Personal Milestone: Silver Ranking at Fotolia
Posted by Lee Torrens
Sometime today I will become a Silver ranked contributor at Fotolia. I will reach this milestone when my total sales pass 1,000 – they’re currently at 998! But the little icon beside my username isn’t all that changes. My commission rises from 35% to 37% and I am able to raise the price of extended licenses from 50 credits to 100.
To be able to increase my prices for standard license sales, I’ll need to reach the Emerald rank, which is awarded when you reach 10,000 sales. However, if I make one of my photos exclusive, I could triple the price with my current rank.
Fotolia have a complex yet functional commission structure. It rewards exclusive images very well by industry standards. Contributors with high sales also have the flexibility to raise the prices of specific images.
While Fotolia were my fourth agency, their sales have been relatively slow for me compared to the market leaders:
- iStockphoto: 7,682
- Shutterstock: 10,200
- Dreamstime: 2,030
Posted September 14th, 2007 by Lee Torrens
Congratulations, Lee. It’s amazing how these milestones help to keep one focused and motivated, and once reached, give you an incredible sense of achievement. Only Microstockers understand this, when I tell my friends who have nothing to do with photography or stock, instead of the hearty slap on the back and the shaking of hands, I get this blank “so what” sorta look. Well, I know the feeling, WELL DONE, pop the champagne and thanks for this great site; I visit regularly. Sights now on the next milestone!
All the best,
Cliff
ManoAfrica at iStock
indeed, congrats Lee.
I wonder if raising the prices for EL or normal downloads will influence sales.
At the moment I set all my ELs at $30. That’s more than the standard $20 but less than the $50 other sites usually ask.
I saw something interesting in your figures compared to mine. I’m way behind you (50%) at IS and DT, but at SS I’m almost at the same downloads.
anyway, good luck and have fum
)
Congratulations Lee. That is awesome. I hope you don’t jinx yourself
i like how fotolia increases the royalty payout percentages when you hit certain sales milestones and extended license payouts go up. i think the more money you bring in for an agency the more it should pay out. that style of sliding scale is what i know they do on wall street trading desks that pay out on commission if i can make that correlation from a past careers experience. i felt it worked there.
Congratulations!
You have double more sales than photos on Fotolia, which indicates your photos are good. I’m yet to reach my first milestone on Fotolia. Nice blog also.