Recently I submitted 2o images, and 11 (55%) were rejected for "TYPE". That's getting close to unacceptable. I can see one or two, but 11? That's just too much to swallow. Especially since they accepted images previously that were the same subject matter as those rejected. It's getting to the point that I don't know what they want.

They notified me of the status by e-mail, but the information was useless. I could see their reason for rejection, but there was no image name - only their image number assigned. I had to go on the site and search for the images to determine what was acceped. Then I had to view the rejected images to verify what was rejected.

This microstock stuff is getting to be a real pain!

Harry-

Fotolia is in the middle of a major upgraded that didn't seem to go very well. Things still aren't back where they should be and a lot fo the text (like rejection emails) isn't sounding quite right. One thing I know for sure, each agency will tighten its rules about rejections as it grows. This is natural, when they have 2 million images, they need better images not just more images.

Better comes in many formats:

1) Larger
2) Less noise
3) Better focus
4) More marketable
etc

Hope this helps. Don't give up, others make a great living doing this, but it hurts a bit to have someone tell you 50% of the time that your work isn't what they are looking for.

I recommend that you try and produce a lot of great images and submit them to a variety of agencies. You will see as I have that some reject what others seem to love, and you move on to the next set. If there is something that they all seem to reject, then don't shoot (or illustrate) that type of work anymore.

Good luck and I welcome your comments/experiences.

Well some 6 montsh on from this things seem to be much the same, its very hard to judge what could be wrong with your images when all you have is a ref

Further frustrations for me was that i knew what some of the images were (they had been rejected on grounds of to much material already on the site) However when i went looking for other like images i could find not even one of the particular subject i had shot (a Jaguar Group C car)

Fotolia is getting better at Rejecting work - they now reject 80% for Composition, and another 10% for Noise.

This is perhaps their way of saying "We are no longer interested in your work!"
I get it!

There is an upside. Now that Fotolia no longer likes my work, ShutterStock decided they like it! Go figure.

After two years, I am ready to concentrate on four sites - DT, SS, BSP and 123RF. IS and FT are accepting so few images that I cannot generate enough income to justify my effort. It is about money, but the door swings both ways. There comes a point where the reviewers shoot the site in the foot, or the head in some cases.

Fotolia has not shown very much consistency in the last year or so, particularly in their choices of photos for acceptance or rejection. One minute a photo is accepted and the next it could be rejected for a variety of vague reasons. They never give you a definite reason so that the art may possibly be improved and resubmitted.

I've had some rejected, waited several hours, submitted them again, and they've been accepted with no questions.

When they introduced Version 2, they somehow managed to 'lose' keywords from many photos, mine included, and I don't think they have repaired that damage fully yet.

The only advantage to all of this is that before, I never even though of going to any other sites. Now I have, some of Fotolia's rejections have been accepted, and some are selling. When I tried to thank Fotolia for the referrals on their Forum Board, my posts were erased.

Al

When I used to be a non Exclusive for iStock, i upload to both iStock and Fotolia. Photos that were rejected in iStock were accepted by Fotolia.

I'm now solely for iStock and very happy about it. I'm an illustrator and photographer.