I've hinted about it in the far past, I've procrastinated in the near past, but the time is here. I'm going to see what this microstock thing is all about.
My approach will be the simple: find a site, submit some evaluation photos, try to get accepted, and maybe make enough money for a burger. I'm hoping the process will occur over the next week or two, because after that, I need to focus on finishing my PhD. And, of course, I'll document it all here.
Let's be honest though, many have tried microstock, and few have succeeded. For example, Bill hasn't posted to StockPhotoJourney in quite a while. Succeeding (meaning making more than $100 a month) takes a lot of effort and work (and talent?) that I don't really have right now. I'm just going to call it an experiment.
Also, just so you know, I'm going to avoid a very complete approach because I tend to get long-winded on how-to stuff. There's tons of other good sites out there.
So, here we go. Next up... which site will I submit to first?
(I'm open to suggestions too, leave a comment!)
I have been shooting microstock (casually) for a couple years and have a pretty steady income from it.
ReplyDeleteDreamstime is a great site to test the waters with. They are quite consistent with reviews and are the #3 earner for many. You don't need to be preapproved, so you can submit photos right away to get a feel for the review experience. (Although review times right now are around a week long.) Istock and Shutterstock are the best income earners for most, but you do have to apply and be approved which can be a frustrating ordeal. (Even pros become discouraged by rejections and the application process, so I suggest that if you are not familiar with microstock yet, perhaps hold off with those applications for a month or so while you get a feel for things.)
You can find more sites that I contribute to down the right column of my blog if you feel like clicking through. There's the "big six" that I focus on (best income earners), plus many up-and-coming sites.
Just shoot me a message if you have any questions that I might be able to answer.
Lorraine