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Unfortunately for the creative folk, there is a reason that the term \u201cstarving artist\u201d persists. Fortunately, the internet has created a world of opportunity for artists to share their work with the public and, better yet, get paid. Artists and designers have turned to websites like Etsy<\/a>, Printful<\/a>, and Society6<\/a> to sell their art, but one of the most popular websites is the print on demand<\/a> platform Redbubble<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we are going to delve into the why<\/em> and how<\/em> of Redbubble, helping you earn money by doing what you love by showing you how to sell on Redbubble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First launched in 2006, this Australian print on demand website has become one of the most popular platforms among artists and entrepreneurs who are looking to sell merchandise with little \u2014 if any \u2014 work on their behalf. Redbubble<\/a> works similarly to other print on demand (also known as POD) services in the sense that it bridges the gap between artists and consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a print on demand service, you have to do everything yourself: create a design, print it on a number of products, keep track a large inventory while you wait for people to buy the items, then <\/em>when someone finally buys something, go to the post office to ship the sold item (and, if you are really unlucky, personally absorb any losses). When you use a print on demand service like Redbubble, all you need to do is create a design you want to sell, then create an account on the platform. Redbubble does the rest for you! However, this does mean that the company takes their cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some POD services require you to host your own website, but not Redbubble! In fact, it\u2019s one of the main reasons why the platform is so popular. Instead, Redbubble serves as its own, standalone website with a massive online marketplace that hosts (along with its subsidiary, TeePublic<\/a>) more than 800,000 independent artists<\/a> and 2 million of their unique designs. As you can imagine, this is also a huge draw for consumers. With 4 million users from over 200 countries across the world, the platform\u2019s artists have earned a combined sum of more than $100 million since Redbubble\u2019s launch in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some print on demand platforms charge artists to use their services, and while Redbubble does take their cut, they technically<\/em> don\u2019t charge you anything, which makes the service free \u2014 technically.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Selling on Redbubble<\/a> requires no out of pocket costs for artists. Additionally, learning how <\/em>to sell on Redbubble is easy and doesn\u2019t cost a cent \u2014 be wary of people offering the \u201ckeys to success\u201d in exchange for money, as all the important information is already out there\u2026 or in this article (wink, wink<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like fellow POD platform Merch by Amazon, artists who sell their work through Redbubble don\u2019t see all the profits that their merchandise makes. However, unlike Merch by Amazon \u2014 which only pays you a small percentage of the profit in the form of royalties \u2014 Redbubble actually factors the artist\u2019s payment into the retail price of every item sold on their platform. However, this can result in fluctuating prices and payments which can be confusing for both sellers and buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On their help site<\/a>, Redbubble breaks down their pricing and payment into a simple equation: base price + artist margin = retail price<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Determined by the platform, the base price<\/strong> includes Redbubble\u2019s service fee for hosting the item on their online marketplace, the cost of materials, and the printing and manufacturing fees charged by the third-party manufacturing companies that Redbubble employs (it may be a POD service, but that does not mean Redbubble does everything themselves!). However, the base price is subject to change, as their website notes: \u201cChanging the delivery address at checkout could very well change the total because of different local production and material costs charged by the respective manufacturer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The artist margin <\/strong>(AKA what you get paid) is a markup based on a percentage of the base price. The default artist margin markup is 20% but in a refreshing turn of events, artists have the ability to raise or lower the percentage to determine how much they get paid, and can be customized for each type of product sold. This is both a pro and a con, because the buyer must absorb the additional cost as set by the seller. Some buyers are more than willing to pay artists their worth, but others\u2026 not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To put this in perspective, Redbubble provides a great example<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Large framed art prints going to the US have a base price of US$125.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You set a 20% markup for large framed art prints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 20% of the $125 base price means you get an artist margin of $25.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n $125 base price + $25 artist margin makes for a $150 retail price (before tax).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, your payments from sales on Redbubble can be affected by sales and discounts. Many artists will run sales or bulk discounts in order to entice customers, but since this lowers the base price of the items sold while the artist margin remains the same, sellers will earn a bit less from each individual item sold. However, you could potentially make more<\/em> using this tactic, as buyers will be more likely to purchase your items at a discounted price. More sales means more money, even if you are not making the \u201cfull\u201d amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest downside to this is that sellers cannot always control whether or not their items are at a discounted rate<\/strong>, as Redbubble frequently will run site-wide discountsin order to bring more customers to the platform. As you can imagine, some artists feel cheated by this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Redbubble\u2019s payment method is fairly simple, which is a breath of fresh air in the world of ecommerce. You can receive your Redbubble earnings through PayPal or by direct deposit, both of which are free \u2014 though you may incur charges from PayPal or your bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said, you are not able to get paid at the drop of a hat. Instead, Redbubble pays out their sellers on a monthly basis within each \u201cpayment cycle\u201d. Fortunately, these payment cycles are month to month, rather than quarterly, beginning on the 15th of the month and ending on the 15th of the next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a proper print on demand platform, Redbubble handles all of the grunt work involved with selling merchandise online, including shipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Redbubble does not offer free shipping on any of their products. Instead, buyers must pay for shipping themselves, which is calculated based on the weight of the item, where the buyer is located, and whether they choose to upgrade to faster shipping options. Especially for larger items, shipping can be expensive, which is a big drawback for some buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to begin your journey as an artist on Redbubble? The platform makes it easy to get started. These are the steps to help you begin along with a few tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To begin, you will need to <\/strong>create an account<\/strong><\/a> on Redbubble<\/strong>, which is completely free. When creating a seller account, try to think of a unique and memorable profile name that gives buyers an insight into who you are and what you offer. Stay away from \u201ckeyboard smash\u201d usernames \u2014 you want buyers to be able to find your profile easily!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you will need to trick out your artist profile page and storefront<\/strong>! This is where buyers get to know you see all of your art, so it\u2019s important to make a good impression from the get-go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, and most importantly \u2014 you need to upload your art to sell on Redbubble! <\/strong>To do this, you simply need to click \u201cManage Portfolio\u201d after creating an account and logging in, then \u201cAdd new work\u201d to upload. Add a title, description, tags, and choose what products you want your art to appear on, and voila!<\/em> You\u2019re ready to sell on Redbubble.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Redbubble?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How much does Redbubble cost?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How much can I earn on Redbubble?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do I get paid by Redbubble?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Does Redbubble charge sellers for shipping?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do I get started as a seller on Redbubble?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n