Silbran

You name or Shopid *	Silbran
Which PODs do you work with? (in no particular order *	zazzle
How long have you been working with PODs? *	1-2 years
What is the best thing about working with PODs *
I'm a graduate designer what doesn't mean I'm a good illustrator at the same time, so I love to learn and practice new techniques. When I'm watching or reading tutorials for Illustrator or Photoshop I think often: that could be a cool design for a T-Shirt, a business card, a phone case. POD helps me to turn "fooling around" into something meaningful. To learn something to just learn it is a good thing, but I feel more motivated to learn something when I can make "more" out of it and feel inspired for products. Every time someone buys at least a postcard from me I feel insanely excited that someone loved my artwork so much that he or she spends money for it. If I ever win big money in a lottery I will buy Zazzle. Or have my own POD place because I would love to have my own manufacturing company.
How many hours do you spend on your POD(s) - including designing, adding & promoting - on average *	under 5 hours per week
what would you say to another POD artist who is struggling and in need of motivation? *
Life isn't fair. We all must find a way to get over it and still go our way. POD is about creating good designs, but this will not guarantee you will be found in the ocean of good and bad products. So what to do? Making an honest decision based on facts can be very helpful for motivation and success. Indifference drains energy and leads to frustration as much as wishful thinking that never comes true. What I found really helpful is reading biographies. The stories of well-known people seemingly living in easy circumstances being famous and rich turn out to be stories full of setbacks and failings. If it is a honest biography and well written it shows you that "all others" did not do much better than you out of pure luck (though luck is a component in success) - it is because they did not stop developing after they struggled or made mistakes. Sometimes we feel weak and inferior thinking all other people in the world are better th an we. But in all biographies written about people that really have to say interesting things about life you will find that once or more often in their lives they had to make decisions and felt insecure or suffered from failure and disappointment. This should teach us being more realistic with our expectations and patient and persistent with our development. Often we do see a successful person being on "level Q" in their development and we immediately want to be also on "level Q" while in fact we are on "level D". But to go from D to Z we need to do the necessary steps from D to E to F ... We need to be more realistic and appreciate small success and doing the necessary steps on our path.
Do you have any formal training or education in POD related fields? *	Yes, Formal - Graphic Arts Yes, Formal - web design Yes, Formal - computer related services
If I won the super jackpot lottery tomorrow I would... *	Keep working my POD's for fun
My zazzle stores are:	http://www.zazzle.com/silbran http://www.zazzle.com/silbran_office

Sam Stormborn Ormandy, my shop is called Alternative Enchantments

You name or Shopid *	Sam Stormborn Ormandy, my shop is called Alternative Enchantments
Which PODs do you work with? (in no particular order *	zazzle
How long have you been working with PODs? *	3-6 months
What is the best thing about working with PODs *
At the moment I only have a Zazzle account. I don't yet use any other PODs, but plan to expand in time onto other platforms. Zazzle organises the printing, packaging and posting of all the products which leaves me the time to create the artwork and designs. There is no need to invest in any stock so you can start your online store with none of the initial costs of starting your own business. The only things you need are the time and passion for creating art and designs that you love! Zazzle also has a wide variety of different products so that you're not limited to one type of merchandise; it might otherwise be difficult or not possible for an individual to obtain the products to print on due to having to buy stock in bulk. You don't need to buy any printing equipment which is very expensive and you also don't have to worry anything breaking down when you most need to use it. Another thing that I really like is that I get to create designs that I can personally enjoy having around my home. Many of my designs have been created for my wonderful girlfriend and they go really well with our decor! ♥
How many hours do you spend on your POD(s) - including designing, adding & promoting - on average *	60+hours per week
what would you say to another POD artist who is struggling and in need of motivation? *
If they were struggling for inspiration, I'd recommend going out for a walk and taking photos of things that sparks their imagination which is what I do. It's not just about the inspiration, it's also good to get out and get some exercise! Try to create a well balanced routine, get organised and be pro-active every day. Set aside the days that you want to have off and make sure you do something to help you relax for a couple of hours every day. From what I've read, the most successful people are the ones who are extremely passionate about what they do. If you love what you're doing, you have to find a way of making it work for you! Search Facebook and other social networks for Zazzle, Cafe Press, Spreadshirt, RedBubble etc. Join multiple groups on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Learn from what others are doing; when you become a POD artist or designer, you're also becoming part of a huge community of creative people and there are many who can help and give you good advice. The greatest difficulty that I've found is asking for help - that is my weakness, don't make it yours! Many people who join a POD expect to make money straight away - unfortunately that's not possible. You need to learn how to promote yourself first. When you join a POD you should think "I'm starting an online business." Every business takes time and hard work to build. It is my personal goal to be making a part time living by the end of 2013 and that may be a little optimistic, however, what I do manage to achieve by the end of this year can then be built upon next year! Most importantly: Don't give up - keep on going, keep struggling, keep fighting and remember that you are the person who controls your destiny! Only you can make it happen!
Do you have any formal training or education in POD related fields? *	Yes, Formal - Graphic Arts Yes, Formal - web design No - I am self taught
If I won the super jackpot lottery tomorrow I would... *	Keep working my POD's for fun
My zazzle stores are:	http://www.zazzle.com/alt_enchantments http://www.zazzle.co.uk/alt_enchantments

NoteableExpressions

You name or Shopid *	NoteableExpressions
Which PODs do you work with? (in no particular order *	zazzle
How long have you been working with PODs? *	3-4 years
What is the best thing about working with PODs *	I love working with PODs because it allows me to stay at home for my kids but earn money to contribute to the family. I also love that I get to focus on creating and my art and Zazzle handles the printing and the headaches! Without them I would never have gotten the exposure I've had. I am able to sell all over the United States and not only that - but all over the world! It is amazing and humbling to know that my invitations have a part - even if it is a small part - in one of the most special days in someone's life.
How many hours do you spend on your POD(s) - including designing, adding & promoting - on average *	40-50 hours per week
what would you say to another POD artist who is struggling and in need of motivation? *
Take a deep breath. A lot of times someone who is new to PODs expects instant results. Like anything else that is really worth it - this takes a lot of work, some luck and time. Just relax and focus on your art - the more pieces you have available the better your chances of being found. If you are stuck and lacking inspiration - go do something you love to do - a change of scenery can do wonders for your creativity. Another thing you can do is to take a good look at your descriptions, tags, and organization during these down times. Personally, I make a point of uploading at least one new design every day but if I'm not in the mood I will spend the rest of the day designing or working on my SEO, blogs, and other "housekeeping" issues. It took me about a year (working full time) to see consistent results, but this past summer I was able to take my family on a week long cruise to Mexico with a side trip to New Orleans - it was a dream come true for us.
Do you have any formal training or education in POD related fields? *	Yes, Formal - Graphic Arts Yes, Formal - Art Yes, Formal - marketing Yes, Formal - computer related services
If I won the super jackpot lottery tomorrow I would... *	Keep working my POD's for fun
My zazzle stores are:	http://www.zazzle.com/noteableexpressions http://www.zazzle.com/icases4u http://www.zazzle.com/beseenbranding http://www.zazzle.com/notionsbynique

Diane Clancy's Art

Your name or Shop ID *	Diane Clancy's Art
What types of advertising do you use? *	Business cards Blogs Websites Social Media Giveaways Online Profile links
What is your favorite way to advertise? *
Facebook is my current favorite way to advertise. It is delightful to to get fairly immediate feedback on what people like and don't like. It is great when people offer name for some of my paintings when I haven't decided yet. I get really creative suggestions. Polyvore and Wanelo are another fun way to connect with others and have my images (and links to the products) be spread around the internet. People make scenes with products in them at Polyvore and I love seeing how others have created sets using my work. Pinterest is another social media that I like for promotion. There people create boards and share their own and others' products from Zazzle and Cafepress (and other places too). A funny thing though, almost almost my networking on these sites start with my Facebook friends! It is like there is a spider web of connections made on Facebook that support my soft advertising around the internet.
How much money do you spend on advertising each year? *	$0-25
How many total stores, blogs, pages, profiles, websites and such do you have related to your POD work? *	20-40
What is the best advice you have receieved when working with PODs, that should be passed on to other shopkeepers? *
Go ahead and get going on creating your products! Many people are concerned if a certain image will interest people or wonder if they should really create *that* product! I have heard so many people say they never thought anyone would be a certain image and yet they got a sale. Often we as shopkeepers don't know exactly what will sell. For Zazzle, I have a hint. When you sign up, make sure you use the name that you want to have for your first shop - because that IS your first shop. And pay attention to capitals!! It is so much easier to read DianeClancyArt than dianeclancyart (I made that mistake :) ) For both Zazzle and CafePress (and other PODs also), really think about how you want to organize you shop or shops. You can have lots of shops for free at Zazzle, but then you also need to maintain them. So think about what is the way to maximize your presence. You can make shops based on images or products or ideas and probably more. Good luck!!
Do you prefer to work in silence or with sound? *	Complete Silence
What do you find influences your designs the most? Why do you make the niche or style that you make? *	I love color and always have! Spirituality and connection to Spirit and the Life Force are crucial to me. I want to be going within and expressing that connection.
I usually work *	In bed
If you use zazzle please list your zazzle URLs	http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancy http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyAnimals http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyArt http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyBubbles http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyFractals http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyGoddess http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyHolidays http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyPhotos http://www.zazzle.com/DianeClancyWhimsical

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Ixodoi Dae

Your name or Shop ID *	Ixodoi Dae
What types of advertising do you use? *	Blogs Websites Forums Social Media Social Media Ads Web Based Ads Online Profile links
What is your favorite way to advertise? *
My favorite way to advertise my work is to use social media. It is the faster and by far bring more sales then any other way. Right now Pinterest is the best in drawing new sales. Just don't forget to add a price when you pin the item (and your ref code of course). I also like blogging (not necessarily about my POD) so I use that as well. My blogging I means both actually writing about it in my blog and publishing articles in websites such as Squidoo etc. Those sites are great to get new visitors and also to get backlinks to your blog which makes it rank higher (and therefore get more SE visitors) However, the best way is to combine all the ways together. The more exposure you get - the more changes are that buyers will be exposed to your work and buy it. Also, it increases the chance that other will share your work online- -helping you to advertise your work.
How much money do you spend on advertising each year? *	$0-25
How many total stores, blogs, pages, profiles, websites and such do you have related to your POD work? *	10-20
What is the best advice you have receieved when working with PODs, that should be passed on to other shopkeepers? *
The best advice I ever got from an old POD worker, which as times goes by I value more and more is: "Don't do what you think will get you more money. Instead do what you enjoy doing. If you like it people will see, and it will sale more." I must admit I didn't believe it at first and tried to tap into the current trends in order to get sales. However, with time I noticed that when I really like the design it is easier for me to put more time and work on it, and it end up much better and get much more sales. Therefore, right now I try to focus on niches and designs that I like and I'm not worried about trends or if I get sales or not. I know it will take some times till people will notice my new items, but once they will I hope it will sale nicely.
Do you prefer to work in silence or with sound? *	Complete Silence
What do you find influences your designs the most? Why do you make the niche or style that you make? *	I'm motivated by many things, and it changes as time goes on. I can be influence from something I see in the street, a saying made by my kids, from the time of the year, etc. However, the thing that influence my the most are my dreams.
I usually work *	From a laptop at a desk
If you use zazzle please list your zazzle URLs	http://www.zazzle.com/ixodoi_art http://www.zazzle.com/goth_gifts

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Lynne Reichhart

You name or Shopid *	Lynne Reichhart
Which PODs do you work with? (in no particular order *	cafepress zazzle fine art america
How long have you been working with PODs? *	3-4 years
What is the best thing about working with PODs *	I love seeing my designs on all the great products available. Who would have thought I could have my artwork on sneakers (when Zazzle carried Ked's shoes). I own a pair that I get lots of compliments on! Also, who doen't love having someone else do all the printing and shipping for you? Not to mention dealing with the customer questions and issues :) I am really looking forward to getting to the point where I am selling consistently. I just had my best holiday season ever so that has given me a reason to keep going. Bring it on!
How many hours do you spend on your POD(s) - including designing, adding & promoting - on average *	5-10 hours per week
what would you say to another POD artist who is struggling and in need of motivation? *
Just keep at it. I takes time and lots of work to get there. You need many designs in your shop to help you get seen. I am a traditional artist that hand paints my work. I may take weeks to finish a painting so it has been slow going for me. I just keep going and add designs as I finish them. My sales have been steadiy picking up. I have also found that Facebook and Twitter have been very helpful to get my work seen. The key is to engage your potential customers. Don't just spam them with tweets about new products and designs. Converse with them and get to know them. In my case, art is a personal thing and folks like to feel connected to the artist before shelling out their hard earned money. Just to show you the power of twitter - after I tweet a new piece or product, I can see the views increase almost immediatley.
Do you have any formal training or education in POD related fields? *	Yes, Formal - computer related services Yes, informal/community course - art
If I won the super jackpot lottery tomorrow I would... *	Keep working my POD's for fun
My zazzle stores are:	http://www.zazzle.com/artbylmr

Flagnation

Your name or Shop ID *	Flagnation
What types of advertising do you use? *	Blogs Social Media
What is your favorite way to advertise? *
I like to place links to individual products on my Facebook pages. When you own the page, you can do it in advance, and I tend to set them a month at a time. I can do it in a couple of hours and know that my advertising for that particular niche is done for thirty days. I have a Facebook page for "flagnation", "maryandjesus", "awardgear", "laughstuff" and "thedemocratlady". I have shops at several different print-on-demand (POD) sites, most of them use the same name, no matter what the POD, and on my Facebook pages, I can promote any product from any POD. I can do the same thing from my blogs and Twitter accounts. I tend not to use Twitter that much, but most of my other social media accounts are set to automatically tweet when there is a post from the blog, Facebook page or whatever else I might use.
How much money do you spend on advertising each year? *	$0-25
How many total stores, blogs, pages, profiles, websites and such do you have related to your POD work? *	10-20
What is the best advice you have receieved when working with PODs, that should be passed on to other shopkeepers? *
PODs used to be very lucrative. That is no longer the case. Royalties and commissions are being cut drastically at nearly every POD in existence. Gone are the days when you could put up one design and get a sale in a month or two. You must be willing to work, and work HARD. You have to think of this as a full-time job, and put in twelve to eighteen hours a day. And it is not just about adding designs anymore. You need to promote your designs. You need LOTS of designs, as in hundreds and hundreds, even thousands. You need a blog, a Facebook account, a twitter account; you must post your products to Polyvore, Pinterest, and anywhere you can. And you must be prepared to pay for advertising. SAVE every dime you make until you can afford to spend it on advertising. Because the only way you will make any real money is to stop depending on the marketplace in the various PODs and get buyers into your shops.
Do you prefer to work in silence or with sound? *	Noise, Silence...Makes not difference I can work anywhere
What do you find influences your designs the most? Why do you make the niche or style that you make? *	Countries. Most of my designs involve the flag of a particular country. It is fun to follow holidays and try to create design that show love, pride and honor a particular ancestry, heritage or culture. Sometimes it is just fun to make something for someone that travels.
I usually work *	From a desktop at a desk
If you use zazzle please list your zazzle URLs	http://www.zazzle.com/flagnation http://www.zazzle.com/laughstuff http://www.zazzle.com/awardgear http://www.zazzle.com/maryandjesus http://www.zazzle.com/thedemocratlady

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