Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic

Photoshow · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 12:58 am

In the big picture this raise looks ok on paper and should cause a significant increase to my earnings, when compared to my earnings yesterday. However it really is a paper raise and it won't stave off the decline in total earnings that is inevitable due to the constant pressure of new content from new contributors.

This raise won't by it's self truly change my bottom line for more then a few weeks and it surely won't bring the bottom line back that those of us who were here during the rise of the industry experienced in the first 24 months.

If we are to get a raise that will truly put more money in our bank accounts then Shutterstock needs to develop new markets. So if this move by them gives them the resources to pursue and develop NEW MARKETS then I am all for it. By NEW MARKETS I mean Markets that don't just take existing buyers away from existing agencies that we are all already working with. New Markets must bring New Buyers. Simply reorganizing where we earn our money changes nothing for us.

Lets look at a hypothetical situation.

If SS has a hypothetical million buyers
and IS has another hypothetical million buyers

and we submitters have more or less all the same images with both agencies

Then should SS make a BOLD move and take 10% of the buyers away from IS we may see our IS earnings drop and our SS earnings increase but in the end the change to our total earnings will be negligible because it is still the SAME 2 million buyers. Our earnings have simply been rearranged.

The only bottom line affected is the bottom line of the agencies. So in order to raise My / Our total earnings I / We need the agencies to find NEW BUYERS. Buyers that are not already utilizing Microstock from one of the agencies I / We work with and I / We need them to find them in numbers sufficient to stave off the constant sales depredation We all experience with the ever growing competition from new submitters coming into the market.

It is a big task but there are a lot of potential buyers out there that have not been drawn in yet. Somewhere in the hopefully not to distant future is a marketing maven that is going to hit on a fresh idea for marketing our images that is going to be a hit. Who will it be? Which agency will he or she work for? Your guess is as good as mine, I have no clue, but I hang in there waiting because it is inevitable.

fncdigital · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 1:09 am

As one of the original submitters and a top tier raise earner I must say that It would please me as well as others to see everyone bitching and whining in this thread to simply go somewhere else. There are plenty of us who can fill your shoes and then some.

You signed up with SS knowing what you would make...and to complain about the increase whether its one damn cent to 80 dollars is a complete crock of shit.

The only complaint I have with shutterstock is the same as I have for Microstock in general.

Too many cameras in the bag.

SS and other stock sites put too much effort into training people who have no damn business doing this in the first place, many of whom were essentially Paid via shutterstock to learn how to do the basics of photography.

Do you get that? You came here knowing jack shit about what you do, got a little portfolio started, started making some cash, while having people on the staff in the forums and other members to hold your hand till you got it right and then have the audacity to bitch and moan about a pay increase?

Do you want to get paid to find the exit door as well? I will be happy to pay you my 38 cents to show your ass to another site.

Andreas, Paul, Bobby, Scott, Myself and Many others who are better than I am can fill your gap at ease.

Micro stock sites should put a cap on submitter acceptance and focus on keeping less submitters happy with more pay for a higher number and quality images rather than over paying too many people who just don't get it.

I am completely disgusted with 98% of the people in this thread.

I rarely frequent these forums much more, why? Because I am working. Shooting for larger agencies I have a back log of microwork to upload. I rarely am on the forum anymore because it is filled with people who aren't doing anything but begging for help when they should already know, begging for attention with all the "show me" threads or getting pissy when something doesn't pass inspection...

I have lost my tolerance for crybabies and that is all I see here.

Take your raise or throw it back and get the hell on.

pdtnc · Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 73 Location: UK - Leeds

every little helps I guess, but I did expect more, I'd have been happy with 40c / image at my current level with increases up from that later.

Sales here at SS have dropped off from what they were and the 3 other main sites are starting to snap at SS's heals!

alina · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 729 Location: Phillips Ranch, CA

I thought everything Bobby wrote above was pretty much common sense and so it was a bit weird how people got worked up over the "inadequacy" of their raise. 99% of us here submit to more sites than just SS. Therefore, hoping to pit each site against other is bit foolish, isn't it? Also, getting worked up about leaving in one big horde is likely to shift the power balance between the big sites and I wouldn't want that. I like the checks and balances they seem to perform on one another. Of course, exclusivity is an individual decision, but still.....

I think it'd be great if SS allowed exclusive content, on per file basis, to be accepted and sold that content on individual basis, with variations by size. It doesn't have to be hidden from the buyers that it's a SS site, like the previous one was. That was a bit stupid, actually, because it diluted the brand. Populate the searches with those files as well, have a way for the buyer to see that, for instance, downloading a small of that exclusive file will take up 2 allotments from today's 25 limit, medium will take 4 allotments, large 6 allotments and so on and so forth----OR----they can spend 2 dollars for small, 4 for medium, 6 for large and so on and so forth. Only allow the ELITE, the BEST shots into this category. Have a different queue for people trying to submit to that and only those with acceptance percentage of 75% or above are even allowed to submit. You will get some amazing content, GUARANTEED!!!! One other site does something similar, but it's a bit silly as to what content they allow and who they let shoot.

There are a million ways to introduce the concept of midstock into the SS model and it will benefit everybody in the long run.

I don't think anybody here wants SS to fail but I do also think that some of us have more productive ideas than others.

There's so much potential here yet!

alina · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 729 Location: Phillips Ranch, CA

lot · Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 119 Location: Munich

Well first of all: the first pictures with the raise are being sold for me. So thank you shutterstock for the raise - I feel it.

Next thing: Yes, new people are moving in. And yes, maybe they are not as good as existing submitters in the beginning. We all have to start I guess. They will either get better, which is a good thing, or simply due to lack of success sooner or later stop submitting. That's fair I think.

Of course more submitters means a smaller piece of the pie for existing submitters as well. Can we complain? This business has low barriers of entry and everybody knows it. We can not fence our gardens. If we'd wish to do so we should think about moving into brain surgery or something else where not Jack and Joe can start the same thing instantly. This is the wrong industry for this kind of thinking.

suhendri · Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Posts: 884

jarek78 · Joined: 17 Aug 2005 Posts: 507 Location: Poland

dee21 · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 10

This is so great!!

Thank you very much Shutterstock!!!

tonygers · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 1266 Location: Sweden

Let's all bash a newbie
Let's all bash a newbie
Tra la la la, HEH!
Tra la la la, HEH!
Let's all bash a newbie
Tra la la la, HEH!
Tra la la la, HEH!

Come on everyone, sing along!

Tony

ngporter · Joined: 21 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

many thanks for the raise, every little helps, this is micro stock after all, i really cant see why the moaning about it, if you want more use conventional stock

Photoshow · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 3:06 am

sppepper · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 3:07 am

Happy with the raise. Thanks SS. will be an extra 8 cents for me soon.

Yes I am an amature and have learned a lot about photography through being a member here. Thanks SS!

Now... Just need to shoot specifically for them EL's....

Steven ;o)

alabony · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 3:11 am

Amen Laurin. A lot of sense talked, as usual.

mtrebbin · Joined: 05 Jul 2007 Posts: 919 Location: Location: Locaton: