Author Topic: Alamy is going to sell VECTORS (Read 44252 times)

Ron · « **on:** September 29, 2013, 02:12 »

http://discussion.alamy.com/index.php?/topic/1022-why-not-sell-vectors/

Quote

We're introducing vectors to Alamy during the last quarter of this year and we're currently looking for high volume contributors.

At the moment, the submission process is via hard drive only and you must have at least 1000 vectors to submit. If this works for you then please get in touch by emailing [email protected]

If you've got less than 1000, you'll be able to upload via the website soon, but not just yet.

Cheers

James A

Jetsetter78 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 29, 2013, 02:39 »

Thanks you for sharing.
Does Alamy offer buyer subscription sales like SS as well???

The prices of the illustration does'nt come cheap from what I see. Probably need High quality illustrations to be sellable.

Ron · « **Reply #2 on:** September 29, 2013, 02:59 »

Nope, no subscriptions, no credit, just cash. But payout is 175 dollar and it can take up to 6 months or more to get paid, depending on how quick the outstanding royalties are paid by the customer.

Xanox · « **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2013, 03:49 »

another BAD sign from Alamy !

why not focusing on their core business --> Editorial ?

so now they have good editorial but lackluster news images, creative collection, and soon bad vectors too.

KimsCreativeHub · « **Reply #4 on:** September 29, 2013, 05:39 »

Quote from: Xanox on September 29, 2013, 03:49

another BAD sign from Alamy !

why not focusing on their core business --> Editorial ?

so now they have good editorial but lackluster news images, creative collection, and soon bad vectors too.

"Bad vectors"? Is it because you perceive that they are in a rush that there will be no quality control.

sharpshot · « **Reply #5 on:** September 29, 2013, 07:43 »

I wonder why they didn't do this years ago? Hope they handle it better than video clips, I think by limiting themselves to contributors with big portfolios, they never got video sales going. The same will probably happen with vectors, if they don't open up to all contributors quickly.

Jetsetter78 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 29, 2013, 08:15 »

Quote from: Ron on September 29, 2013, 02:59

Nope, no subscriptions, no credit, just cash. But payout is 175 dollar and it can take up to 6 months or more to get paid, depending on how quick the outstanding royalties are paid by the customer.

6 or more months to get paid for reaching the minimum payout??? WHy does it take so long?

Does Alamy allow their customers to buy images without paying first or buy with credit terms just like credit card???

Xanox · « **Reply #7 on:** September 29, 2013, 08:35 »

Quote from: KimsCreativeHub on September 29, 2013, 05:39

"Bad vectors"? Is it because you perceive that they are in a rush that there will be no quality control.

c'mon everyone is using Alamy as a dump and rightly so, their QC is a joke and their leadership is confused to say the least .. last christmas they were claiming to enter the creative stock market and dueling with Getty, i haven't heard any news about it and now they come up with Vectors.

let's face it, their only goal is just to become the biggest dump in the stock industry, a place where photo buyers can eventually find the diamond in the rough providing they've a few hours to waste.

what's next ? selling PSD files ? wordpress templates ? ebooks ? t-shirts ? prints ? merchandising ?

luissantos84 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 29, 2013, 08:40 »

looks like we have a little genius between us and never noticed

if you are so good and full of ideas that would turn upside down the stock industry why don't you open an agency or cooperative or pub or something? GO!

Xanox · « **Reply #9 on:** September 29, 2013, 10:10 »

i plan to leave the stock industry actually, and i'm just doing a simple market analysis here.

it's too late now to launch a new agency or whatever, the right timing was when SS started.
we're witnessing the last final stage of the microstock industry.

coops like Stocksy will miserably crash and burn unless they manage to set themselves under the wing of Getty.

the only skill that can make a big difference in stock is quantity and that's exactly why only the image factories will stay afloat.

Mantis · « **Reply #10 on:** September 29, 2013, 10:12 »

Quote from: Xanox on September 29, 2013, 10:10

i plan to leave the stock industry actually, and i'm just doing a simple market analysis here.

it's too late now to launch a new agency or whatever, the right timing was when SS started.
we're witnessing the last final stage of the microstock industry.

coops like Stocksy will miserably crash and burn unless they manage to set themselves under the wing of Getty.

the only skill that can make a big difference in stock is quantity and that's exactly why only the image factories will stay afloat.

How soon?

cthoman · « **Reply #11 on:** September 29, 2013, 10:48 »

I guess I'll have to look at Alamy again. I thought the lack of vectors before didn't make it a very appealing agency, so this looks like a good move.

Xanox · « **Reply #12 on:** September 29, 2013, 11:11 »

Quote from: Mantis on September 29, 2013, 10:12

How soon?

as soon as i'll feel ready to jump ship to fine-art and art galleries full time.
could be tomorrow, could be in a few years, we will see, but i see no hope for stock, especially for RF stock.

cobalt · « **Reply #13 on:** September 29, 2013, 12:16 »

Well, I am glad you found your true calling and market niche and best of luck with your gallery sales.

The rest of us will just continue to do stock I guess.

I actually welcome the coming shake out of contributors. The real amateurs will move to greener pastures because simple shots won't make enough money to fund more expensive projects,training or hardware upgrades. The successful stock factories will remain if they are careful with their budgets, but they won't cover speciliazed niches, leaving enough interesting subjects for the full time stock artists to explore.

In the end the number of players in the industry will shrink, which means those that survive the coming storm will have developped enough flexibility and skills to keep doing it full time.

stockastic · « **Reply #14 on:** September 29, 2013, 12:26 »

Alamy's pricing is chaotic, and I think it's basically collapsing.

I just had a sale after 2 months of nothing. For this sale I got a bit of license detail which included "Educational book, editorial print + digital use, front cover". Wow! And I got a breathtaking $15.

So today, the only difference between Alamy and the (other) microstocks is that Alamy gives me this great, ego-boosting feedback. I'd rather have the money, but hey.

ShadySue · « **Reply #15 on:** September 29, 2013, 14:01 »

Quote from: Jetsetter78 on September 29, 2013, 08:15

Quote from: Ron on September 29, 2013, 02:59
Nope, no subscriptions, no credit, just cash. But payout is 175 dollar and it can take up to 6 months or more to get paid, depending on how quick the outstanding royalties are paid by the customer.
6 or more months to get paid for reaching the minimum payout??? WHy does it take so long?
Does Alamy allow their customers to buy images without paying first or buy with credit terms just like credit card???

Yes, their favoured buyers get the biggest discount and the longest credit terms.
After six months it's worth contacting their support to chivvy things along. Usually you get some lines about why that payment hasn't been made, but the payment usually then comes in fairly quickly.
One thing worth knowing is that if a sale is made through a distributor, you only get 40%, and the time to get paid is usually longer.

Xanox · « **Reply #16 on:** September 29, 2013, 14:57 »

Quote from: cobalt on September 29, 2013, 12:16

Well, I am glad you found your true calling and market niche and best of luck with your gallery sales.

The rest of us will just continue to do stock I guess.

well, so far i just got the foot in the door, but seeing with my eyes the amount of dross they sell for crazy money (say 5000$ for snapshots of kids playing with cats and dogs !) that's the place i want to be in one way or another or at least i'll try having a few sales from time to time, but it looks like a hard nut to crack as the rules of stock and common sense don't apply.

bunhill · « **Reply #17 on:** September 29, 2013, 15:10 »

Quote from: ShadySue on September 29, 2013, 14:01

if a sale is made through a distributor, you only get 40%

No if the sale is via a distributor you get 30%. The distributor gets 40% and Alamy takes 30%.

cobalt · « **Reply #18 on:** September 29, 2013, 15:11 »

I am often bewildered by the prices on photography or art in general.

You have probably seen this sale:
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2011/11/really-4-3-million-for-that-photo/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

You will need to work hard on your "following" as an artist, build a cult persona and name that people will be ready to pay for and that interests art buyers.

I am sure if you persist you will succeed, maybe not for millions, but enough to make a living. But it will involve a lot of direct interaction with clients and doing sales.

this is what i really appreciate about the stock agencies - they handle the client and I just get the money. My work is emotionally easier than theirs, even if doing stock is a difficult challenge.

ShadySue · « **Reply #19 on:** September 29, 2013, 15:12 »

Quote from: Xanox on September 29, 2013, 03:49

why not focusing on their core business --> Editorial ?

Because the micros have taken up editorial, for better or worse.
Just like in my small town, each shop used to have a 'core' sales inventory, and there wasn't much overlap. But when the supermarket started selling newspapers, the newsagent started selling groceries in retaliation and the circles and overlap spread over the town. Doesn't seem to have helped anybody, but there is is.

cidepix · « **Reply #20 on:** September 29, 2013, 19:25 »

Quote from: cthoman on September 29, 2013, 10:48

I guess I'll have to look at Alamy again. I thought the lack of vectors before didn't make it a very appealing agency, so this looks like a good move.

I have my raster versions on alamy and do not recommend it personally..

poll results are misleading.. alamy is below veer for me.. and that is consistent..

of course results may vary, but I think alamy ranks high on MSG polls, due to photographer votes..

I am actually getting ready to write them off soon.. just want my personal sites to reach a certain level of success..

their payment threshold is $175 and you have to wait for "at least 45 days" for sales to clear.. it makes it very complicated to leave them because when you reach $175 and decide that you are leaving there will very likely be some uncleared payments that they won't pay you for months after you left..

let's say you have $195 in you account.. $175 is cleared.. $20 uncleared.. they will pay that $175 automatically at the end of the month.. you can not just remove your images and wait for that $20 to clear.. because If you remove your images, and they pay you that $175, you will never reach the minimum payment threshold again even if that $20 clears..

Not sure if they would honor that $20.. it is just too complicated.. awful system they have there..

KimsCreativeHub · « **Reply #21 on:** September 29, 2013, 20:44 »

They seem backwoods behind the times

Tone · « **Reply #22 on:** September 30, 2013, 03:30 »

Quote from: cidepix on September 29, 2013, 19:25

Quote from: cthoman on September 29, 2013, 10:48
I guess I'll have to look at Alamy again. I thought the lack of vectors before didn't make it a very appealing agency, so this looks like a good move.

I have my raster versions on alamy and do not recommend it personally..

poll results are misleading.. alamy is below veer for me.. and that is consistent..

of course results may vary, but I think alamy ranks high on MSG polls, due to photographer votes..

I am actually getting ready to write them off soon.. just want my personal sites to reach a certain level of success..

their payment threshold is $175 and you have to wait for "at least 45 days" for sales to clear.. it makes it very complicated to leave them because when you reach $175 and decide that you are leaving there will very likely be some uncleared payments that they won't pay you for months after you left..

let's say you have $195 in you account.. $175 is cleared.. $20 uncleared.. they will pay that $175 automatically at the end of the month.. you can not just remove your images and wait for that $20 to clear.. because If you remove your images, and they pay you that $175, you will never reach the minimum payment threshold again even if that $20 clears..

Not sure if they would honor that $20.. it is just too complicated.. awful system they have there..

Alamy will honour any outstanding balance if you close your account. Heres a quote from an email I received upon closing my account.

"We have terminated your account. The changes will be reflected after the update of our search engine. The payment will be sent to your account once all the sales has been cleared. The money will be sent to you in line with the payment details you have entered into your “payment and tax details” section of “My Alamy”."

Xanox · « **Reply #23 on:** September 30, 2013, 04:26 »

Quote from: ShadySue on September 29, 2013, 15:12

Because the micros have taken up editorial, for better or worse.

if we talk about travel images, micros only provide the most typical and obvious "postcard" images, and yet they're not selling so well either apart for the top locations, anything else would sell near zero i guess, it seems there's just no demand for what you would find on Alamy or other specialist agencies.

i'm not saying this is a bad thing, i'm glad each agency has its own kind of buyers.

ShadySue · « **Reply #24 on:** September 30, 2013, 04:47 »

Quote from: KimsCreativeHub on September 29, 2013, 20:44

They seem backwoods behind the times

It's an advantage for certain buyers who can't pay in advance (because of their company's accounting system) or who have accounting cycles.

I've heard that plenty of other RM agencies work the same way.

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Author Topic: Alamy is going to sell VECTORS (Read 44252 times)

Ron

Jetsetter78

Ron

Xanox

KimsCreativeHub

sharpshot

Jetsetter78

Xanox

luissantos84

Xanox

Mantis

cthoman

Xanox

cobalt

stockastic

ShadySue

Xanox

bunhill

cobalt

ShadySue

cidepix

KimsCreativeHub

Tone

Xanox

ShadySue

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