Just joined Adobe Stock.. posted first photo.. rejected for "SIMILAR IMAGE(S) ALREADY SUBMITTED"

[YosemiteR]

This feels like some kind of joke. I literally submitted my first photo mainly just to test out the process, and I got rejected for having "SIMILAR IMAGE(S) ALREADY SUBMITTED"

Without having any other photos in my portfolio, this could not possiblyd be the case. Am I missing anything?

Is there any way to dispute? What would you recommend doing?

Hopefully mistakes like this are not a common occurence here.

[YosemiteR]

BTW, thanks for any help! Happy to share details if needed...

[Nancy OShea]

@YosemiteR,

Without seeing your image, I'm only guessing.  Next time, post the rejected image here so we can see it.

"Similar photo" often means your subject is not unique enough to be accepted by Stock.  They probably have a zillion others like it already and won't be needing yours.  

Stock knows what their customers want  --  professional quality imagery that has high technical, visual and commercial appeal.  If your image doesn't meet Stock's high quality standards, it won't be accepted.  It's not personal.  It's just business.

Meanwhile, read these important links.  They may help you:

• https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/reasons-for-content-rejection.html
• https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/quality-and-technical-issues.html
• https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/user-guide.html/stock/contributor/help/photography-illustr...
• https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/how-to/tips-stock-image-acceptance.html

Better luck with your next submission. 🙂

[@MNiessenPhoto]

Hi,

"Am I missing anything?"

"Similar images" refers not only to what you have previously submitted (in this case, nothing), but also to what's already available on Adobe Stock, from other contributors.

That said, mistakes can happen from time to time (reviewers are only humans, after all). Very occasionally, a picture refused for that reason can be accepted on second submission a few days later (it has happened to me a couple of times), but keep in mind that it could be considered spamming if you submit many similar images (or the same over and over again), especially since you don't have a large portfolio of images yet. Search Adobe Stock for similar images to get an idea of what's already available.

Bottom line: if you try it, do it at your own risk!

Hope that helps,

Michael

_____________

Michael Niessen - Photographer, photo-editor, educator

[YosemiteR]

Thanks for the tips @Nancy OShea and @MNiessenPhoto !

This is what it said in the message: "Thanks for giving us the chance to consider your image. Unfortunately, during our review we found that it's similar to another image(s) you've already uploaded, so we can't accept it into our collection."

If it's too close to images others of have uploaded, I guess I would have to check again... but I was literally reading the words written. Again if commerical value or quality was cited --- happy to accept that as well, but that wasn't the feedback.

[Nancy OShea]

Reviewers check a box on a form.  The standard "reasons" are already written for them. 

It's possible this reviewer checked the wrong box in haste.  Or maybe "similarity to Stock inventory" was the actual reason. In any case, there is no appeals process so we will never know.