MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => Yaymicro => Topic started by: Peter on September 18, 2008, 05:54

Title: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Peter on September 18, 2008, 05:54
I wrote to customer support, to close my account at YAY, and delete my 3000+ images I uploaded. In 4 months, only 2 sales. That is ridiculous. They can keep the money, I dont want to waste any of my time on that site. My biggest mistake in microstock world. But learned lesson: never upload on new sites, if they are not offering money per upload.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: leaf on September 18, 2008, 05:56
well they have only been open for how long?  2 months?  I think i'll wait it out a little longer.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Peter on September 18, 2008, 05:58
they have been for 5 months. I was present with my portfolio in jun, july, august and now september. no sales at all.

If I dont want to waste time on BXP, I certanly dont want to waste it on even lower YAYmicro.

I also stopped uploading on 123rf, but wont close account.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Freezingpictures on September 18, 2008, 05:59
Yep, I will wait as well. What do I have to loose if I will wait a year or two longer? The only time I waste on yay is checking once a month for sales and write this forum post :)
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Peter on September 18, 2008, 06:01
Yep, I will wait as well. What do I have to loose if I will wait a year or two longer? The only time I waste on yay is checking once a month for sales and write this forum post :)

I simply dont want to do business like that. I work hard to produce images, and I expect money. If there is no serious income, I wont do it. I am not doing this for hobby.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: litifeta on September 18, 2008, 06:06
I will wait as well. I want this editorial thing to work. I think it is a good idea.

And the people who run it have experience, and I have heard they got some Government funding.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: MicrostockExp on September 18, 2008, 06:07
humm a bit early to close down I guess... You did the work to upload why not leaving the pics there even if they generate only 50 euros a year
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Freezingpictures on September 18, 2008, 06:08
Well, I am not doing this for my hobby as well. And I am with you, I am not doing it if there is no serious income that is why I do not upload to 123rf and BigStock as well. And I also do not upload to Yay anymore until they prove to provide serious income. But it does not hurt me to let my images stay there a year or two until they are proven unsuccessfully.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Lcjtripod on September 18, 2008, 06:09
I think I will wait also as they have not even started to market the site yet! I do not expect any sales at all before the first of the year.
-Larry
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: litifeta on September 18, 2008, 06:15
I have wasted a bit of time with duds. Like Crestock, MostPhotos, PhotoShelter, CanStockPhoto.

I have a good feeling about Yay. Maybe it is that I just want to sell editorial stuff.

Like Jan says. Might as well leave them there for a while.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Tazzy on September 18, 2008, 06:47
It just amazes me how impatient some people can be.  I'm sure it took some of the bigger names in stock photography time to get their site off the ground.  If you took the time to upload your work, why not just let them stay there for a year and see how things go?  That's what I plan on doing.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: RGebbiePhoto on September 18, 2008, 06:53
Yay was open for contributors to upload their images a few months ago.
The site was supposed to go "live" with advertising, etc, in the beginning of Sept.

You had two sales BEFORE THE SITE WAS LIVE TO THE PUBLIC.

I'd say that was pretty good.  But, if you want to pull your port, who am I to stop you?

Please pull your port immediately.  The less images there, the better chance for those of us who choose to speculate.

Thank you in advance!
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: ichiro17 on September 18, 2008, 07:36
I have wasted a bit of time with duds. Like Crestock, MostPhotos, PhotoShelter, CanStockPhoto.

I have a good feeling about Yay. Maybe it is that I just want to sell editorial stuff.

Like Jan says. Might as well leave them there for a while.

Everyone keeps having 'good feeling' but everyone keeps getting disappointed.  What makes anyone think that a new startup can grab customers that a well established, working, and systematic site can't?

Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: ichiro17 on September 18, 2008, 07:39
It just amazes me how impatient some people can be.  I'm sure it took some of the bigger names in stock photography time to get their site off the ground.  If you took the time to upload your work, why not just let them stay there for a year and see how things go?  That's what I plan on doing.

It doesn't matter if it took the bigger names longer, they were the first and people had no choice.  The barriers to entry are significantly higher and customers will not switch to these random start up sites.  If you stick to the big 5 or 6, stop increasing the sprawl of microstock companies and allow the bigger, more established ones to do their thing, we will all be better off because the 'new entry' competition is bad for the industry.  Why?  Because all these companies do is come in and undercut other sites
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Dreamframer on September 18, 2008, 09:36
Well, I am not doing this for my hobby as well. And I am with you, I am not doing it if there is no serious income that is why I do not upload to 123rf and BigStock as well. And I also do not upload to Yay anymore until they prove to provide serious income. But it does not hurt me to let my images stay there a year or two until they are proven unsuccessfully.

From my experience I think you are wrong about 123RF.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: takestock on September 18, 2008, 09:46
I have some images there - not a great lot though.
Could have uploaded more but decided to wait.

Personally I don't think YAY is presently sending out any real positive signals.
Yes! there is not much patience amongst contributors. This is justified to a great extent as we are all here to make money and not to hang around waiting and waiting. This demanding attitude I feel arises from the recent "stings" people have had with new sites and thus the tolerance level has really come down.

Whatever way, it's now really up to YAY to convince us that things are on the up.

I feel (as this initial post indicates) that as the weeks and months go by more contributors are likely to drop off unless they see real action.

Time is not on YAY's side!
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: epixx on September 18, 2008, 10:49

Everyone keeps having 'good feeling' but everyone keeps getting disappointed.  What makes anyone think that a new startup can grab customers that a well established, working, and systematic site can't?


There are no well established microstock sites. They are all just a few years old, and within the next few years, anything can happen. We don't know who has money in the bank and who hasn't. One of the big 6 can go under as well as one of the upstarts.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: sharpshot on September 18, 2008, 10:51
Well, I am not doing this for my hobby as well. And I am with you, I am not doing it if there is no serious income that is why I do not upload to 123rf and BigStock as well. And I also do not upload to Yay anymore until they prove to provide serious income. But it does not hurt me to let my images stay there a year or two until they are proven unsuccessfully.

From my experience I think you are wrong about 123RF.

I find 123rf and BigStock have good consistent sales.  Those two combined often make me more than some of the top 5 sites.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: gbcimages on September 18, 2008, 10:52
I'll keep my images with them for now
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Freezingpictures on September 18, 2008, 11:48
Well, I am not doing this for my hobby as well. And I am with you, I am not doing it if there is no serious income that is why I do not upload to 123rf and BigStock as well. And I also do not upload to Yay anymore until they prove to provide serious income. But it does not hurt me to let my images stay there a year or two until they are proven unsuccessfully.

From my experience I think you are wrong about 123RF.

I find 123rf and BigStock have good consistent sales.  Those two combined often make me more than some of the top 5 sites.

I know that some are doing well with them. But I am doing horrible with them. They account together for ~1%-2% of my microstock income.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Fred on September 18, 2008, 12:02
I have some images there - not a great lot though.
Could have uploaded more but decided to wait.

Personally I don't think YAY is presently sending out any real positive signals.
Yes! there is not much patience amongst contributors. This is justified to a great extent as we are all here to make money and not to hang around waiting and waiting. This demanding attitude I feel arises from the recent "stings" people have had with new sites and thus the tolerance level has really come down.

Whatever way, it's now really up to YAY to convince us that things are on the up.

I feel (as this initial post indicates) that as the weeks and months go by more contributors are likely to drop off unless they see real action.

Time is not on YAY's side!

Seems to me once you have decided to upload - especially a significant number of images - you need to give the site a chance.  Once you have invested the time to upload your portfolio I cannot see the upside to investing more time getting them off the site - sometimes this can be non-trivial.  Doesn't cost anything to keep them there.  You don't have to upload anymore and you can just collect whatever little they do take in.  YAY especially has not really had a chance to show what they can do.  If they spend some money on the right kind of marketing they could have a chance but it will not happen overnight.

Downside of pulling your account will at least mean reuploading your portfolio if the site starts doing well and you want back in.  fred

fred
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: dbajurin on September 18, 2008, 12:18
Have some of you and specialy Peter born as natural photographer and start producing photos right after you born. I don't think so. I don't even think that your first pictures even worth something.
So, give some of this new sites time at least year or two. You can upload or not but don't judge sites while they are new and trying to find their part in this business.
Dario
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: ichiro17 on September 18, 2008, 13:19
I love watching the stern defence of hopelessness.

I give you credit for wasting your time in vain (and just plain greed) for an extra two dollars.  If you change the amount of time spent on uploading to producing and uploading better pictures to established sites, you would see substantial income growth.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: louoates on September 18, 2008, 13:24
I think that the best advice I can offer anyone foolish enough to have uploaded there (me included) is to wait and see. I've got 240 of my best images there and zero results in months.

So after been burned by Lucky Oliver and being slowly charred by SnapV and Yay I have learned my lessons and hereby resolve:

1. No more uploads to Yay or Snap until things pick up there, if ever.
2. No more uploads to any new site regardless of the hype unless sales are actually demonstrated.
3. Concentrate only on uploading to my decent producing sites: Istock, ss, dt, StockXpert.

If you are a newbie to microstock and insist on running after the latest newbie site, can I interest you in a nice big Lehman Brothers bond?
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: epantha on September 18, 2008, 14:06
Quote
If you are a newbie to microstock and insist on running after the latest newbie site, can I interest you in a nice big Lehman Brothers bond?

Do these new sites really think they are going to become "The Next Big Thing"? And make millions of dollars? Or do the scam 100s of photographers to upload to their sites and make money off them before they reach their first payout and then fold?
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: louoates on September 18, 2008, 14:50
It'd be a lot of work for a scam. I don't fault their intentions so much as their planning and executions.

<rant>

If we contributors hadn't been so naive years ago these new sites would have had to "sell" us on their worthiness. They would have had to put up some convincing reasoning that included: management resumes, a solid marketing plan and a believable commitment to spending significant money. We'd immediately discount any promises of "alternative marketing" of the sort we swallowed whole from Lucky Oliver as the BS it is. The current crew at Yay is destined to fail if for no other reason is their treatment of contributors as minimum wage chumps deserving no real information as to what's going on there. And we'd never believe that just because a site pops up started by a big name macro site, it would be successful. Especially following months of inept marketing/advertising, management shakeups,  as well as dismal sales.

</rant>
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: nativelight on September 18, 2008, 15:09
Well, I am not doing this for my hobby as well. And I am with you, I am not doing it if there is no serious income that is why I do not upload to 123rf and BigStock as well. And I also do not upload to Yay anymore until they prove to provide serious income. But it does not hurt me to let my images stay there a year or two until they are proven unsuccessfully.

From my experience I think you are wrong about 123RF.

I find 123rf and BigStock have good consistent sales.  Those two combined often make me more than some of the top 5 sites.

I know that some are doing well with them. But I am doing horrible with them. They account together for ~1%-2% of my microstock income.

Same for me.  I recently dropped them both.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: crazychristina on September 18, 2008, 15:13
I remember when Google started up, against strong competition. I don't recall that they did any marketing.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Nemo1024 on September 19, 2008, 05:59
I am uploading everything to Yay as well as other sites. The most time is spent in processing images. Once the image is processed, it is a negligible extra to upload to 2-3 more sites.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: louoates on September 19, 2008, 13:15
I don't think anyone has covered this reason to back off from any new sites until they show a reasonable success possibility.

Say you upload 100 images to New Site "A", and good selling sites B,C, and D. And over the next few months you had 10 downloads on A. Then they went belly-up. You hadn't reached payout on A. So you've gotten zero money for all that effort. The flip side is that if you did not have those images on A, some percent could likely have found your images on B,C, or D.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Tazzy on September 19, 2008, 23:34
I don't think anyone has covered this reason to back off from any new sites until they show a reasonable success possibility.

Say you upload 100 images to New Site "A", and good selling sites B,C, and D. And over the next few months you had 10 downloads on A. Then they went belly-up. You hadn't reached payout on A. So you've gotten zero money for all that effort. The flip side is that if you did not have those images on A, some percent could likely have found your images on B,C, or D.

Well, if everyone had that attitude, then the new sites wouldn't even get off the ground because they wouldn't have any images to sell.  Am I right?  The more images they have to offer in the beginning, the more chances they will sell something and start to build a customer base.  If everyone just holds back to see what will happen, nothing will happen because nothing can happen if they have nothing to offer.  I still do not understand why some people are so impatient.  If you are expecting good sales from the very beginning, then you will be very disappointed.  I'm guessing it will take several more months before we will really see what Yay is capable of.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: louoates on September 19, 2008, 23:53
I don't believe we have the responsibility to support any site, new or otherwise, that doesn't offer reasonable results in a reasonable time frame. It costs us time and money to upload and we bear the loss in income if a site fails before payouts are reached. It's up to the sites themselves to give us a reason to upload. If a site chooses to hide their marketing plans from their contributors that's their right. But I choose not to play their games anymore without some convincing reasons. So I'll keep tuned to the forums and see what sites, if any, will be worthwhile adding.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: Peter on September 23, 2008, 08:54
My account has been successfuly closed, and images deleted.

Now I feel much better. Reborn. lol.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: a.k.a.-tom on September 23, 2008, 17:06
I have wasted a bit of time with duds. Like Crestock, MostPhotos, PhotoShelter, CanStockPhoto.
I have a good feeling about Yay. Maybe it is that I just want to sell editorial stuff.
Like Jan says. Might as well leave them there for a while.
I know where you're coming from, litifeta....  I had the very same feelings about LO, was one of the first to upload there and, didn't cash out until the day before shutdown....  what can I say beyond that?  LOL

Sitting on the sidelines on this one because both sides are making super valid points. Both sides make sense in this one.. ha ha ha ha

I'm looking for a new place to dump my stuff...  I got accepted by YAY some time ago,  then after reading some older threads on it... I got cold feet and pull back off what I put on...  I'm still sitting on the fence...  the account is still open, just bare.
   The school of thought.. that  "they're there, just leave 'em"  makes sense, on the other hand,  I don't blame some others for pulling out... ... I'm having conflicting emotions on YAY...     8)=tom
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: louoates on September 23, 2008, 19:10
Even though I come down hard on some of these yet-to-be-any-*-good sites, I really really want them to be successful. The best thing that could happen for us is for there to be, say, twenty top notch excellent selling sites. It will indeed be more difficult for the new guys on the block to get decent contributors. But some will do what's necessary to attract us and convince us that it's worthwhile to upload there. 

As it is there are only 4 or 5 consistent selling sites, depending on whose portfolio is involved. Our time is best spent uploading to those winning sites.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: litifeta on September 23, 2008, 23:56
unless something extraordinary happened, I will not be uploading to any more micro sites. I will focus on SS, StockXpert, DT, Fotolia and let the rest just sit there. Fotolia seems to have come reasonable for me, but nothing like the others.

I am new to StockXpert so have no idea how well I will go. DT has been going backwards for me in sales despite the fact I am building the portfolio, and SS sales are dependent on keeping the uploads going.

Where I want to go in the future is on the sites like Alamy.
Title: Re: That does it. Closing account.
Post by: a.k.a.-tom on September 24, 2008, 13:24

I am new to StockXpert so have no idea how well I will go. DT has been going backwards for me in sales despite the fact I am building the portfolio, and SS sales are dependent on keeping the uploads going.

Where I want to go in the future is on the sites like Alamy.

Dude.... StockXpert has been picking up for me...  I'm seeing more and more sales with them going to Jupiter and ... the flippin name escapes me....  one of the other of their affiliates.   So just for round numbers... maybe I've jumped up in total sales ..roughly, guessing... 20-25% thru the affiiates? (if I wasnt so lazy, I'd go get some actual numbers for you.. but sufficient to say, I'm happy with the increase) 
         ...   hey, i'll take it. 

of all the sites I would bail out of...  StockXpert  is not on the list.  8)=tom