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First off, I would look at the sites and see what the most popular sorts of files are and look at any tutorials or suggestions they have. Sites like DT and IS tell you how many times an image has sold, so browsing their portfolios can be educational. Remember, images that have been up longer are also going to have more sales, even if they aren't up to the present quality standards. Then I would suggest you go through your photos to find some to sell. Look at these very critically. Look at them at 100% for artifacts, fringeing, digital noise, weird flash shadows, trademarked logos, etc. Fix up a batch of 10 or so that you think might be good. If they have recognizeable people, get releases (more on that later, perhaps easier to skip these photos for now). It is worth looking on some of the microstock sites for what they say are good stock images. Many sites have forums that have a lot of information too. Title and keyword your photos - do this in a way that includes the info with the images (IPTC), this makes it so much easier to upload to multiple sites. Pick a site that doesn't have a tough entry process (skip istock and shutterstock at first), sign up, and submit your photos. I recommend DT and FP and GL (be sure to use my reference links :) ). See what happens. Don't take rejections too personally. Remember, there is an element of randomness to the approval process. However, do try to learn from your rejections. What makes a good stock photo isn't necessarily what makes a good fine arts photo or a good documentation photo. Have fun.
After you have had some experience with what is accepted and hopefully what sells, then apply for SS and IS (alternatively, you could apply to SS with your first batch, and if you don't get in, you will have a month to experiment with other sites before you can try again). SS is especially good for starting out because they favor new submissions and you are almost guaranteed to start getting sales once you get in, often within the first day. I have heard horror stories of people getting denied their applications numerous times though, and you have to wait a month before re-applying so make sure your initial batch of 10 has no flaws (especially no digital noise) and is varied. Downsizing to 4 MP might help minimize minor artifact, noise, and focus issues. SS helps motivate you to upload files to sites that have more staying power - plus it provides the best return while uploading. It might be best to sign up with them from the start, and if the first 10 don't make the cut, spend the time browsing their forums for suggestions on how to get in. You could even post the 10 you are thinking of submitting for critique and suggestions.
When you sign up at a site, make sure you are ready with a username and password. They will also want your SS # if you are in the US, possibly a scan or image of your passport or other ID, an e-mail address, etc. and you really should take the time to pore through the legalese on the agreements. Some require your images to stay up a certain length of time, and it is worth reading what can and can't be done with your pictures (this varies from site to site, but generally Porn, Medical advertising, political advertising, drug advertising, etc. are out for people images.)
If you want to get paid by check, you might have to wait longer for a higher payout, but with Paypal or the like, you have more worry about fraud. Sites often won't pay out until you earn 50, 75, 100 or more dollars. There are probably a lot of small accounts with less than the payout limit in them, but the people that upload regularly can make payout every month, or at least every year or so on the slower sites.
If you want to have any recognizeable people pictures (or any people pictures at all on some sites), you will need a model release. I made up my own with elements from the site specific releases and what I saw online such as here: universal model release from digital photocorner. They have a property release there too. This will probably become more necessary as the agencies get larger and need to cover their ever deeper pockets. StockXpert now requires them for all private property (like a picture of a house). Make sure that your release contains all the stuff that you see on any agencies release you might want to submit to. Stuff like telephone numbers, e-mail, witnesses, etc. You need to sign one with a witness for any self portraits you want to submit too.
Don't expect quick sales, especially with sites like FP and DT. Don't take rejections personally. Did I mention don't take rejections personally? well, don't!
One great thing about this business is that you can upload what you want to when you want to. If you have heaps of images and time, you can upload heaps, and if you don't have any new images or time, you don't have to. Doing nothing for a week or more shouldn't hurt sales much at all, although on Shutterstock with a lapse of a month or more sales will probably start to fall.
Links to the sites...
Dreamstime microstock page
Shutterstock for photographers
istock is no longer in favor
123RF page
Bigstock Photo page
FeaturePics sign up
The 3d Studio
The 3d Studio
In the interest of full disclosure, some of these links are referral links, if you sign up and sell images through them, I will get some small amount from the agency. It won't decrease your earnings at all. If you do sign up through these links and have any questions, send me an e-mail. To block spam, you will have to decrypt my address though... take my last name (see the heading at the top), then add man, then the symbol @ then the first letter of my last name then maildotcom .
If you are interested in seeing my portfolios, here are some links...
Pancaketom's portfolio on Dreamstime
Pancaketom's portfolio on Shutterstock
my istock portfolio is no longer linked from here because they got too greedy
my photos for sale at 123RF
my photos for sale on FeaturePics