jonnyab Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I thought id write a quick message about goals. Yearly, monthly etc. This year Im putting some more effort into photography, I have doubled my portfolio size and have another 300-400 images in the awaiting keywording pile. My goal for 2015 was: 1) average one sale a month--> I know have sold 11 licenses this year 2) Average 4 zooms per month--> Im at about 43 this year 3) Make it my best year ever for gross income --> Im about 30 USD below this. So i need a few more zooms and ONE MORE SALE >30 USD to make my yearly goal, il be gutted if it doesnt come in before New Years Eve. Wish me luck! Anyway did you have any monthly/yearly goals this year? And more importantly are you on track to achieve them? Jonny p.s. dont get me started with stockimo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losdemas Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I'm tempted to answer directly, but that'll only put a downer on things: I'll wait till the "How was your 2015" thread for that Meanwhile, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the canny buyers are waiting for next week to come rushing in with their last-minute purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I pretty much took a sabbatical during 2015 while I decided what I wanted to do with my photography, and writing, so I had no goals. But I am 10% off my best ever year's sales numbers (almost all in last 7 months), unfortunately it is 50% down on my best for revenue. But that is still my best year since 2008! So for next year my hope will be to make it my best year from a revenue point of view of Alamy, that will hardly be earth shattering However, Alamy will not be the main thrust of my photography in 2016. I will be sharing my wider plans, and progress, on my web site as I take some decisions over the next few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyab Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 I thought id write a quick message about goals. Yearly, monthly etc. This year Im putting some more effort into photography, I have doubled my portfolio size and have another 300-400 images in the awaiting keywording pile. My goal for 2015 was: 1) average one sale a month--> I know have sold 11 licenses this year 2) Average 4 zooms per month--> Im at about 43 this year 3) Make it my best year ever for gross income --> Im about 30 USD below this. So i need a few more zooms and ONE MORE SALE >30 USD to make my yearly goal, il be gutted if it doesnt come in before New Years Eve. Wish me luck! Anyway did you have any monthly/yearly goals this year? And more importantly are you on track to achieve them? Jonny p.s. dont get me started with stockimo Hmmmm.... not sure if I understood correctly. But it seems your goals are very mild. If you doubled your portfolio within a year, your income should theoretically also double, not equal that of last year (3) Make it my best year ever for gross income --> Im about 30 USD below this.) Just my two cents Cheers, Philippe Good point but my best year was many years ago. I had a random spike in sales and revenue. Somehow that year i got 20ish sales of good amounts. I didnt upload anything for years so I have just this year began to re-upload. Your right that I should expect a doubling of my income, but I am not hopeful. It seems the earning potential at Alamy is less now than 5 years ago. We shall see. I am enjoying uploading again and will continue to. Hopefully my goals each year will be achieved and Il see alamy as an actual important part of my income. I think I agree with you my goals ARE mild but for me its a maratho not a sprint and I havent yet achieved my mild goals so I better not aim higher yet! What did you aim for this year Phillipe (and did you manage it?)? Jonny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Quist Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Meanwhile, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the canny buyers are waiting for next week to come rushing in with their last-minute purchases. - and payments that need to be entered in the 2015 accounts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arletta Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Hmmmm.... not sure if I understood correctly. But it seems your goals are very mild. If you doubled your portfolio within a year, your income should theoretically also double, not equal that of last year (3) Make it my best year ever for gross income --> Im about 30 USD below this.)Just my two cents I must disappoint you but it doesn't work this way (it should though). I already said it in another threads... In my case regular sales started with 700 files and now I have almost 3.5k and it's just not working I don't get 5 times more sales... What is the difference between MultiQuote and only Quote in this forum? Both give me the same results of multi... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Yarvin Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 There is no possible way to predict sales from volume added because the pictures we post don't affect demand. That being said, I find numerical goals to be really helpful in planning my work. When it comes to that planning, the best way I've found to plan for an increase in sales is to shoot images in categories I'm weak in. For me, it's not about aiming higher, it's about finding different targets and mastering what it takes to photograph them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Morgan Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I had a goal of having at least 3,000 images by the end of the year, but as you can see, I came up a bit short. First, I am getting better at culling out unnecessary images and as usual other businesses take up so much of my time. And since I rarely do a specific trip for photography, I photograph what's available where I am. And how many pics of dog shows can one take? I have bettered last year by $1,000 so that is great. Maybe I'll have the 3,000 by the end of 2016. Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I set a goal of trying to increase my port by 100 images a month. I have done that, for a number of months. I reached a milestone of 3,000 images some months ago, and have added 700+ since then. I figure the zooms and sales will take care of themselves if the images are nice ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 My goal was to have 15,000 pix online by the end of the year. I won't manage that. New goal: 20,000 by the end of 2016. I won't manage that either... but it's a target to aim for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I thought id write a quick message about goals. Yearly, monthly etc. This year Im putting some more effort into photography, I have doubled my portfolio size and have another 300-400 images in the awaiting keywording pile. My goal for 2015 was: 1) average one sale a month--> I know have sold 11 licenses this year 2) Average 4 zooms per month--> Im at about 43 this year 3) Make it my best year ever for gross income --> Im about 30 USD below this. In a practical sense, with regard to stock photography, you're putting the cart before the horse in your use of the term "goal," Jonny. I see John Morrison's (and some others') use of "goal" as correct. He has a target number of images he wants to capture in a certain time frame. That's a stock photographer's goal. And John is also a good shooter, so the subjects he selects will have potential for sales. We don't make sales or zooms. Image buyers do that, with Alamy acting as our middleman. Simply put, you need to be more productive. So do I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Robinson Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Between 2009 and 2012 by income per image with Alamy remained steady, almost to the penny, so as my portfolio grew, so did my income, in proportion. Unfortunately since then the income per image has dropped to less than half what it was back then, so though I have doubled my stock, I am earning almost the same as I was 3 years ago. And most of what I'm selling now is images I've taken in the last year or two. My goal is to keep uploading about 100 per week and hope to keep starvation at bay until Alamy's competitors have gone out of business and prices can start rising again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiskerke Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Everything Edo said. Plus serious weeding and pruning. I have not yet met my goal of deleting as many as I'm uploading. wim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I just counted my submissions for 2015. The number is 890, including 23 I just uploaded a few minutes ago. SoI have fallen short of my goal of 1,000 a year, although I didn't buckle down toward that goal until about 6 months ago. I have surpassed 700 for the past 6 months, so if I don't count calendar year but when I began, I'm on target of 100 a month, or the lesser 1000 for 12 months. (83 a month) If I meet either of those, I'm happy. I still have a couple of weeks to go before 2015 is done so should add a few more, squeezed in while Holidays and football bowl games pull my interests astray. Egads, I don't have my shopping done! It would have been more, but I languished in the Sin Bin a couple of times early in the year. That'll definitely throw a monkey wrench in the best-laid plans. Submissions are sailing through now. My port would be larger, but I purged a bunch a couple of years ago. Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 My modest goal was to make it to 5500 images, which I've managed to do FBFW. The rest is probably best left for the "How was 2015 for you?" thread that will inevitably be started in early January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Re Alamy- Always the same goals - sell more images each year for a greater income each year So far the first goal achieved and the second just achieved but not so easily Re Photography - to keep trying to improve and to try new ideas out Kumar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Well as a matter of fact I have been working on my next Youtube video (Episode 15) on how many sales I had in 2015 and what were the best selling subject matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 My goal was to have 1,000 images online at Alamy this year. I'm a tad below 830 images so didn't make it - but I deleted a lot and tightened up my portfolio. My other goals were to increase my earnings and ranking - my zooms were much higher this year than in the past, CTR is better than it's been, and my revenue both overall and in return per download has also increased - my RPD has roughly doubled. So, the goals that affect my bottom line were met, though I'm not earning as much as I'd like but at least it is rising. I was approached by a macrostock site that requires image exclusivity and so that has impacted my uploads to Alamy, trying to decide what should go where, since I find what sells best for me both on Alamy and elsewhere is similar. I license a fair amount of work directly, and if that work goes exclusive elsewhere I lose that revenue, which is significantly more than what I earn via any one agency. I'm working on my goals for 2016 - both in terms of specific shoots, numbers online, and additional outlets for my work. Part of that is trying to find a balance between RM and RF here since there are a few other midstock/macrostock sites only license RF images. It's a tough decision because 80% of my images licensed by Alamy this year were RM, and I'm pleased with the growth of sales this year, so I really need to decide whether uploading more as RF makes sense. I think that no matter what, the most important goal is to make better images and upload more of them, because, while you can't say that doubling your portfolio on Alamy will double your sales, ultimately, the more images you have and the better they are, the better chance you have of making sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 It would have been more, but I languished in the Sin Bin a couple of times early in the year. That'll definitely throw a monkey wrench in the best-laid plans. Submissions are sailing through now. My port would be larger, but I purged a bunch a couple of years ago. Betty Thanks, wim. But I must admit to being totally dazed and confused about weeding and pruning. I think I've been in the sin bin twice this year, too. But not being able to submit images for a month does not have to slowdown your overall production, Betty. You just keep shooting and doing your PP and keywords until they let you out. That's not to say that failing QC is not a deflating experience--it is. And I think that you did make your goal in 2015; exact numbers are not what we're after. I added about the same number as you. Lisa, I watched a couple of your YouTube iPhone videos and found them totally charming and most helpful to anyone doing Stockimo etc. (I don't do smartphone work, but I'm a slug.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 It would have been more, but I languished in the Sin Bin a couple of times early in the year. That'll definitely throw a monkey wrench in the best-laid plans. Submissions are sailing through now. My port would be larger, but I purged a bunch a couple of years ago. Betty Thanks, wim. But I must admit to being totally dazed and confused about weeding and pruning. I think I've been in the sin bin twice this year, too. But not being able to submit images for a month does not have to slowdown your overall production, Betty. You just keep shooting and doing your PP and keywords until they let you out. That's not to say that failing QC is not a deflating experience--it is. And I think that you did make your goal in 2015; exact numbers are not what we're after. I added about the same number as you. Lisa, I watched a couple of your YouTube iPhone videos and found them totally charming and most helpful to anyone doing Stockimo etc. (I don't do smartphone work, but I'm a slug.) You are so right, Ed. And I did continue working and had a couple of huge (for me) uploads when I got out. But yes, deflating to fail, and had I not spent that time in jail, I think I would have done more. I tended to sulk for a bit of time and fix my downer shopping or tackling projects around the house before buckling down again.About weeding and pruning. I quit that when one I had up for deletion sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 So far I've only deleted images I hated or accidentally uploaded twice. I do pay close attention to any advice Wim or Philippe offer . . . but I don't always follow it all. My situation is uniquely mine. We all have to deal with the things we have access to in our own personal reality. I tend to eat once or twice a week a Lupe's, a casual downmarket Mexican place in SoHo. I've photographed my lunch many many times. Until last month, I never had a Mexican food sale. Infuriating! But in November I had a sale of a simple flan at Lupe's . . . for $180. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Lisa, I watched a couple of your YouTube iPhone videos and found them totally charming and most helpful to anyone doing Stockimo etc. (I don't do smartphone work, but I'm a slug.) I think you can take my ideas for iPhone photography and apply them to Stock photography. For example, when taking a photograph of food try shooting from above looking straight down, or take a bite, or place a hand with a fork in it, etc. My next episode will reveal my best selling subject matters in 2015 for both Stock and Stockimo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MircoV Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 My goal for 2016 is to cover "my" Polish city Poznan with all his places and traditions. Mirco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokie Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 My goal is to upload about 1000 images a year - this year i'm on 1107. As photography isn't my main source of income I have to push myself to spend time uploading etc. I've got images going back almost 18 months that need processing and my time can be spent more lucratively doing other things. I enjoy the whole process of taking, processing and uploading images to Alamy (and other sites) so it isn't a chore, just time consuming, and as they say time is money. I also try and increase my sales year on year (only failed once in 8 years by 4 sales) and increase income year on year which i have done every year for 8 years - this year up 25% (mainly due to one large sale). John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Plus serious weeding and pruning. I have not yet met my goal of deleting as many as I'm uploading. wim I know it works very well for you Wim, but on the one occasion I've sat down to seriously prune I first checked my sales data and found my targeted victim had sold for 3 figures. I rapidly put away my pruning tongs I try to be selective in what I upload, but experience has shown me that unusual and not necessarily photographically attractive subjects do sell, sometimes for good money - and occasionally several times. As Edo has written elsewhere, every shot is a judgement call, and, being a natural procrastinator, I find that making decisions about what to and what not to process/upload is one of the least attractive parts of the work. This is further complicated by the fact that I shoot everything in raw, and as you will be aware, raw images look pretty poor. Then it's whether or not to put in the effort in PS to breathe some life into a dead horse ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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