Brasilnut Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 Have you lost your Alamy virginity yet? One reason why I started this thread is that it's pretty discouraging to newbies to read the "sales ceiling" thread about veteran contributors talking about getting dozens of sales a months while many on here who perhaps have been around for a while are struggling to "get off the floor", let alone dream of reaching a ceiling. I'll be honest, I nearly gave up with Alamy, but glad I didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilnut Posted September 26, 2017 Author Share Posted September 26, 2017 Quote I'm guessing you mean the lowest sales you'll get, yea? Like it can only go up from here? I'm thick when it comes to understanding what people mean sometimes. If that's what you mean, then errmmm......Well I hope my floor was in 2010. My whole first year was my lowest for sales. I'm embarrassed to say the number I had, but it's less than 2, higher than 0, and rhymes with "bum". Other than that I refuse to say. I thought we were talking about sales ceiling so there must be a floor! Lots of people on here have never had a sale on here and I guess it's a good place to discuss what's it like being a virgin on Alamy. It took me 6 months and 800 images before I got my first sale on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Parr Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 I haven't picked myself off the floor yet... Even though I joined way back in 2011, I didn't get anything up for sale until about a month ago. So at one month and 83 images I'm sure I have some time and additional uploads to go before that first sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilnut Posted September 26, 2017 Author Share Posted September 26, 2017 Quote I haven't picked myself off the floor yet... Even though I joined way back in 2011, I didn't get anything up for sale until about a month ago. So at one month and 83 images I'm sure I have some time and additional uploads to go before that first sale. Well, I'm sure you'll be off to an explosive start soon. Keep uploading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Lewis Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 Well....it took me seven, yes, 7 years to get my first sale, but I only had about 60 images in my portfolio so what was I to expect? I'm trying very hard to expand my horizons here but living in a very rural area of Alabama, it is not easy. :-) I think I'm still on the floor! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sultanpepa Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 3 hours ago, GS-Images said: I don't know, but my head surely hurts, so maybe that's why? I'm guessing you mean the lowest sales you'll get, yea? Like it can only go up from here? I'm thick when it comes to understanding what people mean sometimes. If that's what you mean, then errmmm......Well I hope my floor was in 2010. My whole first year was my lowest for sales. I'm embarrassed to say the number I had, but it's less than 2, higher than 0, and rhymes with "bum". Other than that I refuse to say. Geoff. lol. That made me laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilnut Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 One reason why I started this thread is that it's pretty discouraging to newbies to read the "sales ceiling" thread about veteran contributors talking about getting dozens of sales a months while many on here who perhaps have been around for a while are struggling to "get off the floor", let alone dream of reaching a ceiling. I'll be honest, I nearly gave up with Alamy, but glad I didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I think I waited the longest time for a sale on alamy. Joined Alamy November 2008 and first sale was February 2011. Yes I was on the verge of giving up and have had it said in the past by another that they would have given up long before. Allan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Johansen Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I joined in March this year and had I think 16 pictures online when I had my first sale in June. Early September I had my second sale and have above 500 pictures. So think I had a bit more luck than mostly other in their first half year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemson Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I've been around here a few years now and made some good sales, but just at the moment I'm inspecting crawling round, inspecting the floorboards and wondering if I can afford a bit of lino to make the place less draughty. Since last December (remember the change in the search engine and then introduction of new AIM?) views, zooms and sales have all been on a consistent downward trend. I look with envy at the new thread inviting contributors to make a post of their latest sale (limited to one each per day (hollow laugh)) and hope I may one day be able to put something in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 As Paul Simon sang: "One man's ceiling is another man's floor"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilnut Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Quote but living in a very rural area of Alabama, it is not easy Lots going on with the Alt-right marches, no? Those would be super super premium on here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broad Norfolk Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 1 hour ago, Allan Bell said: I think I waited the longest time for a sale on alamy. Joined Alamy November 2008 and first sale was February 2011. Yes I was on the verge of giving up and have had it said in the past by another that they would have given up long before. Allan. Allan, I may just have squeaked ahead of you on this one! I joined in November 2005 and my first sale was April 2008. Although this is only part of my business I've never thought of giving up. It's took a while but 2016 and 2017 so far have been my best years. If only the prices now were what they were then. I believe it was around a couple of hundred dollars for a country church. We won't see that again! To be precise, $172. Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanDavidson Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 An interesting discussion. I suggest there is a further question as to at what point of falling sales and faster falling prices is the decision made to give up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losdemas Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 2 hours ago, Roger Johansen said: I joined in March this year and had I think 16 pictures online when I had my first sale in June. Early September I had my second sale and have above 500 pictures. So think I had a bit more luck than mostly other in their first half year. Now that's gotta be a record - well done! Northern Lights was the sale, I guess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losdemas Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 12 hours ago, Rick Lewis said: Well....it took me seven, yes, 7 years to get my first sale, but I only had about 60 images in my portfolio so what was I to expect? I'm trying very hard to expand my horizons here but living in a very rural area of Alabama, it is not easy. :-) I think I'm still on the floor! :-) Plenty of pictures to take indoors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Johansen Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 14 minutes ago, losdemas said: Now that's gotta be a record - well done! Northern Lights was the sale, I guess? Thank you No actually not, my first sale was a small chapel taken in winter with beautiful yellow sky behind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 22 minutes ago, GS-Images said: That recent $100K thread is a good example, which did nothing to help anyone but provide an ego boost for those who have made so many sales (nothing against those who've managed it of course, it's great for THEM). Then I see the same contributor(s) promoted on Twitter time and time again, and again today, and I'm expected not to be bothered about it? Am I the only one who's seen this favouritism? To me the £100K thread was encouragement. It's a target to aim for and enthuses me to keep taking, tightly editing, processing and uploading in the knowledge that sales are there. The glory days of good demand and limited supply which drove up prices may have gone for good - probably before I even started with Alamy - but the business still generates substantial income and photographers do benefit. Some more than others - but that's inevitable in a competitive marketplace. I doubt that Twitter promotion is favouritism. Alamy is a business. Any business trumpets its successes and glosses over its failures (unless you're Gerald Ratner or Michael O'Leary of Ryanair). Alamy is promoting its successes to other stock agencies, its existing and potential clients, and existing and potential contributors. As a small/medium sized business advisor with the Train to Gain part of Business Link in the UK for a few years in the noughties (SFEDI accredited) it's a marketing approach that I would be happy to have advocated. Mind you, I would also have advised looking at those contributors who show little or no sales over an extended period of time (years not months). Are they worth their storage space and other overhead costs? But that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Parr Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 4 hours ago, Brasilnut said: One reason why I started this thread is that it's pretty discouraging to newbies to read the "sales ceiling" thread about veteran contributors talking about getting dozens of sales a months while many on here who perhaps have been around for a while are struggling to "get off the floor", let alone dream of reaching a ceiling. I'll be honest, I nearly gave up with Alamy, but glad I didn't. I think when you first sign up to sell photos through a site like Alamy there is a lot of excitement about the possibility of making money with your photography and being able to buy gear, travel or just live off of a passive income. It can be frustrating to learn that it takes time and those that are successful have worked very hard and put in a lot of time to finally get to that point. Especially when you look at the huge portfolios of images available from those top earners vs what a beginner is likely to actually start with. I know I went through that in 2011, I started at other sites, joined here, but never got images for sale and was quickly frustrated by low sales from a very small portfolio at those sites. When I decided to get back into it now, I have been approaching it with a much more realistic expectation. (But it is still difficult not to log on a couple times a day hoping to see that first sale pop up...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilnut Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Quote I don't know how talented others who are regularly promoted are, but I'm not exactly a beginner and my standard is very high (not including some news images). Also I am successful considering my number of images, as are many others. I'll re-tweet one of your pics if you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Stressful? This is just a small forum, in a distant part of the galaxy, where photographers can discuss stock. It may not be the best place to air so many grievances. They tend to monopolise the threads... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 1 minute ago, geogphotos said: I honestly have no grievances at all, let alone 'so many'. It wasn't you suggesting the forum was "stressful"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilnut Posted September 27, 2017 Author Share Posted September 27, 2017 Quote Stressful? This is just a small forum, in a distant part of the galaxy, where photographers can discuss stock. It may not be the best place to air so many grievances. They tend to monopolise the threads... I agree. Whatever grievances aren't new and hopefully will be resolved soon. I find that stress and negative feelings in general are a real burden when it comes to creative work. It's a myth that the best work of major artists were during their most sad/stressful periods in life. In fact, research has proven the contrary. Perhaps we can get back to the purpose of this thread? Anybody have any constructive stress stories to share on making it in this game? Any moments they thought about giving up...what made you not give up? In my case I didn't give up because I could see my images were being viewed and zoomed so at least someone was showing interest. Sounds silly I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alamy Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 Hi all, We seem to have gone a bit off topic here so locking this thread down. Cheers, Alamy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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