How to Reach 10,000 Sales on a Stock Photo Site?

Today, I’m sharing a translation of an article by microstock contributor Nikhil Gangavane (Thefinalmiracle) on how to reach 10,000 sales on a stock photo site. You can view the original on Dreamstime here: blog.dreamstime.com/2011/06/16/lessons-to-have-10000-sales_art35457.

In September it will be five years since I started contributing to Dreamstime. This site/agency inspired me to shoot more, improve quality, and consequently increase my earnings thanks to improved commission structures over the years.

At times, I even made it into the featured photographer category. Not long ago, I reached my 10,000th sale on Dreamstime. During this period I’ve had sales under the SR-EL license and other types of extended licenses.

Yes, there were disappointments with royalties, rejections, and other bumps in the road—like everyone else—but thanks to Dreamstime and their team, with fast, clear support, I got through it.

Now I want to share a few tips that might help someone. Some of these I may have mentioned before, but they’re still valuable. Many readers may be newcomers to stock sites, and repetition helps:

1. Rejections help improve your craft and, long term, increase income. You’ll be upset at first, but it passes—while the experience stays with you.
2. Instead of analyzing the top sellers, build your own niche and fill it so buyers intentionally seek out your portfolio.
3. Avoid duplicates. Uploading too many near-identical images from one shoot drags down overall performance—and earnings—for those files.
4. Engage more. Even if you don’t post, read forums and blogs to stay aware of what’s happening in the industry.
5. Upgrade gear when you hit a sales goal or an earnings milestone. For those who don’t rely on microstock as the main income, this is easier. Remember: better gear doesn’t mean better sales—it mainly helps improve acceptance rates, in my experience.
6. If you can’t upgrade equipment, focus on mastering Photoshop. With strong post-production skills, you can reach results comparable to pros with high-end cameras.
7. In my view, post-processing matters about 60% more than in-camera composition. Stock buyers don’t care whether an image is heavily edited; they care that the final product is worth paying for and makes them want to buy through a stock site. Shooting is not the only focus—think sales potential and who will buy the image.
8. Acceptance rates and rejections shouldn’t affect your ego. Acceptance doesn’t define your creativity. What’s rejected on one site can sell on another—or be appreciated elsewhere.
9. Even if you have bestsellers, don’t repeat a hit more than 4–5 times, or you’ll oversaturate your own portfolio and reduce earnings.
10. If you’re non-exclusive, analyze differences in sales across agencies. Maybe politics sells here, while entertainment sells better there. This guides where and what to submit first.
11. Information is power. Track both technical advances and market trends in stock. Use forums, blogs, and industry sites to understand where microstock is heading.
12. Don’t go around asking for opinions on your work. That’s fine for beginners, but long term, the best quality indicator is sales analysis—of your own portfoliо and comparable contributors.
13. Don’t obsess over top-selling images. Instead, study trending search queries from recent years. By reviewing the last 2–3 years, you can forecast what will sell next year.
14. Last tip—but not least: be grateful. Whether to God, or to technology, your gear, your models, or those unique moments nature gave you. In 80% of cases, they drive your income growth.

By the way, noise reduction and other corrections are fine—but avoid blanket, global adjustments. Apply them selectively, only where needed. For instance, suppress noise only in areas where you need more perceived sharpness—don’t apply it to the entire image.

Good luck and all the best!