Sell Your Pictures Online!
"Take decisive action in the direction of your goals" - Brian Tracey
Fewer than 1 in 20 people actually commit to uploading a portfolio once they register with a microstock website. Why would anyone not take decisive action toward earning passive income?
There is no shortage of Microstock websites on the internet. That fact alone should tell you that there is a great opportunity to sell your Art and Photographs and make decent money!
Wow! Cash For Pictures!
Reality Check Before You Start
Like all new ventures however, it takes time, commitment and persistence to start seeing solid results. Any business venture has to be developed and this could take years.
I realize this seems like a long time but the fact is that the time will pass anyway so why don't you do something in the meantime?
I have been selling images through Microstock websites for 5 years and since I had been doing design work for years, I already had a sizable portfolio so I starting to realize results in about one year.
The first rule of success is to do it because you love it. If you do it for this reason, you will produce higher quality work and you will be better able to stick with it and persevere! You will be enjoying successes before you know it.
The costs involved in starting up are minimal - assuming you already do photography or illustration as a career or hobby, you will already have the equipment, software and a portfolio. If not, then it's time to get started in building your body of work!
| NOT ALL MICROSTOCK WEBSITES ARE CREATED EQUAL |
Be aware however, not all Microstock websites are alike. Each is designed to cater to a different client/contributor base, each are at different stages of growth and each have different expectations from their contributors.
I have been selling Illustrations and Stock Photos through MicroStock web sites for quite a few years now.
I have been selling Illustrations and Stock Photos through MicroStock web sites for quite a few years now.
I have definitely been around the block and have researched most of the Microstock websites. I have even registered as a contributor with several and I am currently getting cash for pictures I create.
In researching and studying not only the art of creating Stock Images but the art and science of selling them as well, I consistently found it difficult to locate trustworthy and helpful information on how to increase and continue to grow your sales in Microstock.
Instead, what I kept finding, were sites that briefly described some of the Microstock websites and then proceeded to list them and offer links but not a lot of substance.
I found lots of lists of where to sell my stock images but no
real opinions on their effectiveness or profitability.
So, I was left to my own devices to explore methods, make mistakes and costly errors in trying to grow my Microstock portfolio and sales.
I can honestly say that as far as Microstock websites go, each one has a unique approach to
approving contributors, methods of payment and types of images they are looking for.
I will be rating them
on how they have served my particular needs. Different contributors with different requirements would
probably rank them differently (and I look forward to reading your differing opinions).
The rankings below will offer a quick overview of how I rank the sites I have worked with. The links at the top of the page will offer more in-depth information about leveraging the various tools that each Microstock website offers so you can get cash for pictures.
| MICROSTOCK WEBSITES RANKED |
I am starting with my favorite!
At first glance, this Microstock website may not seem that lucrative. At an initial 25 cents per sale, you have to ask yourself; "How much can I possibly earn here?"
The short answer is Alot!
Shutterstock has a low payout per sale for subscription sales (25 cents/sale) but they also have an 'On Demand' (starting at $1,88/sale) sales program and a 'Single & Other Downloads' sales program (starting at 20% of the sale price) that can really boost the numbers.
The traffic to Shutterstock must be huge because I can count on selling quite a few images consistently, every day. As well, I
found my sales significantly increased when I promoted
my work on my own and offered a link to the images on Shutterstock.
Shutterstock pays out at a minimum of $300.00 at the beginning of the next month.
My only complaint is that the metrics are lacking. I have no idea how many
views I get - only how many sales.
2.Istock
(
www.istockphoto.com)
Many people expect Istock to be very lucrative and profitable. The fact is that I find it not to be my top performing site.
I can attribute this fact to at least one thing.
They are very selective. While this is not a bad thing, my portfolio is one third the size of what I have on
other sites. This is disappointing in that artwork that is doing very well on other Microstock sites was rejected on Istock.
Istock also has a very painful submission process. I can only upload 1 image at a time and you have to complete every aspect of the submission process before you can upload another. Other sites allow you to upload several then submit them afterwards. The approval process also can take more than a week.
In spite of the reduced
portfolio,Istock is my second most profitable site. The revenue per sale
is higher than most sites. The down side is that I can't count on making consistent sales.
What is great about Istock is that the statistics and metrics they offer are second to none. I will talk about how to leverage this on the Stats and Keywords page.
Istock pays out every $100.00. When you get that amount, you simply request a payout.
It pays out every $100.00
I believe this one is up and coming (but don't quote me on that).
I am building
up my portfolio. This site has a very easy upload and submission process, lightning fast approvals and revenues per sale that
range from $0.25 - $5.00 and higher.
I get a feeling the traffic is not as much as Shutterstock but they definitely have my attention.
What I like best about this Microstock website is that they are more accepting of my less impressive work. Work that has been rejected by other websites tends to get accepted here and I can upload it as an exclusive piece so if it does sell, I stand to make a little more on it.
Payouts happen at $50.00 and like Istock, you request the payout when you are ready.
This was one of the first Microstock sites I signed up with. It started strong
but it has petered off.
It was purchased by Shutterstock, and for me, it is definitely less profitable
than any other Microstock site I have worked with. That said, I haven't focused a lot of effort in developing my portfolio
since it slowed down. I could be contributing to my own poor results.
Currently, my portfolio of 400 images earns about $10.00/month.
My plan for this Microstock website is to refocus my attention on it and see if I can turn it around - I will give it about a month. If not, I am seriously thinking about pulling my
portfolio.
Payouts happen at $50.00 and like Istock, you request the payout when you are ready.
6.Veer, Depositphotos, Crestock and others
6.Veer, Depositphotos, Crestock and others
I have dabbled in thes Microstock websites and I found the results were not as impressive
as my top 4 websites. Some may say it takes time but my opinion is that these
sites are already established and the work I am sampling has proven
itself on other sites. I am using the same titles, descriptions and
keywords. After a few weeks, with little action, I am not inclined to
invest a lot more time in them.
7.Microstock Websites of Interest
Vectorstock and Graphicleftovers are two Microstock websites I will be investigating. Check back for updates on these websites.
As I continue to develop my portfolio, my goal is to reduce the number of Microstock websites I deal with to around three sites that I will work with exclusively.
As you will read in the other pages, I devote as much time to tracking numbers, metrics and results as I do to developing stock images. I am also focusing on promoting my work outside of these sites to boost my sales.
Thanks for reading - I hope you will share this post with someone!