lack of reply is what i'd expect from the very agency they were trying to scoop me from.

no thanks.

jen

« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2013, 18:29 »
+1
they lost me right at the beginning due to what you mentioned above, mainly the arrogance. send us your link to your successful folio on another site and we 'might' invite you.
That's not what they asked for, is it?  This is the text I got:

If you're interested in being a contributing artist, please reply to this email with a link to your portfolio (500px, flickr, etc) and we might send you an invitation.

I guess you could be put off by the "might", but it wasn't "show us how successful you are elsewhere", it was "show us your portfolio". 

shudderstok

« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2013, 19:05 »
-1
they lost me right at the beginning due to what you mentioned above, mainly the arrogance. send us your link to your successful folio on another site and we 'might' invite you.
That's not what they asked for, is it?  This is the text I got:

If you're interested in being a contributing artist, please reply to this email with a link to your portfolio (500px, flickr, etc) and we might send you an invitation.

I guess you could be put off by the "might", but it wasn't "show us how successful you are elsewhere", it was "show us your portfolio".

yes this is what they sent.

i think it would have been a bit more professional to say, send us 50 samples of your work for consideration, as opposed to send us a link to where your portfolio is on an existing site etc. and we might. - we all know that meant agencies they did not mention which was the etc. part.

openly harvesting contributors from existing agencies is not what i would call a class act. sorry.

regardless, i did not like how they were openly scouting contributors from existing sites. and with absolutely no reply to my email, they lost me.








ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2013, 19:26 »
+1
They headhunted you (i.e. they made the first move) but they still wanted to see evidence of your work?

shudderstok

« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2013, 19:33 »
0
They headhunted you (i.e. they made the first move) but they still wanted to see evidence of your work?

good question! yes they made first contact, how they got my email i have no clue.

jen

« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2013, 19:36 »
0
Did you put your email address in their "put your email address here if you're curious" page before the site launched?

shudderstok

« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2013, 20:16 »
0
Did you put your email address in their "put your email address here if you're curious" page before the site launched?

highly unlikely, honestly i can't remember. but if i did, it would not have been using the email they contacted me on. as a general rule, for all unknowns in the www world, of which stocksy would have been at the time, i never use my personal email, instead i have a special email just for www land. another reason it is unlikely is that i did not like the whole secrecy aspect of the clique, that too was a turn off.

i do know there was a period when there was referrals going on from the people in the know, perhaps mine got passed along. it was a rather secretive clique at the beginning and i most likely knew one or two of them. that's my guess.

anyway, not interested in stocksy for the reasons mentioned and for a few other reasons.

good luck with it.

« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2013, 20:44 »
+3
Did you put your email address in their "put your email address here if you're curious" page before the site launched?

highly unlikely, honestly i can't remember. but if i did, it would not have been using the email they contacted me on. as a general rule, for all unknowns in the www world, of which stocksy would have been at the time, i never use my personal email, instead i have a special email just for www land. another reason it is unlikely is that i did not like the whole secrecy aspect of the clique, that too was a turn off.

i do know there was a period when there was referrals going on from the people in the know, perhaps mine got passed along. it was a rather secretive clique at the beginning and i most likely knew one or two of them. that's my guess.

anyway, not interested in stocksy for the reasons mentioned and for a few other reasons.

good luck with it.

Instead of getting your panties in a twist over "might" or whatever, be excited that a friend of yours thought that your work was good enough to submit your name to an organization with a limited membership.  Or don't.

shudderstok

« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2013, 21:07 »
+1
Did you put your email address in their "put your email address here if you're curious" page before the site launched?

highly unlikely, honestly i can't remember. but if i did, it would not have been using the email they contacted me on. as a general rule, for all unknowns in the www world, of which stocksy would have been at the time, i never use my personal email, instead i have a special email just for www land. another reason it is unlikely is that i did not like the whole secrecy aspect of the clique, that too was a turn off.

i do know there was a period when there was referrals going on from the people in the know, perhaps mine got passed along. it was a rather secretive clique at the beginning and i most likely knew one or two of them. that's my guess.

anyway, not interested in stocksy for the reasons mentioned and for a few other reasons.

good luck with it.

Instead of getting your panties in a twist over "might" or whatever, be excited that a friend of yours thought that your work was good enough to submit your name to an organization with a limited membership.  Or don't.

its the arrogance of the 'might'. and the secrecy of the 'might'. and the lack of reply from the 'might'. the vulture like harvesting from other agencies from the 'might'. 'might' turned me off before i even 'might' have considered. this is not a limited membership i want to belong to. hope this is ok with you.



« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2013, 21:17 »
0
;
« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 10:56 by Audi 5000 »

« Reply #17 on: September 02, 2013, 21:19 »
+2
I would say the bigger issue is that only one person is reporting up to between 6 and 20 sales per month.  That's one person with a max of between $300-1000 per month, it's much more likely that all those sales weren't for the largest size either and this is from a group of people that includes many diamond level contributors.  It's only been 6 months but I would have expected much more than 20 sales per month from a majority of contributors by now.

I think you'll find the contributor base there mostly doesn't participate on forums like this, and those that do aren't likely to report much, due to all the negativity here regarding it.

"If you're interested in being a contributing artist, please reply to this email with a link to your portfolio (500px, flickr, etc) and we might send you an invitation."

What did you want it to say? "We _may_ send you an invitation"?  "We will _consider_"?  It all means the same thing.  You're reading too much into it.

« Reply #18 on: September 02, 2013, 21:23 »
0
;
« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 10:56 by Audi 5000 »

« Reply #19 on: September 02, 2013, 21:29 »
+4
There are earnings threads on Stocksy and I'd have to say I'm pleasantly surprised by what they are posting.  I haven't uploaded to there much yet but I have serious plans to do so.  Even at their young baby age of 6 months, sales are looking promising.  That's a lot more than about 30 other sites listed on the right.

shudderstok

« Reply #20 on: September 02, 2013, 21:47 »
-3
not sure what your native tongue is, but i am guessing american english.

asking to send a link to see your portfolio on any competitors site is just plain rubbish and quite frankly amateur in scope. in fact i know of no other agency that has ever requested to see your portfolio on the competitors site to see if they 'might' invite you.

now a more professional approach would have been, please send us 50 samples of work that convey your portfolio for our consideration.

you can read into it how you want, but one is clearly scavenging and bottom feeding from a competitor and the other is an invitation for consideration into an agency.

it does not matter much to me either way, i don't think you had any choice in joining this limited membership. now if you unilaterally made the move of your own volition as opposed to having this hand forced upon you, then yes, i'd take your comments more seriously.


« Reply #21 on: September 03, 2013, 03:03 »
+8
LOL. @ shudderstok, talking about arrogance: I was somehow tired of the way being treated as a contributor from Getty/IS. And I don't feel "harvested" at all. I would most likely be still a happy IS exclusive if the company was still respectful with their people (and all the existing problems with the site would be resolved in a timly manner). The "cliques" arguement is in my opinion very applicable to IS/Getty today. There are more than enough "all are equal - but some are more" decisions being made by IS/Getty management. I have no idea what you're talking about with this referral to existing stock sites for a Stocksy application. You were being asked to provide a link to your work (as most of us have someting like this today) and this is totally professional. All other agencies I apllied to are doing this, too - also macro agencies.
@ rene you asked a valid question and I guess a lot of people are also interested in the financial aspect of Stocksy. As there is so much negativity around here I was also hesitating to post something. (Sometimes I can't get rid of the impression that at least two members are being paid for making opinions around here).
The development at Stocksy is quite promising. Continuing growth and some big clients on board :) If you want more information, please send me a mail.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #22 on: September 03, 2013, 03:35 »
+4
I didhn't like the way they asked people to submit 'blind', without explaining what they were looking for.

'Show us your Flickr pics' was odd; I use Flickr for showing photos to friends, i.e. just things they will be interested in, not 'stock' photos, and also for getting advice from peers on new areas I'm investigating. I have a large set called "Imperfect Images" and one called "experiments". I wouldn't want to be judged on these, or in fact any of my Flickr images, which are scrunched down in size and quality. I thought that was the whole point of Flickr. That said, there are some truly fantastic photos on Flickr, many available CC.

shudderstok

« Reply #23 on: September 03, 2013, 04:16 »
0
LOL. @ shudderstok, talking about arrogance: I was somehow tired of the way being treated as a contributor from Getty/IS. And I don't feel "harvested" at all. I would most likely be still a happy IS exclusive if the company was still respectful with their people (and all the existing problems with the site would be resolved in a timly manner). The "cliques" arguement is in my opinion very applicable to IS/Getty today. There are more than enough "all are equal - but some are more" decisions being made by IS/Getty management. I have no idea what you're talking about with this referral to existing stock sites for a Stocksy application. You were being asked to provide a link to your work (as most of us have someting like this today) and this is totally professional. All other agencies I apllied to are doing this, too - also macro agencies.
@ rene you asked a valid question and I guess a lot of people are also interested in the financial aspect of Stocksy. As there is so much negativity around here I was also hesitating to post something. (Sometimes I can't get rid of the impression that at least two members are being paid for making opinions around here).
The development at Stocksy is quite promising. Continuing growth and some big clients on board :) If you want more information, please send me a mail.

you are true in saying GI and IS are not the nicest agencies to submit to in terms of warm fuzzy feelings.

i am curious which other agencies ask to see your portfolio on competitors sites, i have not applied to any sites in many years, maybe this is the new norm? pray tell, which agencies ask to see your portfolio from competitors, i'd like to know.

why not share this promising growth with stocksy, and who are these big clients that are now on board? why not simply share this information on the forum as opposed to covertly emailing you? if one was to email you would it be your view only, or the policy of stocksy? the whole secrecy thing seems to be a concern for many. me thinks if there was a little more to go on, maybe there would be more people who would jump on board.




« Reply #24 on: September 03, 2013, 04:28 »
+3
They are not suffering from a lack of applications...they also have a huge number of artists who dont seem to come from the regular stock world that I know. But they have fantastic work. Its a really nice mix of people and creativity. A lot of the work is so good that I am quite intimidated. I really must work on my skills again and challenge myself. There is a whole genre of photography I havent practiced in ages, but used to love. stocksy is the right place for work like that.

My experience with applying to smaller agencies (that are highly selective in who they accept) is that they anyway do a google search for your name and  look at your website and whatever else can be found online. In addition to whatever you sent in as application images.

Which is probably the way most applications are being done anywhere for most jobs or memberships.

I think you are reading too much into the words chosen for that email.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2013, 04:36 by cobalt »


 

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