This can be a problem if one is not careful. I was initially leery about creating stock art. I have had bad experiences with copyright infringement and I don't like the idea of opening myself up to that again.
After some research, and reading about the different stock entities I decided to begin the submission process through iStock. From what I learned of their practices they were good about artists retaining their copyrights and it seems the exposure is decent. I wasn't impressed with their vetting process, however.
As an artist, I was required to submit three samples of my work per their guidelines. In the end, I submitted five different pieces (two were rejected) and had to wait a longer time between submissions each time there was something wrong with an image or file. I suppose that is to discourage those who are not serious about submitting images.
Now that I am approved I have been making a strong effort to submit at least one piece of art every week. For "non-exclusive" members there is a 25 submission default limit every 168 hours. I have a considerable store of vector art created for an old client of mine. With a little tweaking many of those pieces would be perfect for stock art. It is, after all, a numbers game, and the more art there is to buy, the better chance of earning money.
Yes, I could probably submit more art each week but the truth is that I also have parental duties and a part-time job. And the reality is that artists don't make as much as they used to. The days of Norman Rockwell making a down payment on a house with one Saturday Evening Post paycheck are over for a great majority of us.
If you are interested, here is my iStock Portfolio.
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