Creator Hustle, Limited Sales
These creators are struggling to translate online audience size and engagement into consistent sales on platforms like Etsy and Teepublic. They're experimenting with different product types and designs, seeking feedback and grappling with unpredictable sales patterns, and feeling frustrated by the difficulty of replicating success.
SOURCES (60)
“Hi everyone! I have a question I know they say to never use your seller account to purchase, but I would like to purchase a digital file from another seller that does have a commercial license use for stickers to make and list on Etsy…”
“After 14 days, I finally made my first sale on Etsy! Most of my shop traffic came from promoting my products in Facebook groups. It definitely helped bring in views, but interestingly, it didn’t lead to a single sale. The sale actually came from someone finding my product directly through Etsy search, thanks to my tags. I’m honestly so relieved and grateful. I had already started questioning whether all the time and effort I was putting into my shop was worth it or if it was ever going to work.”
“OMG, I just used Pirate Ship for the first time, and even though it does not integrate with Etsy, it was so easy to do, and it saved me so much money!!! I’m just so excited that I want to tell everyone. I shipped a 10x10x8 box 3lbs 1 ounce for $9.80 from Michigan to Kansas. I’ve been losing my sass with offering free shipping over $35, so I changed to a flat rate of 8.95 and started using pirate ship. This is fanfreakingtastic. I lost every profit and went in the negative on my time spent by shi”
“Howdy there! Sorry if this ain't the right place but I make photo cards and clay charms and want to have cute packaging like this to match my stuff! Im not too sure what key words I could put in to find it... submitted by /u/Astronomical_Waves [link] [comments]”
“It's been more than a month since I started on Etsy at first when I was uploading products I used to get 1 view time to time, but now that I stopped I get no views. I guess I should start uploading more listings and Im preparing another bundle of 6 watercolor theme patterns but they took me too long since I can't draw full or even partial time on it. For the next bundle: should I lower the quality so I have more listings in less time? Or should I keep with the same quality but uploading”
“Had this same exact idea bro. The space is already filled. My advice to you is to find something more niche to start with. Don’t kill your ambitions but it’s not a race to the top. It’s a climb. Start small”
“So i run a decently succesful digital download clipart store on etsy. Since a lot of my designs are digital downloads of stickers, I was thinking of selling physical stickers of my designs. Im not sure how to make stickers and don't want to go through the logistics of making them myself so i was thinking of use Redbubble or a POD. Does anyone have expereince with Redbubble or another POD. I looked at Printify but the shipping cost and cost of the stickers are too much and i don't think a”
“Today marks exactly one month since I started selling on Etsy, and I just wanted to share a small win because I’m genuinely happy with how things have gone so far. I spent about a year focusing on Shopify, but sales were pretty minimal. I recently decided to put most of my time and effort into Etsy, especially learning more about SEO and improving my listings. I honestly couldn’t be happier with the results from my first month. I still have a lot to learn, but it feels good to finally see some p”
“I want to buy a few custom shirts like they sell on Teepublic. I have bought in the past and was happy. I am reading that their fabric quality changed and went down. Can anyone speak to this? If I bought on Teepublic what fit/style would get me the best quality shirt so that it isn't stiff and boxy? Or is there another site I should be looking at? Thanks. Mods - Please don't delete this post! submitted by /u/Particular-Year-4084 [link] [comments]”
“Ali from the UK here. Just started using Printumo and have started to set up my store. My art sits at the meeting point of art and spirituality, rooted in the Sufi tradition. Let me know what you think 🤔 Thank you. submitted by /u/Azzlan786 [link] [comments]”
“Hello everyone ! I’m currently working toward launching an online business selling phone cases using Shopify + Printify/Printful. Since I want to treat this as a serious project and not just a hobby, I thought it would be a good idea to get advice from someone experienced in marketing. I spoke with two marketing studios in my country and had an online meeting with another studio from a different country. All three of them suggested that Pinterest could be one of the best platforms to promote thi”
“Opened my shop yesterday Had my first sale today For social media strategy I have 15.1k followers on IG 5.7k on X submitted by /u/putsandcallsoption [link] [comments]”
“Hi all! I’m an acrylic painter & I started my Etsy shop 1 month ago. I haven’t had any sales other than 3 from my friends/family. What I’m seeking advice for: I’ve only had 130 visits. Am I labeling the titles or tags incorrectly? Is the market so oversaturated with paintings? Am I trying to sell something people don’t want, or if I just need to be patient? I’m on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. How can I get more followers and send more people to my shop? About my shop: What inspired me”
“Many of you probably don't even care about the design awards, but I am trying to go full-time with my Etsy shop, and the potential publicity wouldn't hurt. I really don't like the video requirement though: Share a video of yourself on camera for up to 1-2 minutes responding to any of the questions below: How Etsy has changed your life? What does your business mean to you? With the potential for AI impersonation becoming more of a threat, I make it a policy to not make or post videos”
“Hello everyone , so this week I created my etsy shop and listed 9 products with variations and I want to some feedback / advice regarding my products pricing. Is it competitive enough or too low or too high? Your insights would be really helpful for me submitted by /u/GIMNER [link] [comments]”
“I run a merch agency that helps YouTube/Instagram creators launch their own merch, handle everything end-to-end, and they earn a revenue share on sales. I need an outreach agency or freelancer who can find creators and pitch this to them. But honestly I don't even know where to start looking. Google just gives me big platforms, Reddit feels scattered, and I have no idea which platforms actually have people who do this kind of work. Where do you guys find outreach specialists or agencies for”
“Hello all. I keep seeing mixed opinions about changing Etsy titles, tags and photos. Some sellers say their views improved, while others say it made no difference or hurt listings that were already doing well. When you update a listing, how do you tell whether the change was actually responsible for any increase or decrease in views and sales? Do you just wait for an increase in sales LOL? Cause what if changing the listing turn out to be worse, and I need to revert back. submitted by  ”
“After 6 months of development and 1.5 month of marketing since early June (including 10 YouTube videos and several blog articles), I finally made my first sale. Honestly, the road to making my first dollars has never been this long for me. I genuinely have doubts about whether this will succeed in the long run. But for now, I will keep pushing forward. https://preview.redd.it/pmw4ys7znxdh1.png?width=706&format=png&auto=webp&s=3071e35dfc1ccac0973c37235ed9771a3cb1b186 submitted b”
“So I opened my shop a bit over 3 years ago. Growth was slow for a long time, honestly kind of discouraging at points. But since June 1st I've made $11,235.13, and these last two months have easily been the busiest my shop has ever seen. I genuinely did not expect this. I still remember what it felt like putting up a new listing and just waiting, no views, no sales, wondering if any of it was going anywhere. I don't feel like I have some big strategy figured out either, still feel pretty”
“I took a two-year ‘break’ from Etsy and recently decided to relaunch my shop with a much larger product range. These are my stats after the first 30 days back. The only marketing I'm currently doing is $1 a day in Etsy Ads, and honestly it's been one of the best decisions I've made. The ads bring in a good amount of traffic and sales. One thing I'm struggling with is getting reviews. I include a handwritten thank you card with every order, but my review rate is still much lower t”
“Above is the link to my store. Im looking for honest feedback. I live in a small town and have been doing local vendor shows for the last year. I do fairly well at them. I do make Christmas ornaments as well and those tend to sell great around the holidays. I thought id start and Etsy shop to reach more people but so far have had no luck with getting a sale. I started painting after my kids went to college. My second child is getting ready to start her second year and I wanted a hobby to keep me”
“Been running my little Etsy shop for 8 months. Never did Etsy before and it was a challenge to get started. I feel proud that I finally did it and I’m actually getting some sales. I don’t run any ads and I only can do my crafting on the days I’m not at my regular job. I wish I could do a lot more because it seems like people are enjoying what I create. I have a somewhat niche handmade product and I only ever have 14 or less items in my shop at any time, so I don’t sell tons, but I have finally c”
“The warm brown aesthetic sounds appealing, especially for ceramics. One thing to consider is contrast; make sure text is easy to read against the background. I once used a similar color palette and found that using lighter shades for text really helped with visibility. Maybe test out some different font weights too. Would love to see how it evolves!”
“Hello. I love making stickers and I buy them off etsy but id maybe like to sell them. Or do more complex ones. I have no idea how to cut out complex stickers with holes in the centre such as one for a casette tape. For under 200£€$ what are my options ? ...beyond a sharp knife and scissors.. I want it to be simple and reliable as possible :) Thanks submitted by /u/Murky_Palpitation862 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone! I opened my Etsy shop, AstroBrat, about two months ago and I’d really appreciate some honest, constructive feedback. I sell graphic t-shirts with a cosmic, Y2K, and chaotic-cute aesthetic. I’ve been working on improving my branding, mockups, SEO, and listings, but I’m sure there are things I’m overlooking. I’m not looking for sales or self-promotion —I’d genuinely like to know: What was your first impression of the shop? Would anything make you leave without buying? Do the mockups l”
“Hi everyone! I opened my Etsy shop, AstroBrat, about two months ago and I’d really appreciate some honest, constructive feedback. I sell graphic t-shirts with a cosmic, Y2K, and chaotic-cute aesthetic. I’ve been working on improving my branding, mockups, SEO, and listings, but I’m sure there are things I’m overlooking. I’m not looking for sales or self-promotion —I’d genuinely like to know: What was your first impression of the shop? Would anything make you leave without buying? Do the mockups l”
“Hi everyone, A few months ago I started my own hand-tufted wool rug shop on Etsy. Rugs are kind of a family legacy for me, so I'm confident on the production/quality side, but I'm still learning the customer side of things. I had an order where I made the rug and delivered it everything went smoothly and on time. After delivery, I sent a follow-up message asking how the product was, whether they liked it, and if there were any issues basically just looking for feedback. No reply. It'”
“Who is your target? Regular folks? Weddings? Photographers? Video production /movies? All of the above?”
“Few hours ago I shared that I had made my first sale of Pastily . Someone commented: “Well, I just made you another one.” I smiled, thinking they were joking. A few minutes later, I checked my dashboard… It was real. Customer #2. As a solo developer building Pastily, these early sales mean so much more than the revenue. They remind me that real people are finding value in something I built. Back to fixing bugs, shipping features, and earning customer #3. Thanks, Reddit. ❤️ submitted by ”
“I shoot analog pictures, get them printed on really high quality cotton. And I try to post a short every day on TikTok and insta. I try to fall into the small business owner algorithm. But tbh I don’t feel like this will even have a chance. Cause why would people buy a random picture online 😂. I am going to put more personality into it in the upcoming time, to see if that works, but first I need more than my best friend and a random person on the world to follow me. What would you say? I am the”
“I started Etsy around a month ago, just under a month ago. I have had 30 sales, and uploaded about 70 listings. is this average or below? Any advice to get more sales. or what changed the game for you guys submitted by /u/Soft_Lettuce_1505 [link] [comments]”
“I made my first sale on Etsy, then 9 minutes later, I made my second sale. I’ve had my shop now for just over a month and I’ve worked hard to make 19 listings. I’m so happy. I know my items are low cost, but it is what it is. Hoping for more sales soon! • I sell specialised SEND communication products for children. • My goal is to eventually provide a sustainable secondary income. For now, I’ll celebrate as I’m 2 steps closer to my goals! submitted by /u/lavenderhaze010 [link]”
“Hi everyone, I’m looking for some honest feedback on my Etsy shop because I’m struggling to figure out what’s holding me back. I’ve put a lot of time into creating my products, improving my listings, and taking better photos. Most of my traffic actually comes from posts I make in Facebook groups, so people are definitely clicking on my shop. The problem is that almost nobody is buying. I’d really appreciate it if you could take a look at my shop and let me know what im doung wrong. I’m looking f”
“Hi everyone, I opened my Etsy shop about three weeks ago. I sell 3D printed dog products, and so far, I haven't made any sales yet. Right now, I only have 2 listings active. I do absolutely everything myself: from the 3D design and prototyping (tested by my own dog) to the actual printing and post-processing. Because of this, it takes me a long time to get a product ready to be listed. I’m trying to figure out if my lack of traction is just a matter of being new with very few listings, or if”
“So I draw animal realism pawtraits. (I still need to make a pet pawtrait commissions option but am not sure what to charge etc so I've been putting it off!) I haven't received basically any revenue from my digital prints. I want to avoid spending heaps of money on frames etc if nobody is even viewing my work as digital prints let alone buying it!! Is there anyway around this? :( How do I receive the amount of love all the AI listings get when mine are handcrafted? submitted by  ”
“I have an overwhelming amount of baby clothes that I’ve posted on Facebook for practically nothing. It seems like Facebook is flooded with baby clothes, making it difficult for everyone to find what they need. I’m curious about how Vinted works. I don’t mind making money, but I’d rather not have to spend money in the long run on shipping items. Has anyone sold on Vinted? If so, please share some information with me. submitted by /u/Worth_Equal8513 [link] [comments]”
“I wanted to get some feedback from other creators because I've been going back and forth on this for a while. For some context, I'm a travel creator with around 100k followers on Instagram. Most people know me for my travel videos, but I also get a lot of questions about my editing, content creation process, and how I work with hotels and brands. A few months ago, I launched a $50 digital product teaching people how I land hotel collaborations—things like profile optimization, pitching,”
“I’m a new seller on Etsy. I sell fragrances samples i just started 3 days ago, i made 3 sales. Also i just started doing another gig which is 3D printing, especially Molds for wet leather forming. I’m debating whether to merge the two gigs in one single account or separate them. What’s the best option to do? And why. submitted by /u/Hopeful_War7192 [link] [comments]”
“We have had a fairly good first couple of months on Etsy. We hit 115 sales today, and 2k in revenue. (Someone tell me if this is actually good or not I am just assuming) I am a full time graduate student, and at this point our Etsy shop is making significantly more per day than I make working my part-time job. I know Etsy income can be unpredictable, so I’m trying to be realistic. For those of you who have been selling on Etsy for a while, how reliable has it been for you? Did your sales stay fa”
“I am considering doing something similar submitted by /u/boostedganoosh [link] [comments]”
“Hi, I run an active Print-on-Demand store on TeePublic (with Contrado and Pictorem coming soon), and I'm looking for one dedicated marketer to promote the store professionally in exchange for a strong commission. 📦 About the store: Original designs (fantasy, spiritual symbols, unique art pieces) on t-shirts and various products. 💰 Commission structure: 30% base commission on every sale generated through your links. Rate increase (up to 40%) if you deliver consistently high performance, bas”
“Hi, I run an active Print-on-Demand store on TeePublic (with Contrado and Pictorem coming soon), and I'm looking for one dedicated marketer to promote the store professionally in exchange for a strong commission. 📦 About the store: Original designs (fantasy, spiritual symbols, unique art pieces) on t-shirts and various products. 💰 Commission structure: 30% base commission on every sale generated through your links. Rate increase (up to 40%) if you deliver consistently high performance, bas”
“Hello! I've been selling since December and I've mainly done jewelry. Around May I started doing custom beaded cd keychains and I went from only one or two orders a day to this week getting 7+ a day some with multiple. Im so beyond grateful for getting so many orders but I honestly feel a little overwhelmed. Does anyone have any tips to not feel overwhelmed. I turned off processing on the weekends and I went up a dollar on my prices. I usually ship everything next day. Any tips or tricks”
“Hi, I just relisted my Etsy shop after a 5 month pause — I sell 3D printed bookmarks inspired by ancient civilizations. How long did it take for your shop to recover after being inactive? Did the algorithm punish you or did it bounce back on its own? submitted by /u/soiralce [link] [comments]”
“The AI-slop saturation discourse is everywhere, so genuine question for people running non-AI stores: where do your designs actually come from — your own work, commissions, licensed art? If you've paid an artist: what did it cost, what rights did you get in writing (if any), and did the "original human-made art" angle measurably help conversion, or is that wishful thinking? Basically trying to figure out whether paying real money for exclusive-ish designs beats free/cheap generic i”
“Two weeks ago, I decided to try dropshipping and see whether I could make it work. I am not expecting to make thousands immediately. My first goal is simply to generate my first few hundred dollars, understand the process, and see whether I can eventually build something sustainable. I do not live in the US or Canada, so one of my first challenges was payment processing. I started the process of creating a US LLC, which should hopefully be approved in the coming days. After that, I still need to”
“Hello, quick question: Where are Bundles shown in the etsy app? I have two items which are frequently bought together and customer always ask if there is item 2 existing when they buy item 1. So it looks like the bundle doesn’t show up on the app. I already tested it myself and can’t find it. What other ways of making this item combination visible for customers would you recommend? Thanks for your help submitted by /u/iStinson [link] [comments]”
[Etsy Seller] ★★★ 3/5 (v2.1.1) — It’s been dead-no sales. I was averaging 1 or 2 a week and then nothing! It’s a bit disheartening. Hope it’s just a phase and it…