Update on Shutterstock

I wanted to give an update on my progress on Shutterstock : 4 months have passed since my previous post so what happened ?


Stats

• I got a raise from 0.25 to 0.30 then $ 0.33 per download
  
• Best day with 34 downloads in December 2007
• Only 8 pictures so far have made more than $ 10 each (a bit less than 3 % of my portfolio)
  
• At this day 2200 pictures were sold including 2 extended licenses (for $ 20 each)
• Portfolio is now close to 300 pictures
  

• Despite regular uploads, sales are not linear anymore with the size of my portfolio since last December
• The performance of my portfolio decreased steadily from 53 % last January to less than 30 % last month
• SS was my number earner for 8 consecutive months and only second last month after FT
• The raise in March did not change anything :( so I am looking forward to raise this month....
  

It will be interesting to see how much SS are willing to give to their contributors for the raise and how the subscription program that IS will implement later this month will impact on my SS and IS sales. Will SS be number one again next month ? We will see...
Update graphs are below

Despite the pessimist tone of this post, it is still worth to join Shutterstock. If you want to join here is my referral link Submit Photos to Shutterstock and make $$$!
Thanks !

April Earnings

This is now my 10th consecutive earnings report and the best so far closing down on the $ 300 mark. For the first time, SS lost his number one spot over FT. All the other sites are performing as usual no surprise there. I got my first sale (11.97 euros) at Panthermedia with a very small portfolio which is encouraging.

The surprise this month in microstock was LO announcing that they will close down the 15th of May due to a lack of funding. Got one payout there and have so far $ 3.40 on the piggy which will probably get lost.... Other agencies are following this path and it looks like that on the long term, micro will evolve to midstock.
Next month should see an increase in earnings: SS will announce and implement its raise for its contributors in the first two weeks of May, I hope it will be something like $0.40.... IS will implement subscription at the end of the month (26th) and finally 123RF implements its new credit prices today the 2nd of May.
Go back to stats now with microstock one by one

Microstock one by one

• FT (+74%). BME. My best earner this month for the time since I started contributed to SS last August. A exceptional month at FT with good sales volume and a record of $ 2.57 per download due to an extended sale ($ 26, picture was exclusive to FT). Global performance of 14 %.

• SS (- 5%). Despite uploading new pictures, earnings do not increase like they did before , it is hard enough to maintain them.... Hopefully with the raise coming and more uploads it will possible to make $ 100 a month on SS. Global performance down to 29 %, an all time low.

• IS (+72%) A good month at IS with a average of $ 0.72/dl this month and a global performance of 27 % just behind SS...

• DT (+28 %). Not far from a BME this month. Average return of $ 0.85/dl and global performance of 4 %.

• 123RF (+31%) A dip in sales compared to last month but 123RF is pretty stable otherwise. Hopefully earnings will go up this month when the new credit prices will kick in this month. Performance of 3 % and average of $ 0.72/dl.

• SXP (+8%) BME. SXP continues its slow progression with an average of $ 1.44/dl (subscriptions opt-out). Global performance 6 %. 200 + portfolio this month.
  

Low earners (less than 2 % of earnings)
BSP, LO (RIP), SCP, CT (a slight improvement in sales this month). No sales at CSP for 2 months in a row (next to go down ??).

• Big 6 rankings

$: FT>SS>IS>DT>123RF>SXP

Performance: SS>IS>FT>SXP>DT>123RF

$/DL: FT>SXP>IS>123RF>DT>SS

Detailed earnings Figures in USD. Note: 100 % global performance is defined by a portfolio with an average of sales of $ 1 per picture.