Author Topic: iStockphoto management constipated? (Read 22660 times)

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #25 on:** October 29, 2010, 10:51 »

Tell them they need more fiber. Poor things!

Artemis · « **Reply #26 on:** November 02, 2010, 14:39 »

UN-BE-LIEVABLE, it looks like that whole HQ is gone completely mad... they pull one bad stunt after another while remaining dead silent when people ask very rightful questions. Lobo seems to be the only one around with as full time job referring tricky questions to contributor relations for a non-answer and nipping potential fires in the bud.
I really, really wished i could be a fly on the wall there in Calgary to see whats the real story behind all this madness.

ShadySue · « **Reply #27 on:** November 02, 2010, 14:49 »

Quote from: Artemis on November 02, 2010, 14:39

UN-BE-LIEVABLE, it looks like that whole HQ is gone completely mad... they pull one bad stunt after another while remaining dead silent when people ask very rightful questions. Lobo seems to be the only one around with as full time job referring tricky questions to contributor relations for a non-answer and nipping potential fires in the bud.
I really, really wished i could be a fly on the wall there in Calgary to see whats the real story behind all this madness.

Inter alia, keeping up the payments on Jonathan Klein's $10M Park Avenue apartment, no doubt.
http://www.observer.com/2010/real-estate/mack-daddy-likes-big-bucks-and-klein-cant-not-buy

vonkara · « **Reply #28 on:** November 02, 2010, 16:01 »

Quote from: ShadySue on November 02, 2010, 14:49

Quote from: Artemis on November 02, 2010, 14:39
UN-BE-LIEVABLE, it looks like that whole HQ is gone completely mad... they pull one bad stunt after another while remaining dead silent when people ask very rightful questions. Lobo seems to be the only one around with as full time job referring tricky questions to contributor relations for a non-answer and nipping potential fires in the bud.
I really, really wished i could be a fly on the wall there in Calgary to see whats the real story behind all this madness.

Inter alia, keeping up the payments on Jonathan Klein's $10M Park Avenue apartment, no doubt.
http://www.observer.com/2010/real-estate/mack-daddy-likes-big-bucks-and-klein-cant-not-buy

I believe we might live a huge drama soon. There is way to much things that happen behind the curtains... I can't wait

vonkara · « **Reply #29 on:** November 02, 2010, 16:08 »

I would add that, if Istock was a teenager, I would look under the bed to see what can be found there

lisafx · « **Reply #30 on:** November 02, 2010, 16:16 »

Quote from: Vonkara on November 02, 2010, 16:01

I believe we might live a huge drama soon. There is way to much things that happen behind the curtains... I can't wait

Seems like we are already living that huge drama. But I agree with you Vonkara- there is more to come. We are watching a train wreck in slow motion...

scorb · « **Reply #31 on:** November 02, 2010, 16:51 »

Quote from: lisafx on November 02, 2010, 16:16

Seems like we are already living that huge drama. But I agree with you Vonkara- there is more to come. We are watching a train wreck in slow motion...

Does feel a bit like that at the moment. The W-T-F sauce is out of control, it's going everywhere and it stinks.

But I'm still holding out hope that Kelly can turn things around to make iStock deliver his promises - that contributors will see their incomes increasing, and will believe that iStock is "still the best place to be, to hang out, and sell your work"

They've got a steep mountain to climb. But at the moment I'd still like them to get there.

cathyslife · « **Reply #32 on:** November 02, 2010, 16:55 »

Quote from: scorb on November 02, 2010, 16:51

Quote from: lisafx on November 02, 2010, 16:16
Seems like we are already living that huge drama. But I agree with you Vonkara- there is more to come. We are watching a train wreck in slow motion...
snip
But I'm still holding out hope that Kelly can turn things around to make iStock deliver his promises - that contributors will see their incomes increasing, and will believe that iStock is "still the best place to be, to hang out, and sell your work"

That's the koolaid talking.

edited to change the bold

scorb · « **Reply #33 on:** November 02, 2010, 17:18 »

Quote from: cclapper on November 02, 2010, 16:55

Quote from: scorb on November 02, 2010, 16:51
Quote from: lisafx on November 02, 2010, 16:16
Seems like we are already living that huge drama. But I agree with you Vonkara- there is more to come. We are watching a train wreck in slow motion...
snip
But I'm still holding out hope that Kelly can turn things around to make iStock deliver his promises - that contributors will see their incomes increasing, and will believe that iStock is "still the best place to be, to hang out, and sell your work"

That's the koolaid talking.

You could be right. But things are now at a point where a large number of previously trusting artists have got cynical and skeptical about pretty much every move that iStock make. I'm one of them for sure. They'll need to do a lot of things right if they're going to reverse the effects of all the profit grabbing and SNAFUs. But I still want to see them making the effort to try.

lisafx · « **Reply #34 on:** November 02, 2010, 17:18 »

Quote from: scorb on November 02, 2010, 16:51

But I'm still holding out hope that Kelly can turn things around to make iStock deliver his promises - that contributors will see their incomes increasing, and will believe that iStock is "still the best place to be, to hang out, and sell your work"

They've got a steep mountain to climb. But at the moment I'd still like them to get there.

I think we'd all like to see them get there, but the momentum seems to be going in the opposite direction.

FWIW, I think Kelly is working hard to deliver on his promises - the ones he made to Getty corporate to increase Istock profits 50% in 2010.

AFAIK he didn't make any promises to contributors. Just a bunch of empty platitudes couched in nostalgia. They were just designed to keep contributors pacified. Doesn't appear to have worked very well...

RT · « **Reply #35 on:** November 02, 2010, 18:54 »

Quote from: scorb on November 02, 2010, 16:51

But I'm still holding out hope that Kelly can turn things around to make iStock deliver his promises - that contributors will see their incomes increasing, and will believe that iStock is "still the best place to be, to hang out, and sell your work"

I'm still holding out hope that a lot contributors will wake up and see what's really happening and stop believing all the dribble they have historically and to this day still "woo-hoo" too

MarkFGD · « **Reply #36 on:** November 02, 2010, 19:02 »

Quote

Quote from: lisafx on November 02, 2010, 17:18
Quote from: scorb on November 02, 2010, 16:51

But I'm still holding out hope that Kelly can turn things around to make iStock deliver his promises - that contributors will see their incomes increasing, and will believe that iStock is "still the best place to be, to hang out, and sell your work"

They've got a steep mountain to climb. But at the moment I'd still like them to get there.

I think we'd all like to see them get there, but the momentum seems to be going in the opposite direction.

FWIW, I think Kelly is working hard to deliver on his promises - the ones he made to Getty corporate to increase Istock profits 50% in 2010.

AFAIK he didn't make any promises to contributors. Just a bunch of empty platitudes couched in nostalgia. They were just designed to keep contributors pacified. Doesn't appear to have worked very well...

I don't want to see them do anything other than fail. They've insulted every single contributor with their announcement of 15% royalties and the empty b*llocks that went with it. If it's business as usual for them after January 1st, it's an open invitation for Fotolia to cut it's royalties, Dreamstime will follow and then you'll be back here this time next year moaning that iStock is now only offering you 10%.

Equus · « **Reply #37 on:** November 02, 2010, 20:19 »

Quote from: MarkFGD on November 02, 2010, 19:02

I don't want to see them do anything other than fail. They've insulted every single contributor with their announcement of 15% royalties and the empty b*llocks that went with it. If it's business as usual for them after January 1st, it's an open invitation for Fotolia to cut it's royalties, Dreamstime will follow and then you'll be back here this time next year moaning that iStock is now only offering you 10%.

The other sites would be crazy to reduce commissions. There must be dozens of exclusives waiting to see what happens. IS has done nothing but shoot itself in the foot recently.

Any sign of the others following IS will just persuade those thinking of jumping ship, that they may as well stay where they are.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #38 on:** November 02, 2010, 20:50 »

Quote from: Equus on November 02, 2010, 20:19

The other sites would be crazy to reduce commissions. There must be dozens of exclusives waiting to see what happens. IS has done nothing but shoot itself in the foot recently.

Any sign of the others following IS will just persuade those thinking of jumping ship, that they may as well stay where they are.

One could argue that it was FT's success with a unilateral reduction of commissions a while back that emboldened IS. And that IS succeeding with its latest move will then lead the other sites to follow suit claiming that competitive pressures force them to do it.

I don't think other sites individually have much they can offer exclusives as an incentive to jump ship. Its IS's moves that will force contributors out, and once out, people will upload to all the other sites to make up for the lost income. I don't think anyone else has much appeal as an exclusive site (assuming we're talking microstock). It's IS exclusivity or multiple sites. A smattering of exclusive images and the sites that pay extra for them might make some sense if it turns out that one site sells that image particularly well.

MarkFGD · « **Reply #39 on:** November 02, 2010, 21:44 »

Quote

Quote from: Equus on November 02, 2010, 20:19
Quote from: MarkFGD on November 02, 2010, 19:02
I don't want to see them do anything other than fail. They've insulted every single contributor with their announcement of 15% royalties and the empty b*llocks that went with it. If it's business as usual for them after January 1st, it's an open invitation for Fotolia to cut it's royalties, Dreamstime will follow and then you'll be back here this time next year moaning that iStock is now only offering you 10%.

The other sites would be crazy to reduce commissions. There must be dozens of exclusives waiting to see what happens. IS has done nothing but shoot itself in the foot recently.

Any sign of the others following IS will just persuade those thinking of jumping ship, that they may as well stay where they are.

If everyone keeps uploading and all the exclusives stay where they are, that sends out a very clear message to all the other stock libraries. It says we're okay with 15-19%. Why wouldn't they see that as an invitation to reduce their royalties too?

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #40 on:** November 02, 2010, 22:02 »

Blimey! It's been a week already and still no bowel movement. They must be about to explode, or is it implode. I guess we keep feeding them too much.

Equus · « **Reply #41 on:** November 02, 2010, 22:19 »

Quote from: MarkFGD on November 02, 2010, 21:44

If everyone keeps uploading and all the exclusives stay where they are, that sends out a very clear message to all the other stock libraries. It says we're okay with 15-19%. Why wouldn't they see that as an invitation to reduce their royalties too?

It says that the non-exclusives are OK with 15-19%.
If the other sites want the diamond exclusives, and isn't that why designers go to IS, then they would be crazy to reduce commissions.
From reading this forum, I know that I earn much more as an exclusive than I would as an independent. If my income is reduced by very much, then I will go independent, as commissions stand at present. I'm not prepared to take a cut in income AND have all my eggs in one basket.
If the other sites reduce commissions, then there will be no point in going independent. I'm in this to earn the most money, and just now that's as an IS exclusive. If that changes, I will take the appropriate action.

Artemis · « **Reply #42 on:** November 03, 2010, 07:57 »

Quote from: lisafx on November 02, 2010, 16:16

Quote from: Vonkara on November 02, 2010, 16:01

I believe we might live a huge drama soon. There is way to much things that happen behind the curtains... I can't wait

Seems like we are already living that huge drama. But I agree with you Vonkara- there is more to come. We are watching a train wreck in slow motion...

I'm not convinced it will be a train wreck... the things happening there right now happen with so much bluntness and blindness, it looks like they have a plan in front of their eyes and are sprinting there without caring much about what gets trampled on the way to it. I can't believe they would kill off a very solid business so rapidly and bluntly only for short term profits. I'm still curious about their big plan, my guess is they will take good care of a select group of (in their eyes) good photographers lifting them towards midstock, the rif-raf will have to decide how far they bend before they drop out, as they will only be there to fill a couple of forgotten corners of the site and couldn't be cared about less.

sharpshot · « **Reply #43 on:** November 03, 2010, 08:14 »

I think they are making so many changes so quickly to hit their profit target and make the site look appealing to buyers. There isn't any long term strategy because that will be made by the new owners.

rubyroo · « **Reply #44 on:** November 03, 2010, 08:39 »

@ Sharpshot

+1

ShadySue · « **Reply #45 on:** November 03, 2010, 08:44 »

Quote from: sharpshot on November 03, 2010, 08:14

I think they are making so many changes so quickly to hit their profit target and make the site look appealing to buyers. There isn't any long term strategy because that will be made by the new owners.

Me3

hoi ha · « **Reply #46 on:** November 03, 2010, 09:12 »

Quote from: sharpshot on November 03, 2010, 08:14

I think they are making so many changes so quickly to hit their profit target and make the site look appealing to buyers. There isn't any long term strategy because that will be made by the new owners.

make that me +4

gostwyck · « **Reply #47 on:** November 03, 2010, 10:30 »

Quote from: Equus on November 02, 2010, 22:19

From reading this forum, I know that I earn much more as an exclusive than I would as an independent.

Really? That's not how the figures appear to me, particularly from the statements by those substantial contributors who I trust on the IS forum 'October Stats' thread. At Diamond level I reckon I would be somewhere between evens and minus 10% if I were exclusive.

The trends on my graph don't look particularly good for Istockphoto either having slipped from a fairly steady 36%+ of my earnings a year ago to less than 32% last month.

I believe microstock is at a tipping point. Just wait until January __ that's when the fun will really start.

nruboc · « **Reply #48 on:** November 03, 2010, 10:49 »

Quote from: Artemis on November 03, 2010, 07:57

Quote from: lisafx on November 02, 2010, 16:16
Quote from: Vonkara on November 02, 2010, 16:01

I believe we might live a huge drama soon. There is way to much things that happen behind the curtains... I can't wait

Seems like we are already living that huge drama. But I agree with you Vonkara- there is more to come. We are watching a train wreck in slow motion...
I'm not convinced it will be a train wreck... the things happening there right now happen with so much bluntness and blindness, it looks like they have a plan in front of their eyes and are sprinting there without caring much about what gets trampled on the way to it. I can't believe they would kill off a very solid business so rapidly and bluntly only for short term profits. I'm still curious about their big plan, my guess is they will take good care of a select group of (in their eyes) good photographers lifting them towards midstock, the rif-raf will have to decide how far they bend before they drop out, as they will only be there to fill a couple of forgotten corners of the site and couldn't be cared about less.

Completely agree

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #49 on:** November 03, 2010, 14:45 »

Quote from: Artemis on November 03, 2010, 07:57

... my guess is they will take good care of a select group of (in their eyes) good photographers lifting them towards midstock, the rif-raf will have to decide how far they bend before they drop out, as they will only be there to fill a couple of forgotten corners of the site and couldn't be cared about less.

As a member of Future Riff Raff of IS, I think you're close to the mark.

I expect to keep my 35% for 2011 but I think the targets for 2012 will be raised substantially so that those with lots of Agency & Vetta will be able to make the targets but probably not otherwise.

It's a double edged sword though - you only get somewhat higher commissions on Vetta/Agency files, and only when sold on IS - the high redeemed credit totals count towards targets though.

I pulled out of Vetta (and have opted out of Agency) because they've required those files get sold on various Getty sites as well as IS and I wasn't on board with that. So unless there's a big surge in volume for "regular" priced files on IS in 2011, I'm guessing I'll be Riff Raff for 2012 and go back to independent.

For those who do want to participate in Vetta and Agency, they have the dual problems of the largely crap stuff they've imported from Getty and the clubby little circle that gets the bulk of acceptances to those collections.

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Author Topic: iStockphoto management constipated? (Read 22660 times)

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