SAA Survey: The Microstock Divide

Posted on 9/8/2010 by Jim Pickerell | Printable Version | Comments (3)

One of the questions of the Stock Artists Alliance spring survey asked: “What other issues would you like to see SAA address in the year?” The answers, particularly with regard to the general attitude toward microstock, were very revealing.

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Comments

Ellen Boughn Posted Sep 9, 2010
Very thoughtful and needed information, Jim. Now that so many rights managed photographers have entered the microstock world, perhaps SAA should go back to its roots and take on Getty again on behalf of iStock photographers and the big reduction in royalty percentages that were announced yesterday.

Paul Melcher Posted Sep 9, 2010
Jim,
You have to stop using top sellers as the rule. Everytime you mention microstock you always, always refer to the top downloaders as if they were the rule and not the exception. You do the same here with a top RM shooter for Getty images
Neither reflect what the majority is doing and you can certainly not take that as an example for everyone else. An exception does not make the rule. It's just bad statistics analysis.
Also, you have to stop using Goldman Sachs Getty numbers that were clearly created to make Getty "saleabe" and done prior to the worldwide economy meltdown to make a projection. It doesn't make sense.
Best
Paul Melcher

John Harris Posted Sep 10, 2010
Jim -a very informative article. Though It is a tad unfair to characterize those critical of the movement of profits to the top by the monopoly price/volume model as outmoded idealists wanting to go back to some "golden age", whilst reiterating Schumpeter's banal assurances that whilst crisis is endemic to capitalism and a jolly good thing “like a good, cold shower”. Leaving aside the inadequacies of his explanation it is worth remembering, at the time of his writing, just what "creative destruction" ended the last great depression...
cheers
John Harris

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