Showing posts with label selling gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selling gifts. Show all posts

Monday, November 21, 2011

Life as a Zazzler Associate

The Beginning con't
2nd entry... First post below

The feverish compulsion to design, upload, apply to product, describe, tag, classify and finally post for sale in my new online gift shop continued for weeks. I developed a rhythm waking at 3 or 4 a.m. to read and research anything I could find in the Zazzle blog, past news letters and Zazzle University until 8 a.m. when I would have to stop to do my other normal routine which - by the way - was totally an inconvenience. Terms like plexo, lens, Zbar and API suddenly became part of my vocabulary, and my feeling pretty stupid asking - for instance - what a plexo is in the forums became a constant companion.

From 10 a.m. on most days to 8 or 9 p.m. I resumed uploading and apply images to everything available completely disregarding Zazzle's recommendation to not stick a design on all sizes, colors and shapes of available product. I was manic and glassy-eyed with determination to get a ton of items into Visages. After all, hadn't I read somewhere in one of the forum posts I would increase my chances of selling if I had loads of gifts available?

I eagerly watched the store inventory climb: 100, 200, 500, 1,000 gifts each and everyone proudly displaying my creations of pencil drawings, photography, paintings, and digital designs I had stored on CDs. Never mind I developed carpal tunnel in my wrist and tendonitis in my arm or that my arthritic lower back throbbed with pain from sitting for hours without so much as getting up to relieve myself.

"No! Never mind that because I must create!" I reasoned unaware I had taken on the appearance of Dr. Frankenstein as he willed his monster-creation to life.

I lived on coffee; wouldn't wash my face nor brush my teeth until 11 a.m. or noon, and didn't take the time to brush my long hair that hangs to the top of my butt until it became so knotted that it was next to impossible to get the scrunchy out of it. Normal daily life was definitely getting into the way. It is here that I must compliment my mate. He was extremely patient with me especially when I would pace behind him and heave enormous sighs while he took a few minutes to check his email and update his Facebook page. He's a dear and good man.

He's sleeping now (2:30 a.m.) after having gotten up to get a drink of water and stating the obvious: "You're up at 1 o'clock in the morning!"

"Yeah, well... my back hurts, I couldn't sleep and I have to blog," I replied while stuffing a coffee filter into its plastic holder.

I think I'd better check to see if ol' Newt Gingrich has said anything new and worthy of displaying on a t shirt. According to Zazzle, Gingrich t shirts are hot right now.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Life as a Zazzle Seller/Associate

It ain't easy being a Zazzle designer and seller, let me tell you...

The Beginning

I can't tell you how I found Zazzle because I don't remember. If you're not familiar with Zazzle you should check it out. Of course I'm directing you to my store, Visages, but for the short description: it's a Print on Demand (POD) online gift store with literally billions of items to shop created by thousands of artists from all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of these gift items you can personalize with names, dates, events, just about anything you want.

If you can't find the gift, you can upload your own art, kids art or pictures to create you own personalized, custom and uniquely special gift.

So... as I said, I found Zazzle and being an artist I thought, "Finally! A place where I can sell my creations. Saints be praised...". And so began the mad activity of creating, uploading, describing and properly tagging cups/mugs, t shirts, key chains, aprons, tote bags, coasters, and goo-gah more of stuff.

I sweated, I fretted, I typed and pasted until I was cross-eyed and weary. Then one day, it occurred to me: "Who's going to see all my great stuff besides my family and friends?"

Off to the Zazzle forum I dashed. I began clicking and reading, more clicking, more reading struggling to find information as to how to get my store, Visages, and me known. Then it happened. Within the same month I created Visages, I made my first sale.

<blink, blink> "Wait... am I reading the email right? I made a sale?! I MADE A SALE!!. Hon, " I screamed throughout the house. "I made a sale!" The Zazzle gods love me, I decided.

But... this was only the beginning. There is more to tell but not today. Today I have to continue designing more Christmas gifts and begin thinking about Valentines Day.

I found this video of a young lady who designed her own shoes, ordered and received them and now gives her review.