Microstock Adventures: account

What is up with Crestock? I have been with them for quite a while and have a handful of photos approved with a few sales amounting to $2.75. Since starting with illustrations i added those in a whole batch and it took 3 months to get them reviewed... yes! I did say "THREE MONTHS?!"

Actually they were all rejected and it's no good complaining about that really. If DT and SS want them but CS doesn't then I'm not overly concerned but i am guessing that if there is to be another casualty in the microstock market (after StockExpert) then it will be CS that's next for the chop!

Their forums are full of people (that post infrequently i might add) that are complaining bitterly about three things:

1. Review time is taking months

2. Payments are not being sent out

3. Support is not replying to contributors

The complaints are numerous and consistent and after my experience i have no reason to doubt them. They range from "i have 650 images waiting to be approved for 5 months" and "i have emailed support 5 times and they have not replied over the last 8 weeks", to "I requested a payout last October and i haven't had my money".

Crestock's website states:

"...Crestock features design and stock photography forums as well as a popular design & photography blog..."

That must be the forums that are full of complaints and a blog that hasn't been updated since 21 Oct 2009 then?!

You have a real feeling after looking into all these poor business practices that CS is slowly dying off, that they don't have enough staff and/or capital and so won't be around for much longer. I don't expect to see my $2.75 or see it increasing.

I certainly don't expect to upload anything there until their forums are full of happy, buzzing and contented contributors that are there to engage, promote and ask questions about microstock... instead of those that are frustrated, bitter and stating the other commonly typed wording on the forums: "CS, please delete my account immediately!".

February was a better month again and the earnings total beat January with a total of £7.45 ($11.29).

At long last a sale on Canstock. (Actually 4 sales). That's been a long time coming. A.R there is 80%.

A little slow on Dreamstime during Feb. AR now 71.4%

Another sale on GraphicLeftovers and one for Istock (which i tend to get every once and while. Not bad when you consider only 4 images online with Istock.)

I can't, currently, add Vectors (EPS) files to sites like Fotolia and Istock etc due to the fact that Inkscape can't retain blurs and transparencies when saving as EPS. Hopefully that will be resolved in a later release.

First sale on BigStock netted me approx £0.32p. AR still 100%.

Shutterstock downloads a little less than hoped but still an increase at 12D for the month.

Still no sales yet on, Yaymicro, 3DStudio, Picturenation, Alamy, FeaturePics (although plenty of views there) or any of the others.

So, Feb was certainly a best month ever (BME) and i am really hopeful that with some quality submissions and some creative thinking i will push into double figure earnings for March... watch this space.