Explain Digital Downloads in Simple Terms

[ZAZKAT]

Feel free to explain this.  

This gives the buyer a chance to download the design on the spot with a royalty to us?  Is it as easy as that?  So, in terms it gives them a sample?   And then they can hire a printer to do the rest?  How does that increase our royalty fee's if they download once?  

Is there a fee for the creator to participate in digital downloads?

Are creators added immediately or I saw an opt out by October 31st.

Wanting to understand this in layman's terms.

Thx

(moderator edit: please do not use ALL CAPS in discussion titles)

[KeegansCreation]

"Feel free to explain this.  

This gives the buyer a chance to download the design on the spot with a royalty to us?  Is it as easy as that?  So, in terms it gives them a sample?   And then they can hire a printer to do the rest?  How does that increase our royalty fee's if they download once?"  The intention seems to be that they send the card or invitation to people via email. It's for a last minute thing when the paper products wouldn't get to them in time. Or also they could print it themselves. How does it increase our royalty if they download once? That's getting hotly debated throughout the thread. On the one hand it's another source of income from people who would wouldn't have bought the paper version. On the other hand there is a possibility of abuse people are worrying about.

"Is there a fee for the creator to participate in digital downloads?" No.

"Are creators added immediately or I saw an opt out by October 31st". They are doing a one-time mass migration of certain types of cards on or shortly after Oct. 31 so nothing will happen until then. After this one time mass migration, it seems you must opt products in individually if you didn't participate in the mass migration.

Wanting to understand this in layman's terms.

[ZAZKAT]

Then that tells me that a one time download of our own design electronically allows the buyer to pay once and then email to a given amount of people?

Any other information besides the questions I have asked?

[Cat]

It's not a one time download. It allows them to edit and download unlimited versions.

[ZAZKAT]

That would mean the creator would receive a one time royalty fee. Not a royalty based on quantity that was sold. Right?

[Cat]

That's my understanding, but no one from Zazzle has chimed in to clarify any of this yet.

[nharveyart]

I allowed the migration and did not uncheck the box in settings. But now I'm having second thoughts. I've had health issues and was not up to trying to thoroghly understand this.

If I change my mind, can I still "un-migrate" them individually?

Weird... this evening I got an email from someone asking me to sell them a hi-res jpg of a design (which I think they saw on my blog) so they could print their own cards. I had no idea whether they'd rip me off one way or another so I said no, linked them to what they wanted on Zazzle. When they persisted, I remembered the Digital Download program and mentioned they should keep looking for that. But I'm not so sure I want to allow this unless there is some limit on how much a design can be used for the price paid. My designs are complete and not inherantly suited to customization beyond any text inside the card, though they are set to allow it.

[Barbara]

What we all need are a few real-life examples showing us the details of setting up, including setting our royalties, and then the possibilities both good and bad when a customer buys from us. We should be going into this with eyes wide open.

Colorwash's Home

[CreativeLeahG]

The answers to your questions  can be found in the links they provided 

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/a-new-way-to-generate-more-sales-on-zazzle/ba-p/44256

which leads to more info links

The info shows an example of how Zazzle's program will differ from the competition ( I assume Etsy)

I won't repeat the details, as it is written in the guide.

It explains how the royalties will work, set by Zazzle initially but you can set your own.

Benefits also detailed in the article.

No one knows anything more than is written in the article/s (already in layman's terms).

[Barbara]

@CreativeLeahG  Those explanations include percentages that I, for one, find peculiar. Are they royalties, some sort of  profit, an odd accounting thing?

Colorwash's Home

[CreativeLeahG]

It says on the zazzle guide:

Instant download name your own royalty, set at migration.

I take this to mean, that these %'s are OUR royalty set on 31st oct/1st nov after that you can change them yourself.

[Barbara]

I can't imagine setting royalties like that, some of which approach 100%.

Colorwash's Home

[CreativeLeahG]

We don't need to know the reasoning, but for Zazzle there is zero cost, so their % is pure profit, which at over 5% is more than I make on most my sales. So in this regard, I expect they view their share as their royalty and fee for hosting downloads.

[Barbara]

A lot goes into gross and then net profit, which includes paying employees, taxes, insurance, maintaining the site, etc. Digital or not, they still incur expenses. I can imagine being able to set a 50% royalty but not any of those percentages I saw, and so this is why I'm questioning this. Ultimately, I simply want to know what those super-high percentages actually are and how they relate to the royalties we set.

Colorwash's Home

[CreativeLeahG]

What I mean is once it is set up on technical side of things, it is automated, so there is no additional cost on top of what they already pay out, except perhaps advertising.

[KeegansCreation]

Maybe they mean for it to be a loss leader.

[LMGildersleeve]

I have deleted my post.

[kashmier]

Is this a special program offered to certain sellers? I do not see it anywhere.  Thanks

[Sandra-]

Here’s the announcement about it https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/a-new-way-to-generate-more-sales-on-zazzle/ba-p/44256 and this is the feedback thread https://community.zazzle.com/t5/general-zazzle-discussion/instant-download-questions-suggestions-and... Lots of reading for you!