I'm feed up with 3d party royalties

[Bellissima]

1 tee shirt sold today coming from 3d party, royalties : 0.80 $ 🤐😠😱

All that work for that! working on the design, on the mockup, posting on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, it doesn't even pay for the electricity used and the time spent!

Can they prove to me that the sale comes from a third party? no

I know that I'm not the only one, but compared to other POD platform, it's 👎

[LMGildersleeve]

I'd be really curious if other Creators sell t-shirts on different platforms. How much is their set royalties, if they pay fees out of their set royalty and if they get more than a $1 for one t-shirt sale.

Even with the new AP fee structure, Z never paid a fair royalty from a t-shirt sale. 

[Van]

I'm familiar with one that has two levels, based on how the quality of work is viewed.  The higher tier accounts get $4 per shirt at regular price, $2 when they are having a sale. Another has levels as well - shops falling into the lower tier get hit about as hard as we do here but designers in the higher tier set their own royalty and aren't hit with fees.  Both frown on using clip art packs and things like just slapping public domain clipart and such on products.  

[alissag]

I do sell t-shirts elsewhere. All the other sites I use have sales to encourage shopping, and that does tend to be when my items are most likely to sell. I usually make between $1 and $2 per sale. The exception for me is Amazon which has only just started experimenting with sales. Over there you set your price on each individual item, and I usually make $4.89 per shirt sold, though with the new random sale thing that gets cut to around $2.

[Jadendreamer13]

Top Etsy sellers typically receive a $5.00 royalty for T-shirts and mugs. However, I don’t know if all of that is profit or how much they have to pay in Etsy fees.

[PenguinPower]

If you sell on Etsy, don’t you have to have the stock too? Or do they now have a print on demand service?

[alissag]

Etsy's just a selling platform like Ebay. So, yes you would have to hold stock or what a lot of sellers there do is set up their own drop shipping with a print on demand company like Printful. Etsy sellers must also handle all their own customer service.

[PenguinPower]

That’s what I thought. It’s a bit of a different business model than working directly in a POD. 

[NigelSutherland · Accepted solution]

I wonder if the CEO of Zazzle and the rest of the Executive Team knows about the widespread dissatisfaction the new system has engineered, or whether they is distant from it. I would hope that there is an awareness.

[LJ]

Until every designer does their job as usual, why would they care?

[Jadendreamer13]

They care (as all business owners do) because designer and customer dissatisfaction affects their bottom line.

[sm_business_car]

THIS. Thank you. To summarize everything that has been posted over these several past months, this is what will ultimately influence Zazzle's bottom line.

[LJ]

We’ll see. I’ve been here for more than a decade, and my experience disagrees. The most I expect is some new unnecessary shiny things that mess up some others that worked fine. But financially… we’ll still work for pennies. And that’s what really counts for designers (not volunteers).

[DancingPelican]

It feels like a sweat shop!

[Jadendreamer13]

Yes, I imagine that they are aware, and yes they either occasionally view designer and customer feedback themselves or have employees that keep them up to date.

[Susang6]

I looked into it a little, and it seems Zazzle’s CFO, Jason Kang, has been part of the company since the early days. He’s moved through various roles and now oversees finance and operations. While there’s no direct public link between him and the recent fee changes, it does raise a question: how tuned in is leadership to what’s happening on the ground with creators?

Most of the information available is just polished bios nothing to suggest they’re engaging with community concerns. And frankly, I don’t think moderators are reading most of the forum discussions. Who knows maybe their hands are tied. You can almost picture a boardroom moment:

“The creators are not happy… do you think they’ll stop listing?”
“Oh no!”
“Do you think they’ll stop promoting?”
“Don’t even say it!”
“Oh my gosh… what are we going to do if they raise their royalty?”
Nervous spreadsheet glances intensify.

But that doesn’t mean we roll over, throw in the towel, or whisper “it is what it is.” Speaking up calmly and clearly still matters. The more voices they hear, the harder it becomes to ignore us and the greater the chance they’ll foster meaningful ways to reconnect with the creator community.

Written by Susan Golis  freelance writer, independent designer These are my words, not AI-generated content

[Bellissima]

I'm reposting my answer that was deleted!!! We have to expect that one day Zazzle will have a serious competitor. For the moment, there are none in the POD for wedding invitations, etc...and which will have more serious automation of design transfer, and more attractive remuneration for creators. Especially with AI which also allows for the automation of design creation and product sheets. We will have to expect to see it arrive one day.

[NigelSutherland]

There's an interesting link to the management set-up towards the bottom of the "About Us" page on Zazzle. It's a good read, although it doesn't give contact info. (You have to Google for that.)

I imagine as a body of creators we don't have any representation. A shame as a collective open-letter could be a useful device... Just a thought.

[Susang6]

I come from a family of women who stood up for what they believed in. My mom protested back in her day, and one of my aunts way back when actually marched for the right to vote. So yeah, the thought crossed my mind. It was brief, thought and then I remembered the TOS.

When April 1 came, they were clear about the decision: accept or walk away. Most of us saw it coming, but I don’t think anyone expected it to feel this hard. It’s tough watching something you’ve invested in take such a sharp turn.

Still, I’ve decided to stay and keep showing up. That’s what the women in my life would’ve done and it’s what feels right to me now.  However, I am raising my royalty to compensate for the fees.  I just cannot earn $2.57 for 10 invitations when a single invitations costs more than what I earned.  Honestly I think all we can do is increase the royalty so the fees don’t crush us.  Then carry on with listing, promoting and earning . 

[Jadendreamer13]

I sold a t-shirt yesterday at 15% royalty, also a third-party sale, to a US customer. My royalty was $1.30. Not much, but more than you received.

I sold a bunch of camp t-shirts two weeks ago, for a repeat customer who buys camp t-shirts annually. I received the small royalty I described above for each shirt, plus a $60.00 referral fee.

Maybe switch your focus from t-shirts and designs that customers typically only buy one at a time to group t-shirts. Then use your single-purpose t-shirts to capture small royalties (they add up when you find the right niche, the right design, the right trend, etc.).

The marketplace that Nigel described is not easy to get approval to sell. (Though some people get lucky on their first application). So, you’d need to apply more than once.

[LMGildersleeve]

THIS 👆

I've only ever sold group t-shirts here on Z. 

[NigelSutherland]

I sold a group of 4 t-shirts yesterday. 😎

[Zorinda]

My first ever sale on Zazzle in 2011 was a t shirt that netted $6.95.  I was so proud of that sale that I treated myself out to lunch.  By the time I returned it had gone pink in what was my first cruel Zazzle lesson learned (of many many more to come). 😂. Good news, the buyer returned a week later and I still made $6.95.  The bad news, t shirts were never good sellers for me.

[designsbydani]

It is pretty frustrating. I can only assume it's because the most traffic is from people promoting and not customers finding Zazzle organically on their own. 

[Susang6]

Last night, I made a promise to myself: “I’m leaving the community forum” I was determined to stay away. And yet… here I am again, reading another "cry for help" post and feeling compelled to support my fellow creators. So here goes.

I stand with those of you who are serious about finding your sweet spot and success on this platform. Because yes the royalties and marketing fees are crushing us. From newcomers to platinum designers and everyone in between, no one escapes the wrath of these fees.

Creating invitations is intensive labor. I don’t just toss up templates with stock photos. I spend time experimenting with fonts, wording, and artwork, making each one feel deeply personal and meaningful to the customer. My invitations are priced at a 16.7% royalty to stay competitive in a marketplace dominated by 10% rates. A customer recently bought 10, and after all the fees, I earned just $2.57. That’s less than the price of a single invitation.

It’s disheartening. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read Zazzle’s kind words about supporting creators. But honestly, those words ring hollow when weighed against the excessive fees. I’ve wondered if this is a CFO-driven strategy to boost short-term profits, forgetting that it’s our creativity and labor that give life to their products. Without us, there would be nothing but blank canvases.

Respect is a two-way street. And right now, these fees don’t feel respectful or caring. They feel exploitative.

Written by Susan Golis  freelance writer, independent designer, and advocate for creators. These are my words, not AI-generated content.

[Bellissima]

Thank you for your answer. 2.57 for your hard work isn't fair 😨