01 Sep 2007 Microstock Earnings Report August 2007
Based on last year’s results I was expecting August to be better than July. I read that August is the slowest month of the year, but not for me this year. Earnings increased slightly on last month finishing just below US$500.
I uploaded approximately 20 new shots taken around London and the markets this month.
| Agency | Earnings US$ | Portfolio Size | Per Photo | Percentage |
| iStockphoto | 178.14 | 611 | 0.29 | 36% |
| ShutterStock | 144.90 | 582 | 0.25 | 29% |
| Dreamstime | 89.34 | 527 | 0.17 | 18% |
| Fotolia | 26.61 | 441 | 0.06 | 5% |
| BigStockPhoto | 21.50 | 212 | 0.10 | 4% |
| StockXpert | 19.00 | 69 | 0.28 | 4% |
| 123rf | 6.27 | 108 | 0.06 | 1% |
| LuckyOliver | 4.20 | 130 | 0.03 | 1% |
| CanStockPhoto | 3.50 | 363 | 0.01 | 1% |
| Crestock | 1.25 | 58 | 0.02 | 0% |
| Totals | $494.71 | 1.27 |
Observations:
- Earnings per photo is down substantially, telling me I’m uploading photos that are selling below my average. This is contrary to my intention to shoot for quality over quantity.
- Many contributors are vocally abandoning Fotolia due to dropping earnings, but mine seem relatively stable in fourth place
- Unlike the preceding two months I didn’t score an extended license sale at LuckyOliver this month resulting in a dramatic drop in earnings
- BigStockPhoto generated record earnings this month, despite the fact I haven’t uploaded any new photos for a long time. Perhaps it’s time to resume.
victoo
Posted at 11:53h, 01 SeptemberWhy you have only 69 photos in Stockxpert? I think this issue dramatically decrease your total monthly revenue…
Lee Torrens
Posted at 16:09h, 01 SeptemberYou are correct. I’m addressing this as a matter of urgency. I started with them more recently than most of the others, but they are clearly producing great earnings per photo.
Cheers.
David Franklin
Posted at 06:56h, 02 SeptemberSurely you’ve reached the 30c level at SS by now?
Lee Torrens
Posted at 08:26h, 02 SeptemberYes David, long ago. That figure is the average per photo income, i.e. the total income divided by the quantity of photos. It’s just a coincidence that it works out to 25c.
-Lee
Perrush
Posted at 18:30h, 05 SeptemberAt least someone who is showing his real numbers with the actual amount. Takes a little courage to do that …. (although I wonder why :o) )
I haven’t made them public on my site. But for the reader who can read between the lines … … there are a few hints :o)
Lee Torrens
Posted at 20:07h, 05 SeptemberHey Stefan,
It’s not courage. I’m not pretending to be anything I’m not, so there’s nothing to fear.
As to why, it allows people to compare. People considering microstock can compare their portfolio to mine and get an idea of how much they could potentially earn. Existing microstockers can make month-to-month comparisons to compare trends and growth.
-Lee