on how to make money on microstock and just feels depressed? We're already heading to more contributors than buyers.....

I know this makes me a grumpy old thing, and I should feel happy happy for all these eager newbies and would-be newbies.

But I'm not and that's the truth!

on how to make money on microstock and just feels depressed? We're already heading to more contributors than buyers.....

I know this makes me a grumpy old thing, and I should feel happy happy for all these eager newbies and would-be newbies.

But I'm not and that's the truth!

I agree that it's a tough mountain to climb for newbies. Even for veterans, earning more or even maintaining the same level of income is challenging (despite larger portfolios).

I write a lot about this in my blog so please check it out

Brasilnut - for me you are a part of the problem I'm afraid. Brutally honest or not, getting yet more people to play is not helpful to us already in the game.
Yes, I know that stuff about adapt to the market etc etc. But we are now largely commodities in an already oversupplied market so we can do little except hope. Or find other markets and diversify.
I guess your blog is your diversification. Neat.
I'm doing my best to find alternatives too.

on how to make money on microstock and just feels depressed? We're already heading to more contributors than buyers.....

I know this makes me a grumpy old thing, and I should feel happy happy for all these eager newbies and would-be newbies.

But I'm not and that's the truth!

I think the industry now is not a place for people whose priority is to make a quick buck more for people whose passion is photography and are technically competent and want to supplement their income. Many of these articles seem to say you can simply upload your holiday snaps and watch the $$$$s roll in if that was ever true it certainly isn't now. On other forums I am amazed how unaware some people are even of the basics and are expecting hundreds of dollars income!

I am not concerned with those articles. I'd me more concerned if that was an easy lucrative business that very few people knew about. Right now most amateurs will fail miserably, and only a few with luck, hard work and talent will be able to produce decent income.

I think that is the point. It takes too much hard work to produce decent images that sell, so let's just spin off another "cottage industry" from microstock where we tell people how to do it, and make money off their back. The old saying applies...those who can't do, teach. 

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Brasilnut - for me you are a part of the problem I'm afraid. Brutally honest or not, getting yet more people to play is not helpful to us already in the game.

What is the point of this forum if it is not to help each other? The only other reason would be to provide a place where we could moan and bitch (and there is quite a lot of that sometimes), but mainly this forum is about sharing information about the agencies and answering questions from each other.

Steve

Sharing doesnt usually cost someone money.

Sharing doesnt usually cost someone money. 

Quality content should not be shared for free, in my opinion. I invested 6 months on researching, drafting and editing. Then hired a copywriter and designer which were expensive (should I expect them to work for free?)

Even after all investments I do share free stuff but I still need to run a business.

It's way past time that these articles can hurt.  The damage is done.

When I started in stock in 2005 SS was taking in about 3000 new photos a month.  Now they are taking in over a million new photos each month.  Nothing you can do -- improving quality, doing research, upping your volume -- will keep your income from dropping.

My income peaked in 2008 and it's been down hill ever since.  There were times when I got motivated, shot a lot, worked on improving quality but nothing turned the tide even for a little while.

I don't even care any more.  My income is 25% of what it was in 2008 and continues to erode.  I just shoot what I want to shoot these days and upload when I fee like it.  For money I concentrate on the day job.

It's way past time that these articles can hurt.  The damage is done.

When I started in stock in 2005 SS was taking in about 3000 new photos a month.  Now they are taking in over a million new photos each month.  Nothing you can do -- improving quality, doing research, upping your volume -- will keep your income from dropping.

My income peaked in 2008 and it's been down hill ever since.  There were times when I got motivated, shot a lot, worked on improving quality but nothing turned the tide even for a little while.

I don't even care any more.  My income is 25% of what it was in 2008 and continues to erode.  I just shoot what I want to shoot these days and upload when I fee like it.  For money I concentrate on the day job.

I feel like you do...don't care about the articles doing damage. The damage was done long before. What cracks me up are the people taking advantage of the captive audience on this forum. Contributors here have seen their income erode over the past years from greedy microstock sites, but some people apparently think its ok to use the traffic from this popular site to hawk their wares, meanwhile pretending that they are "helping" people by selling them information and making money off them.

As if reading their book (which costs eager newbies actual money) is going to change the oversupply of contributors and lack of buyers, whether they shoot just like the authors or not! To me that just sounds like some of the same greed that the stock sites are doling out.

If said people truly want to "help people", their discussions and information on microstock would be provided freely on this forum, which is kind of what a forum is for. Not for advertising and promoting products. 

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Sharing doesnt usually cost someone money. 

Quality content should not be shared for free, in my opinion. I invested 6 months on researching, drafting and editing. Then hired a copywriter and designer which were expensive (should I expect them to work for free?)

Even after all investments I do share free stuff but I still need to run a business.

Good thing you stumbled onto this forum (where people come to discuss, not buy) or else you wouldnt even have a business!

You don't want to share YOUR quality content for free, but I wonder how much you learned for free from people who come to forums like this and shared their knowledge for free?

There is nothing wrong with sharing information in the forums, and there is nothing wrong with charging for quality content... but if everyone is charging for quality content, then this place becomes a shop rather than a forum.

I agree and have toned down on the promoting. Now let's all help each other and be happy, there's too much division in the world as it is.