Fotolia Cuts Contributors Commission

Like IStockPhoto, Fotolia will be cutting contributors commission by about 20% next week. To be frank, I feel that contributors are being bullied and no longer a precious to stock agencies. There are too many contributors. And when supply is more than demand, stock agency will take the opportunity to exploit the contributors effort for their own benefits. This is wrong, but it is a reality.

According to Fotolia, the increment for their own royalty is a must to expand their marketing coverage to country like China. If what they speak is the truth, then I must say this is for everyones good. I do not mind if Fotolia will take my 20% royalty to market more. Afterall, without marketing, a business will not work. It is OK to get a little less on the royalty if they are able to increase the volume of downloads.

But how true is the above statement? My 20% commissions may not be fully gone into development and marketing. 15% of my cut may go into the upper managements salary so that they can go for a vacation on a cruise to see Alaskans melting ice. We are the minority. We work hard, but we dont get our share back, and we are not able to see the truth. There is no transparency in this.

The only solution for all these problem is to have a revolution. Is like how Google suddenly takeover the search industry, and how Apple iPhone change the communication devices. We love Google and Apple more and more each days, and that has never happen in microstock industry. I wish that one day, a revolution will come and takeover the whole industry to a new height where it will benefit everyone (contributors, the agency, and buyers). Adobe should create a microstock site. But they dont have Steve Job or Bill Gates.

Revolution must come. Now the only savior is Shutterstock. If it offers exclusivity, I will definitely join them. I believe 90% of the independent contributors will join Shutterstock if it offers exclusivity and increase the pricing. Shutterstock earning is about 30-100 times more than other agencies. With move like this, competitors such as Fotolia and Dreamstime will really go down.

Why are Microstock Contributors Always Angry

Microstock contributors have always been angry, but we have got our reasons why.

1. Agencies have been treating us badly. They cut royalty whenever they feel like it. We have almost never got a raise, but pay-cut is on the corner every so often. Is not fair.
2. Agencies randomly reject our submissions. So much effort and so much hope - yet they reject it nonsensically. Is unreasonable.
3. So many copy-cats out there. They copy with the thickest face ever. They copy it blindly. They copy the titles and keywords too. They have got no shame. Is crazy.
4. So many new agencies appear throughout the years. We have helped. We have submitted. We have hope. But we have got no downloads. Is a total waste of time. 
5. So many spammers in our world. Icon warriors, marijuana-guy, yogurt-man, and bla bla bla. Check these spammers out at MicrostockGroup.com. Why do agencies even treat them with love? Why why why?
6. We work so hard. We work like crazy. We dont get to sleep. Why is our works not getting a sale? Is demoralizing. 
7. Agencies love to play around with their partners and somehow, we get an unfair cut. We are so helpless. 
8. Agencies have been treating us like commodities. We have very little faith in them and in ourselves now. 
9. So many people use our works without paying. So many of them never buy the right license. So many of them got away. Just so many.
10. So many mother fuckers took our images and post them for free. Is demonic. 
11. There are so many hate, jealousy, sarcasm, bullies, and, copy-cats among us. Many dont feel like posting anymore.