Lately we've been reading on posts or while chatting to other contributors in here. Everyone seems to be quite frustrated with the rejection reason "This is not quite what we are looking for". Recently I also got very frustrated with the same when images which fell under the themes which happens to be the best selling in my portfolio also started getting rejected for that reason. The referrals complained about the same and so on. Thinking quietly after sometime, I thought the agency is not to be blamed because they have their own reasons and own ways of keeping their database uncluttered with similar kind of images, but something was to be done. Since this is the agency I give first preference to upload images I was quite in a fix of how to solve this problem. I got a solution about the loss of rejected images under the mentioned reason, but approval ratio can get a bad setback under this.
No use in complaining. Thankfully I understood that I had myself to identify using some logics and statistics of what kind of images are getting rejected. Till now though I am non-exclusive I was not uploading my model images on all other stock sites. Only DT and two more sites. Now with the new problem I decided to start uploading models on other sites that I had avoided, to keep the sales here safe. Thats where exclusivity helps the contributors on any agency, and which wasn't helping me, but I had to make the best use of my non-exclusivity too. A week passed by and I was shocked. Till now I was in a impression that all the stock sites must be having some common clients which will be hampering sales of various agencies. I was wrong... totally wrong. Within one week, the sales from my non-model agencies jumped by 400% when I added model photos there. I am now not regretting the decision of starting to provide images with models there.
One thing is drastically changing. Though I am not exclusive, I always upload any of my images on DT first, and then on any other site in a decided hiearchy. I can no longer afford to do this. Not because DT is not my favorite site now, it still is, but I want to safeguard my approval ratio here. For sure from next month that heiarchy will change to something else where my uploads won't be priortized to DT. But this is not in anyway going to hamper my sales. Infact I think this might enhance my portfolio here and increase my approval ratio here. For exclusive contributors I am sure that DT considers that they don't have other places to sell their pictures so they will be facing this problem a lot lesser than non-exclusives do. What is important to know is that... this is business for everyone. Everyone wants to give great quality and earn in great quantity. For this the agencies have some strategies and so do we. Sharing your ideas will enhance the working of the whole stock industry. Share your ideas of promotion and marketing with others in these recession times. All the best to everyone!
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TheFinalMiracle
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Mani33
Indeed you're so right Dcwcreations...
In my case I do it for fun and for money if it worth it! but it's not my main income, not even secondary...
As long as I keep it for fun I think it will go better exclusive or not! :)
Dcwcreations
If you keep everything honest you have less to remember and worry about.
Your exlusive or your not. You can't have it both ways.
Too many people bend the rules and think it's o.k.
Your honest or your dishonest, there is only two choices.
I may sell less photos, I may not get the edge on anyone.
But by God I'll do it the right way.
Just my two cents worth.
Dave
Gmargittai
While putting your refused images on other site with a different user name is certainly possible it is an infringement of the exclusivity condition nevertheless. It is probably difficult to prove and since we are talking here about few dollars nobody will call the FBI to investigate. Be careful not to mix up the pictures and accidentally upload a file which is already on DT.
Cheers.
Thefinalmiracle
@Mani... Ahhh alright!! Username confused me :)
Mani33
Hi Thefinalmiracle, I'll explain my self better, I would put my photos as exclusive but not me as a user, in this case I can put my rejected photos somewhere else... Using other user name was a term of security... :)
Cheers
Thefinalmiracle
@Mani
Registering yourself on some other site with other username is infringement of terms and conditions. You might end up loosing accounts on both the sites and also possible that some sites might eat on your earning even after your account is disabled for about a period of 6 months.
Eclecticelegance
Very interesting blog about a subject important to all of us here - To be exclusive or not to be exclusive. :)
Creativei
Well I have started submitting to almost 5 site, sales are good almost everywhere. As you said everyone does for money, so putting all eggs in one basket is not the right decision now.
Mani33
Actually I have contradicted ideas about this subject!
It's a bit confusing to think about the advantages & disadvantages...
As an amatur illustrator here I think like:
- Exclusive Photographer means buyers won't find your images elsewhere if they like it, they will buy it here... STRONG
- Exclusive Photographers can't sell anywhere else... WEEK
- Your earnings gets bigger as an exclusive... STRONG
- My first selling was an exclusive image... Partucular & STRONG
- I think if they want to be harder on exclusive ones why to make it with users with 50 images not less... It is a prestige also... STRONG
- For busy people I think it is easier to consentrate on one market... MID-TERM
- I made some comparision between selling in DT & other sites using some users with big portfolio, they have bigger sales out... WEEK
- I felt the other sites are confusing - Navigation term -... STRONG
- You really don't know what to do about "This is not quite what we are looking for" as an exclusive... WEEK
- As for now when I get this reason (I had it for some of my images images) I know that it's a subject that won't be chosen in general! ... STRONG
- YES it's business, I believe they do their strategies... WEEK
SUGGESTION
- When an image is rejected here I would knock the doors of other sites with different user name!
- Put in your mind that a good image is good everywhere no matter the strategy!
- Think of your earning between exclusive & unexclusive!...
Gosh I think I wrote too much!
Regards & Cheers