Rejected Photograph

It also should be rejected for copyright infringement. And JessMo - always ask yourself - What story does the picture tell? Where can it be used?

Aesthetics aside, your depth-of-field is too narrow. 

Stock photography requires sharply focused elements.

Customers can add blur filters after purchase if they choose to.

The reason for rejection aside, this image comes across to me as one over which you had complete control of the subject(s) and could have moved things around as needed. (Which you may have done so, but did not submit the images.) In any case, the dried leaves could have been removed. And to me, there's the matter of scale. The file name suggest that the main subject is a cup, yet it comes across to me as being something as larger as a chamber pot or a Dutch oven.

This particular rejection reason is the most difficult one to understand and to figure out how to avoid. "Aesthetic appeal" and "commercial appeal" are highly subjective. We just have to trust that the Adobe Moderators know what is saleable as a stock photo. Try to imagine how a Buyer would use such an image in an ad or brochure or poster. What theme does it illustrate? 

Adobe is not convinced that they can sell your asset. I agree that you could have done more to make this picture interesting.

But your image has also excessive noise, which is a quality issue.