Promoting your Handmade Products
How to promote your work on Try Handmade
- Submit your best work to the Try Handmade Gallery. I look through the submissions to find new makers to feature on the blog.
- Add your shop to Best of Handmade.
- Are you a writer? Apply to be a Try Handmade columnist.
- Complete a DIY Interview.
- Upload photos of where you work to In My Workspace.
- Advertise in the sidebar.
And as much as I’d like to think that Try Handmade can do it all, there are additional ways you can promote what you make with your own hands. Below are some resources I’ve collected for you. I’m constantly adding to this list, and if you have any additions you’d like to submit for inclusion, just let me know.
Resources
Learn, network, promote.
- Bixbe.Biz :: The Verysmart Business Blog for The Verysmall Business.
- Cool Mom Picks :: A blog which really appreciates the handmade and features the best for kids and parents. Submit your work.
- Craftster :: A social network for sharing your works in progress and getting advice about future projects.
- Cafe Handmade Lounge :: A social network to connect those who love to buy handmade with those that love to create handmade.
- Plumdrop :: Forum for sellers from any venue.
- Handmadeology :: Learn about selling online with tutorials geared to specific venues.
- indiepublic :: A social network for indie designers and artists.
- American Craft Guide Community :: A social network for supporters of all things handcrafted.
- Crafty Crafty :: Tutorials and inspiration.
- Modish BIZtips :: Bright ideas for your creative business.
- ByHand.Me :: A social network just for those who make handmade.
- Handmade in PA :: A regional promotional site for artisans in Pennsylvania, US.
- Promote your Etsy Shop :: A great set of tips that anyone can use.
- Get Crafty :: Home of the craftistas.
- How do I get myself out there? :: Advice for promoting your work.
- Craft Recipes :: Social network for crafters.
- The Switchboards :: Network for creative women.
- Most of the below Venues also have forum areas where you can connect with others.
Venues
Sell your wares.
| per month | per listing | per sale | forum? | payments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 Markets “independent, small scale artisanal businesses” » | - | - | 5.5% + 50¢ | yes | Amazon |
| Amazon nearly anything » | $39.99 | - | varies | ? | Amazon |
| artbreak art » | - | - | 7.5% | - | PayPal |
| ArtFire handmade, fine art, design, media, supplies, vintage » | $12 | - | - | yes | PayPal, Google Checkout, Revolution Money Exchange, Check, Money Order, and ‘other’ |
| Crobbies handmade | - | - | 3% | yes | PayPal |
| DaWanda (English) “unique, handmade and customizable products” » | - | - | 5% | yes | PayPal |
| Etsy handmade, supplies, vintage » | - | 20¢ | 3.5% | yes | PayPal |
| Folksy handmade, supplies, indie » | - | 20p | 5% | yes | PayPal |
| FuzzB | I do not recommend you use FuzzB. Here’s why. They did the same thing to me and the site is still up. They’re not people I can recommend you give your hard-earned money to. | ||||
| Made It Myself handmade » | free during beta period | yes | PayPal, Check, Money Order | ||
| per month | per listing | per sale | forum? | payments | |
| iCraft handmade art, craft, fashion » | $25 CAD setup fee, then 0 – $15 CAD | - | - | yes | PayPal |
| Ruby Lane art, craft, vintage » | $75 setup fee, then 30¢ / month / item. details | no | PayPal | ||
| Shop Handmade handmade » | free during beta period – ads will appear in your store | no | PayPal | ||
| Silkfair nearly anything » | - | - | 3% | yes | PayPal, GoogleCheckout |
| Smashing Darling independent fashion » | - | - | 18% | no | direct bank deposit |
| Soleyne art » | - | - | 3.5% | no | PayPal |
| WinkElf handmade and more » | 0 – $5 | 0 – 25¢ | 25¢ – 2.5% | yes | PayPal, GoogleCheckout, 2CheckOut, Authorize.Net, WorldPay, NoChex, Ikobo and Protx |
| Zibbet fine art and handmade » | - | - | 7.5% | no | PayPal |
| (Fees in USD unless otherwise noted.) | |||||
… or set up a store on your own web site. You don’t get the built-in audience of the above choices, but you get complete flexibility and autonomy.
First you need to buy a domain (I use and really like Name Cheap for that) then choose what you will use to create your store:
- Amazon
- E-junkie
- PayPal
- Shopify
- BigCartel
- CubeCart
- Ebay
- OSCommerce
- Prostores
- Shopify
- Yahoo
- Zen Cart
- Google Checkout
- eShop WordPress Plugin
- e-Commerce WordPress Plugin
- Quick.Cart
- Virtue Mart
- 1ShoppingCart
- 3DCart
- Agora Cart
- Avactis
- AWD Commerce
- CRE Loaded
- CS Cart
- eCRATER
- FatFreeCart
- FoxyCart
- Interspire
- K eCommerce
- Magento
- Merchandizer
- Miva Merchant
- Network Solutions
- PrestaShop
- ShopSite
- StoreFront
- StoreSprite
- Ubercart
- Volusion
- VP – ASP
- WebmasterCart
- X-Cart
Showcases
Promote your existing store through these gallery-like sites.
Now what?
Did I get it or did I miss the mark? Let me know what kind of information you’d like to find here, and I’ll see what I can do.
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