^^^That doesn't make much sense as some of the largest contributors here are submitting to Photodune.  Some of the smaller contributors aren't interested.

It is only my final submission which then needs to change - the message is then clearly not screw the poor, it is screw everybody.........  

...If you check out the list of top artists on PD, you will see most of the big sellers are there:

http://photodune.net/author/top_authors

IMO these guys know exactly what they are doing....

I still wonder if they were offered or negotiated a higher commission?  If they accept 25% when most new sites offer closer to 50%, I really don't see it as a good business decision.  And then there's the low EL prices.  I would really like to know how they help us?  I remember a new site suggesting lower EL prices to increase volume of sales but not this low.

The really big contributors seem to have their portfolios everywhere.  So I wouldn't be surprised if new sites offer them an incentive.  The rest of us don't stand a chance of making this industry better unless we join forces.  A few years ago, several sites were forced to think again and improve their commissions.  That doesn't happen now and it's costing all of us a lot of money.  It also leaves me with zero confidence in the future.  How low are commissions going to be in 5 years time?  I'll be accused of being pessimistic but if I'm going to carry on with microstock, I need to see that commissions aren't on a downward spiral.  Seeing so many big contributors accepting 25% and low EL prices from a new site just makes me more inclined to move away from microstock.

I might just dump my portfolio on every site but that will be because I have no confidence in the future and I want to make as much money as possible now.  If you can't persuade people that using low commission sites and letting them get away with cutting commissions will ruin microstock, you might as well make the most of it while you can.

Very well put.
PD (Collis) even stated that they may review their prices and commissions.
But the clear statement they are getting (especially by many of the "big shots" joining and uploading) is: "No, please don't change, we like those low commissions".
And any of the more established microstocks will read this and clearly think about their own strategy. Because - as has been proven before - most people will do nothing but complain when they cut commissions (again). Because "we cannot afford to lose the income".

Quote from: Microbius on September 04, 2011, 10:11

It does make you think how genuine the complaints about not being able to leave IStock are. I mean here's a site offering terms that are terrible, and it's not like you have to lose any existing income by not joining them.
They also seem pretty responsive, yet we aren't able to collectively say "no, not until you offer better terms".

There's a huge difference between not joining a site and leaving one into which you've put a lot of time and content.  Even ignoring that investment of time and energy, there's all the valuable search placement you're giving up.  Images that sell have a value that newer content will struggle to match.  And then there's all the content that wouldn't get accepted today, because of policy changes or current expectations regarding resolution or quality.  It's the same reason that leaving a site feels irreversible.  Even if you could change your mind, how much of your portfolio would get accepted the second time around, and how much would it earn relative to what it's doing now?

So I leave iStock and Fotolia a little at a time, first removing non- and poor sellers, and eventually the stuff that makes money.  I want to optimize my return on the effort I've already expended.  And as for PhotoDune (getting back on track), I was invited during the closed beta and decided to give them a shot.  The effort was low, compensation was adequate, and I'm more concerned with the dollar total than individual earnings.  I'm already used to lots of little royalties, as long as there are enough of them.  And so far PhotoDune has done awfully well, far better than any site since the original bunch I joined back in 2005 and 2006. 

I agree completely, that's my point. It is very hard to leave the agencies that represent a large part of your income when they start screwing you. It is very easy to not bother signing up to new agencies with awful terms from the outset.

I don`t know if someone felt offended by my comments. If so, I apologize for that.
However, it is my honest opinion that I do not feel the slightest respect for people who submit to sites like this. If you take this honesty as an offense, please do so...

I think both lisafx and my remarks where directed at the member referring to another's mathematical capabilities (which was uncalled for, no matter one's opinion of the choices people make or opinions they hold).

Collis, I have been unable to access my dashboard at Photodune for 3 days and counting.  What's going on there?  How are contributors supposed to see their stats, and/or request payout? 

Thanks Oboy.  Helps to know this is not just me.  I contacted support.  Will update when I hear back.

Author Dashboard is very slow and turn 90% of the time into an error

Quote from: lisafx on September 08, 2011, 09:27

Collis, I have been unable to access my dashboard at Photodune for 3 days and counting.  What's going on there?  How are contributors supposed to see their stats, and/or request payout? 

Hi lisafx,

I apologize for the inconvenience here. I believe the reason you may have been encountering an issue with accessing your dashboard that is somewhat unique in relation to other having issues (if anyone else is still experiencing issues). If you would like more information on this or if you're still experiencing issues accessing your dashboard, please email me at [email protected]

Thanks for your patience everyone!

I just dropped you an e-mail.  Thanks!

Just an update - all was sorted out for me.  Thanks!

Reviewing is a bit slow for me, only 2-3 images per day...