Right... I have not been on this forum very long but if I had a dollar for every time I read the word Symbiostock I would be one happy chappy. I too have thought about starting up my own micro stock site but I have a few questions. I am playing devils advocate here and for some feedback that would convince me why I should redirect my time from agencies to Symbiostock?

1. A buyer is limited to time and I suspect would not have the time wade through various sites to find a specific image. where does the buyer start? Or he could just go to SS as every possible subject is covered in one site and find what he/she is looking for in a flash?

2. Quality control - Am I correct in assuming that there is not quality control on the various symbiostock sites other than the integrity of the photographer? As a buyer how do I know that the image I am downloading is up to micro stock standards of sharpness and artifacting? Perhaps it's better I go to SS as I know that all the imgages have been screened before submision.

I can only answer for me (but think it's not different from other symbiostock artists). I worked with the big agencies for years, so most of my images passed several quality checks. Only a few photos (my most recent) are exclusive on my own agency at the moment (perhaps I will upload them to the well-known agencies in the future) but of course they all  follow the same quality standards.

I made $100 sale, 10 downloads the other day. Kept 100%.

A few days before, somebody made a $42 dollar sale. Kept 100%.

Other people make sales, keep 100%.

Agencies and quality control ... I guess if you know where your going, you don't need someone to take you there.

Sadly I'll be dismissed as arrogant. Its hard to openly speak the truth and not be misunderstood.

Its hard to address the "how does Symbiostock compare to an agency" because to properly answer that question you have to address what an agency is, vs what we think it is. Then we have to talk about what Symbiostock is, vs what we think it is. Then after 50 pages of drama we have to try to remember what we were talking about.

I guess to best answer your question: Get yourself set up on a Symbiostock site. Next time you download your image for free on a google app, you'll have a fallback plan and a little bartering power so your not completely dependent and have to say "Thank you sir may I have another"

Then after 50 pages of drama we have to try to remember what we were talking about.

That made me burst out laughing.

Thanks...

There is a search made by ajt and cascoly to cover the whole network.

Not necessarily discovered by new customers though.

Quote from: picture5469 on August 10, 2013, 14:04

There is a search made by ajt and cascoly to cover the whole network.

Not necessarily discovered by new customers though.

I imagine there will be a snowball effect on that. Not a lot of people will know about our network at first, but over time it will become larger, sell more images to more people, and as a result more people will know. WOM is still the most powerful advertising force on earth, ya'know.

Quote from: SLP_London on August 10, 2013, 16:00

Quote from: picture5469 on August 10, 2013, 14:04

There is a search made by ajt and cascoly to cover the whole network.

Not necessarily discovered by new customers though.

Why do you say?

Apologies, if I'm wrong, but I didn't think including the global search link was included in every site by default? I thought the emphasis was on the connection to a select few sites?

Right... I have not been on this forum very long but if I had a dollar for every time I read the word Symbiostock I would be one happy chappy. I too have thought about starting up my own micro stock site but I have a few questions. I am playing devils advocate here and for some feedback that would convince me why I should redirect my time from agencies to Symbiostock?

1. A buyer is limited to time and I suspect would not have the time wade through various sites to find a specific image. where does the buyer start? Or he could just go to SS as every possible subject is covered in one site and find what he/she is looking for in a flash?

2. Quality control - Am I correct in assuming that there is not quality control on the various symbiostock sites other than the integrity of the photographer? As a buyer how do I know that the image I am downloading is up to micro stock standards of sharpness and artifacting? Perhaps it's better I go to SS as I know that all the imgages have been screened before submision.

first, did you PAY for the copyrighted image you use as your avatar?

we're not here to convince trolls of the value of symbiostock.  it's a free & open source way for anyone to open their own photo sales site.  there's plenty of info in the forums to describe the system.  if you want to join, there are plenty of people who give freely of their time to help newcomers get started.  if you're only interested in provoking responses, look elsewhere

I guess this was cascoly being a bit edgy today  - All is well, dude! 

Right... I have not been on this forum very long but if I had a dollar for every time I read the word Symbiostock I would be one happy chappy. I too have thought about starting up my own micro stock site but I have a few questions. I am playing devils advocate here and for some feedback that would convince me why I should redirect my time from agencies to Symbiostock?

1. A buyer is limited to time and I suspect would not have the time wade through various sites to find a specific image. where does the buyer start? Or he could just go to SS as every possible subject is covered in one site and find what he/she is looking for in a flash?

A large buying firm isn't going to look at Symbiostock at all. If she needs files in bulk, she will go with an agency and probably get a subscription plan.

On the other hand, Dan Heller did some research into this a few years ago and found that the majority of image buyers find their images through Google search, not through an agency. And many don't even know the agencies exist. I would add that many probably don't even know what a "stock photo" is. All they know is that they have a need for a photo, and what better place to begin looking than in Google Images?

This latter, much larger, group is what you are targeting.

And as an addendum, many of these buyers have no idea what microstock is, nor that many images are available for a few dollars at X agency. So there is no reason to feel you are forced into microstock pricing. This is something we need to experiment with, as it is quite possible that many of us are pricing our images far too cheaply just because we are trying to mimic microstock pricing.

Another thing to consider is the number of Buyers who are photographers and illustrators and have had their goodwill to agencies tried to the breaking point, who are open to a Symbiostock concept. When I got involved in microstock in 2005, one of the key features of the microstock concept was bringing professional style images to Mom & Pop shops and business's who could not afford traditional stock photography, so these business's had clip art adverts that the local newspaper had as freebies, now look at how very small business can look so professional in all aspects of their operation from print to point of sale and T.V. These business's haven't gone anywhere and are a good potential customer of each Symbiostock website, small business trading with small business owners.

I think you made a valid point. Furthermore, most of the local businesses that I see using stock photos only have a few. They don't need several of them, let alone 250 new ones per month. Buying a credit plan with a stock agency is largely a waste of their money. The other side of the coin is, don't expect much in the way of repeat business.  They just a few new photos now and then to freshen up adverts.

Right... I have not been on this forum very long but if I had a dollar for every time I read the word Symbiostock I would be one happy chappy. I too have thought about starting up my own micro stock site but I have a few questions. I am playing devils advocate here and for some feedback that would convince me why I should redirect my time from agencies to Symbiostock?

1. A buyer is limited to time and I suspect would not have the time wade through various sites to find a specific image. where does the buyer start? Or he could just go to SS as every possible subject is covered in one site and find what he/she is looking for in a flash?

2. Quality control - Am I correct in assuming that there is not quality control on the various symbiostock sites other than the integrity of the photographer? As a buyer how do I know that the image I am downloading is up to micro stock standards of sharpness and artifacting? Perhaps it's better I go to SS as I know that all the imgages have been screened before submision.

Are you short of time?
I'm puzzled by these posts where people ask to be convinced.
If you can't see the benefit of selling on your own behalf, then I don't think anyone could convince you.
As for re-directing your efforts, why can't you do both? Once it's set up, and that isn't difficult, it's just another site to upload to.
I guess I'm a suck it and see kind of person.