Encouragement Needed

[CherylJones]

Hi everyone. : ) I'm here because I really need some encouragement. I've been trying so hard for so long to teach myself every aspect of this business, and now I feel so defeated from trying to be perfect. Although I just reached Pro on Zazzle, I fear my designs aren't good enough for whatever reason. By the way, I'd like your opinions on whether the focal point of artwork should be exactly centered. Thanks so much! Cheryl

[Barbara]

Be a friend to yourself. Perfection doesn't exist in the arts. Whatever was painted, written, sculpted, composed could always have been better, so stop harassing yourself.

The focal point definitely doesn't have to be in the center. Photographers, for instance, use The Rule of Thirds wherein they divide the scene into thirds horizontally and vertically. Usually, they go for the point where the first vertical and first horizontal cross each other as the prime spot for the focal point.

A quick search found this: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-the-rule-of-thirds/

Colorwash's Home

[CherylJones]

Aww, thank you, Barbara! Such kind words and great advice! I had a mental breakdown a couple days ago, and today, I just felt like deleting everything and starting over, even though my products have had several likes and some sales. I have several greeting cards on another site; I certainly don't want to delete all that work, but I don't know whether to work on their SEO or not. That would be such a task for hundreds of cards. I've been trying to optimize my sites for a very long time, and I'd hate to start off the New Year continuing to do so. Thank you again, Cheryl : )

[idraw]

Hi Cheryl, Maintaining your products and shops is an ongoing process, so there is no “perfection”. Improvement involves change. 
Having shops on a pod, zazzle and elsewhere, is mainly  for the customer to purchase whatever interests them. You can choose various niches and follow tips and guidelines, in the end, the customer finds and chooses, by searching for what interests them. Create a greater variety of products. Posting in the promoting section of the forums will help get more visibility, also doing social media can help.
You have already made sales and are analyzing your products placements, seo. Some analysis can help, Over analysis leads to paralysis. Relax. Take a deep breath and step away from the delete button.
I have posted these links before but this is good info—(Knowledge can overcome fear. You have to build on learning, in steps.)

There are tons of tips and good advice already posted.

Do some reading on the forum, there are excellent tips here:
https://community.zazzle.com/t5/general-zazzle-discussion/not-very-good/m-p/23008

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/general-zazzle-discussion/tips-on-how-to-increase-store-traffic/m-p/...

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/general-zazzle-discussion/hey-guys-im-new-to-zazzle-and-selling-onli...

[Cat · Accepted solution]

Just wanted to say that I can TOTALLY relate to having the urge to delete everything and start over. There are days when I look at my designs and think that it's all just complete and total garbage, and I can't believe that anyone would ever want to buy it - even things that have sold hundreds of times! I really think it has more to do with my mental state than the work itself, and I also think that I'm not the best judge of my own work. I have some designs that I thought were so bad that I nearly deleted them - some of those have become my best sellers, and just a few weeks ago I got an editor's pick on one that I very nearly didn't publish because I thought it was so ugly. SO DON'T DO IT!!

My other thoughts: Your stuff is wonderful - you just need to build on your successes. Go look at everything that has sold and try to figure out how you can do more of THAT. Meaning, can you put that design on more products, or use the artwork on products for different occasions? Can you come up with similar designs - different colors, or a different twist? Clearly if something sold, there's something about it that worked, so build on it in every direction you can think of, and you'll be amazed. In looking at your designs, I'd suggest dipping your toes into the LGBTQ weddings niche - seems like it would be a great fit and there's ALWAYS a demand for wedding stuff.

And you're not wasting time by trying to optimize key words and meta data. There's no silver bullet for outguessing Zazzle's algorithm when it comes to marketplace visibility, but it really doesn't hurt to tweak things. I try to do a little every day on things that have been automatically hidden for lack of views. A few weeks ago, I tweaked the key words on a design that had been sitting there with no views for several years and all of a sudden, I sold 4 of them! 

So, keep the faith... you've got this!

[Malissa]

Sorry I repeated you Barbara.  I didn’t read all the replies thoroughly.  😬

[Barbara]

Great minds think alike. LOL

Colorwash's Home

[PacifierCity]

@CherylJones 

Create more products.  You have less than 300 products between your two stores.  Place your designs on more types of products too.   Once you have 2 - 3000 products with at least a hundred or so designs, then start looking to promote, etc.  Are your designs good enough?  I guarantee that people will buy them once they see them.  They already have!  Plus you have at least 1 editor's pick too.  Nice job!  But you need more products to attract more eyes.  Right now you are a tiny fish swimming in a growing market for your niche (or what appears to be your niche).  Make more stuff.  And shoot for some items that will earn you dollars on every purchase, not cents.  Think clocks or puzzles or blankets...

And perfection in anything in life is a tiny moment in time.  Create stuff that is good enough for awhile.  The stuff that gets views, but no sales, may give you a path to improving those designs if you like them.  The stuff that doesn't get views... well at least you did not pour your heart and soul into them.  Less disappointment.  I have personally learned that sometimes I design things that I end up not liking.  You know what I do?  I publish them!  They don't all sell, but some do.  I've also promoted for awhile now and have learned that stuff that I thought would never sell, does.  It still amazes me sometimes...lol.

My advice would be to keep going, but to create more.  A lot more.  Don't worry too much about collections and categories and the perfect store or the perfect design.  Try "good enough" for a bit and shoot for 3000 products.  If you have a social, share along the way.  If not, once you hit 2000 or so products start using one.  Give your "new" products 6 months to a year to stew in internet land and then reevaluate your designs, niche, etc... 

Oh, and make most of your text on products templates.  This way if someone loves the design, but thinks of their own text, they can easily add it.

And lastly, if you have earned the pro badge selling only those little things, you have had quite a few sales. wink wink...

PC

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[WBartworks]

How can one see if someone had an editor pick?

[PacifierCity]

I went and looked at her stores and saw that she had one....

[WBartworks]

Thank you, PacifierCity!

[Malissa]

You can search your store name and then in the filter section you will see "special picks" as one of the options if you have an editors pick.  If so, click on editors pick when the next box pops up. 

You have to enter your store name as it appears in the url to your store.  So for instance I would search melroseoriginals.

[WBartworks]

Thank you!

[WBartworks]

Thank you, Malissa!

[WBartworks]

Dear Cheryl,

You definitely have some really cute stuff.  I love it!!!  I think many people would buy it, if they would see it.   Unfortunately, not many people will get to see it, unless it gets promoted.  Also, you should place your designs on as many products as you can.  The more you have, the more options are available for purchase.  Keep going, I think you will be successful!  

BTW:  I think posting in the forum will help getting your product promoted by other members.

[Jadendreamer13]

I just visited your store. Your designs are unique and wonderful. I agree with the other responders; you need to make more designs and apply them to more products. 

[CherylJones]

Thank you, Everyone! You all are really lifting me up. I can't express how much I really appreciate all of your kind words. And I so appreciate all the compliments! I know I need to work on my perfection problem, which is really hindering my creativity. I've been optimizing instead of creating for so long that I'm embarrassed to admit how much time I've wasted...I have so many ideas just sitting in a notebook. So sad. And my poor hubby seems about ready to give up on me. Kudos to all of you!!!

[PacifierCity]

@CherylJones 

You haven't wasted anything.  I'm sure you've learned a lot and it will apply in the future when you have more products.

Tomorrow is a new day.  Put the past behind you and move on.  Open that notebook and create.  Make your designs "good enough" or shoot for "good."  With time and practice good becomes "pretty darn good" which becomes "great" which becomes... "wow, did I do that?"  It just takes time and practice.  And stop being your own worst critic.  Put stuff in the MP and see what sells and go from there.  Anything that has sold should be put on at least 3 other products...

PC

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[Fiorenzo]

There is not much I can say our fellow designers haven't already said. Checked your stores and the designs are lovely and well done. They will definitely find their customers as soon as you have a tad more visibility in the marketplace, which comes with your own promotion and growing product views and sales. It's basically like Google's search engine: the more visits (and sales, on Zazzle) your page has, the higher you get listed in the results. Keywords and description are important but traffic is THE key to pushing you upwards and granting visibility and possible sales. As already mentioned, also a hint from me: you definitely shall put your texts into templates so customers can easily modify them within the personalization form, without having to mess with the design tool.

In terms of perfection, I can absolutely relate. Both as a web and graphic designer and as an artist. In this regard, all has been said, too, although it's a fact that if your personality doesn't allow you to publish results that aren't good enough in the eye of yourself, the best recommendations remain recommendations. It's an open secret that we creatives tend to be our worst customers. There is a positive aspect to being a perfectionist, tho: While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, clients definitely can differentiate between sloppy and quality work.

Best of luck and Happy Holidays!

[CherylJones]

I'm so touched to see the replies continuing to come in, and taking every word to heart. I'm also feeling so much better about things. : ) I went from worrying about one of my images being about two hairs width from being centered exactly to letting go and accepting what I can't go back and change. Words can change the course of a life. You guys are helping me do that. I am so grateful. Thank you. 

[KeegansCreation]

I have a product(s) suggestion. Your LGBTQ store has many areas covered but there is one giant hole. WEDDINGS. ❤️ Your wedding collection only has one product, a congratulations card. My suggestions is to go to town on weddings.

Yes, the Zazzle marketplace is flooded with wedding designs and it's a very difficult niche to break into because of that. But the LGBTQ subsection of that is underrepresented. My suggestion is to go all in with the wedding products; invitations, save the date cards, napkins, decorations, thank you cards. It's a big project but I think it's a worthwhile time investment.

[Cat]

Yes! LGBTQ WEDDINGS! Much of her artwork is ready made for it!

[Malissa]

I spent a lot of time...like my first couple of years on Zazzle, worried about making all my art fit on every shape of everything I put it on perfect.  It gave me a kind of creation paralysis where it was so much trouble to tweak every little thing that I stopped doing much of anything.  But, after a while I learned that I can do that to some degree, but I have to learn to let go and trust that the customer will be able to tweak on their end when they change sizes, models, etc. and it gave me so much more freedom in being able to create a product and move on.   I think more sales and seeing more customers transfer and customize designs helped me with the letting go.  I feel like it will come for you with a little more time as well. 

As far as centering the focal point of your art, my opinion is that it is far more interesting if it is off center a bit one way or the other.  Think of the rule of thirds and divide your area out mentally, and place it on one of the "thirds marks".  Unless you mean centering on the product, and that is a different thing.  Make sure your art is placed on the product either covering the item or where it would make sense in the overall design.

[CherylJones]

Hi Malissa, you sound a lot like me. : ) I just printed the serenity prayer. I hope it will help me to just "bless" my artwork that I spent a ton of time creating but now see "flaws" in. Thanks for your message.

[Barbara]

Regarding flaws: The music of today is, for the most part, produced using software called Pro Tools, which has the ability to correct vocals that go off key. It can also correct for itsy-bitsy variations in rhythm. It can do a bunch of other stuff too, but those two things are enough to make a piece of music sound perfect. But is it? Often, It's boring. What would our world be like if every tree were perfect? Every animal? Every person? It's the tiny flaws, the tiny differences that comprise beauty. I love the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley, but when inspecting them closely, I can see the wiggle of the pen, a bit of spattered ink.

The flawed human element adds beauty. It's the same for you and your artwork.

Colorwash's Home

[CherylJones]

Yes. Thank you. In fact, not long ago I purchased an art print to remind me of that. It says, "Beautiful things are never perfect." : )