How My Doodles Turned Into a T-Shirt Business
From Drawing to Dollars: My Print on Demand Journey
"Doodling with paint" by Mark Ewbie
I was asked a question about my t-shirt business and thought, rather than supplying a two-sentence answer in a comment somewhere, I could write a short bio about it.
Here is my experience, which might be interesting to others considering it.
Bit of Background — My Writing Days
In 2010, I joined the HubPages writing site. You wrote articles, they put ads on them, readers came, and clicked on the ads.
People claimed to be making big money! People, eh? Same old story.
Articles needed a picture to accompany the text. I couldn’t fathom, or be bothered to fathom, copyright rules, so I drew my own. Apart from my absolute lack of ability to draw the simplest thing, I had two main qualities: supreme self-confidence and I didn’t give a crap. A pic’s a pic, right? It’s the writing that counts.
Over the next few years, I learned that writing humorous nonsense does not make money. I tried it at other sites — Squidoo and Bubblews were two, both long gone.
By 2014, I was ready to quit the game altogether. I could write better than when I started, but I had no clue how to make money from it.
Here is my experience, which might be interesting to others considering it.
Bit of Background — My Writing Days
In 2010, I joined the HubPages writing site. You wrote articles, they put ads on them, readers came, and clicked on the ads.
People claimed to be making big money! People, eh? Same old story.
Articles needed a picture to accompany the text. I couldn’t fathom, or be bothered to fathom, copyright rules, so I drew my own. Apart from my absolute lack of ability to draw the simplest thing, I had two main qualities: supreme self-confidence and I didn’t give a crap. A pic’s a pic, right? It’s the writing that counts.
Over the next few years, I learned that writing humorous nonsense does not make money. I tried it at other sites — Squidoo and Bubblews were two, both long gone.
By 2014, I was ready to quit the game altogether. I could write better than when I started, but I had no clue how to make money from it.
My First Big Design Sales Step
I had many nice people on HubPages who liked my stuff and were good to me. Some of them liked my pictures, and a few suggested I sell them.
What?
Sell my stuff to unsuspecting customers?
What the heck, I had nothing to lose. I joined CafePress, which was a major player for Print on Demand at the time — less so these days, although they might disagree.
Before continuing this tale, I need to explain the process of Print on Demand (POD). It will make more sense then. Trust me.
I had many nice people on HubPages who liked my stuff and were good to me. Some of them liked my pictures, and a few suggested I sell them.
What?
Sell my stuff to unsuspecting customers?
What the heck, I had nothing to lose. I joined CafePress, which was a major player for Print on Demand at the time — less so these days, although they might disagree.
Before continuing this tale, I need to explain the process of Print on Demand (POD). It will make more sense then. Trust me.
What Is Print on Demand?
Print on Demand supplies a variety of products that are made to order. These products have designs printed on them. The products are not created until the customer orders, and then they Print… On… Demand.
This process, which is popular in many types of manufacturing, means no problems for companies with unsold stock sitting on shelves.
The companies outsource the designs for their products to individual artists across the world. These artists can apply to be creators. Once accepted — and the bar must have been pretty low for me to get in — the artist has access to their website.
At the website, there are various tools to enable you to upload your artwork and position it on products such as tees, mugs, and badges. There are too many product types to list. You choose background colors, set pricing, write a title like “Duck Swimming on Pond,” for example, and add a description of the artwork.
If a customer buys a product with your design on it, you make a commission. Typically, this might be 10% of the asking price. The products are expensive compared to standard retail products because they are largely unique and made to order. So a mug with the Duck pic might retail for $15. With 10% commission, you make a cool $1.50.
As the artist, you have no concerns about production, stock, supply, retailing, marketing, or returns. The POD company handles all of that for you. You can promote your products, of course, and send people to the POD page with your design.
There is nothing to lose by trying it.
Now, back to the story.
Print on Demand supplies a variety of products that are made to order. These products have designs printed on them. The products are not created until the customer orders, and then they Print… On… Demand.
This process, which is popular in many types of manufacturing, means no problems for companies with unsold stock sitting on shelves.
The companies outsource the designs for their products to individual artists across the world. These artists can apply to be creators. Once accepted — and the bar must have been pretty low for me to get in — the artist has access to their website.
At the website, there are various tools to enable you to upload your artwork and position it on products such as tees, mugs, and badges. There are too many product types to list. You choose background colors, set pricing, write a title like “Duck Swimming on Pond,” for example, and add a description of the artwork.
If a customer buys a product with your design on it, you make a commission. Typically, this might be 10% of the asking price. The products are expensive compared to standard retail products because they are largely unique and made to order. So a mug with the Duck pic might retail for $15. With 10% commission, you make a cool $1.50.
As the artist, you have no concerns about production, stock, supply, retailing, marketing, or returns. The POD company handles all of that for you. You can promote your products, of course, and send people to the POD page with your design.
There is nothing to lose by trying it.
Now, back to the story.
Designing at CafePress
I joined CafePress and uploaded a few of my better designs to various products. A friend from HubPages bought a fridge magnet, and I made a few cents. Nothing sold after that.
After a few months of occasionally loading products and seeing nothing sell, I lost interest.
Some months later — and this is where they will put the montage of my progress when they turn this into a Netflix movie — I sold a few things.
I cannot express fully what these few sales and few dollars meant. It wasn’t the money; I had given up caring about money by then. It was the fact that someone out there, who didn’t know me and wasn’t doing me a favor because they liked me, had decided of their own free will to buy my design on a product.
Good for confidence, less so for income.
I joined CafePress and uploaded a few of my better designs to various products. A friend from HubPages bought a fridge magnet, and I made a few cents. Nothing sold after that.
After a few months of occasionally loading products and seeing nothing sell, I lost interest.
Some months later — and this is where they will put the montage of my progress when they turn this into a Netflix movie — I sold a few things.
I cannot express fully what these few sales and few dollars meant. It wasn’t the money; I had given up caring about money by then. It was the fact that someone out there, who didn’t know me and wasn’t doing me a favor because they liked me, had decided of their own free will to buy my design on a product.
Good for confidence, less so for income.
Other Stuff Gets in the Way
While playing with CafePress, I was still writing at HubPages and had set up my own website too. Now I had two writing gigs that weren’t paying me. In addition, I had to learn SEO, Adsense, Analytics, HTML — it just went on and on.
Did someone mention passive income back in 2010 when I started this nonsense? Working hard every spare moment, seven days a week, for a few dollars each month is not just hard, it’s insane.
But I was doing my best to make my writing pay off.
I also had a full-time career, so all this was extra effort.
While playing with CafePress, I was still writing at HubPages and had set up my own website too. Now I had two writing gigs that weren’t paying me. In addition, I had to learn SEO, Adsense, Analytics, HTML — it just went on and on.
Did someone mention passive income back in 2010 when I started this nonsense? Working hard every spare moment, seven days a week, for a few dollars each month is not just hard, it’s insane.
But I was doing my best to make my writing pay off.
I also had a full-time career, so all this was extra effort.
Continuing Progress — Enter Zazzle
The trickle of sales continued at CafePress. I put the same designs onto Zazzle, another major POD player. No new drawings — just the same art at both sites. It’s allowed. It’s my art.
I liked Zazzle, still do. It has the largest range of possible products I’ve encountered. Socks and ties are a couple of good areas for me.
Zazzle started to generate a trickle of sales. We’re talking one or two items a month.
In November, I took the plunge and treated myself to a Wacom drawing tablet. I thought it would increase my productivity and perhaps my quality. No more stickmen on paper being scanned into the computer. Now I would draw stickmen straight into the computer. Progress.
Christmas 2015 arrived, and with it, my sales moved into double figures. I received my first income from both POD sites in January 2016. Just managed the $50 minimum payout.
Success!
The trickle of sales continued at CafePress. I put the same designs onto Zazzle, another major POD player. No new drawings — just the same art at both sites. It’s allowed. It’s my art.
I liked Zazzle, still do. It has the largest range of possible products I’ve encountered. Socks and ties are a couple of good areas for me.
Zazzle started to generate a trickle of sales. We’re talking one or two items a month.
In November, I took the plunge and treated myself to a Wacom drawing tablet. I thought it would increase my productivity and perhaps my quality. No more stickmen on paper being scanned into the computer. Now I would draw stickmen straight into the computer. Progress.
Christmas 2015 arrived, and with it, my sales moved into double figures. I received my first income from both POD sites in January 2016. Just managed the $50 minimum payout.
Success!
The Turning Point
As soon as Christmas 2015 had finished, and January 2016 arrived, I planned a new direction. My writing paid cents. So did my pictures. But I could see a glimmer of possibilities through drawing that didn’t exist in my writing world.
I had my Wacom tablet and a possible direction to go. I stopped writing, social networking — all the stuff you end up doing on the internet — and focused solely on drawing. Drawing with a purpose.
Drawing that could appeal to casual buyers browsing through thousands of “Duck Swimming on Pond” designs for their nephew or even themselves.
As soon as Christmas 2015 had finished, and January 2016 arrived, I planned a new direction. My writing paid cents. So did my pictures. But I could see a glimmer of possibilities through drawing that didn’t exist in my writing world.
I had my Wacom tablet and a possible direction to go. I stopped writing, social networking — all the stuff you end up doing on the internet — and focused solely on drawing. Drawing with a purpose.
Drawing that could appeal to casual buyers browsing through thousands of “Duck Swimming on Pond” designs for their nephew or even themselves.
My Working Life
Alongside these efforts, I still had the remains of a career, rapidly coming to an end. My last contract was for a never-ending project with constant delays, which covered me while I tried to build an online income.
I finished that work in January 2017.
My online income was not even an income at that point. I was fortunate to have built up enough money to last for a few years, allowing time, I thought, to build a proper income.
Now I needed to increase my efforts.
Alongside these efforts, I still had the remains of a career, rapidly coming to an end. My last contract was for a never-ending project with constant delays, which covered me while I tried to build an online income.
I finished that work in January 2017.
My online income was not even an income at that point. I was fortunate to have built up enough money to last for a few years, allowing time, I thought, to build a proper income.
Now I needed to increase my efforts.
More Sites and Better Designs
I joined RedBubble in February 2017 and Amazon Merch in May 2017 — more sites to put my designs onto.
I watched what sold and what didn’t. Here’s a secret I give you for free: your art, if you’re foolish enough to try this, will be different from mine. Your experience will be different.
Don’t be wedded to the stuff you like — concentrate on the stuff they like.
As I drew more, my art, such as it is, slowly improved. I repeat this often: I am not a proper artist. I can’t draw a cat that looks like a cat, I can’t do portraits, landscapes, or whatever it is proper artists do.
The small talent I have is conveying an idea that might just appeal to someone looking for it. It is just enough to generate sales. People buying t-shirts, for the most part, are not looking for art. They are looking for statements to show to the world.
The world needs to understand the statement, easily. Simple graphics work well for that.
I joined RedBubble in February 2017 and Amazon Merch in May 2017 — more sites to put my designs onto.
I watched what sold and what didn’t. Here’s a secret I give you for free: your art, if you’re foolish enough to try this, will be different from mine. Your experience will be different.
Don’t be wedded to the stuff you like — concentrate on the stuff they like.
As I drew more, my art, such as it is, slowly improved. I repeat this often: I am not a proper artist. I can’t draw a cat that looks like a cat, I can’t do portraits, landscapes, or whatever it is proper artists do.
The small talent I have is conveying an idea that might just appeal to someone looking for it. It is just enough to generate sales. People buying t-shirts, for the most part, are not looking for art. They are looking for statements to show to the world.
The world needs to understand the statement, easily. Simple graphics work well for that.
Catch-up to Present Day
If you hoped I was making a fortune and have secrets to tell you, I don’t.
The gurus out there, on YouTube and elsewhere, don’t have anything but courses to sell you. If they — or I — were making a good living from POD design sales, we would be enjoying life. Not grubbing around the internet selling lies to the gullible.
I hope you’ve noticed not one advert or link to my stuff is in this piece. I’m not trying to sell you anything.
I still do not make a sufficient income from my POD outlets, despite nearly eight years of effort. I make a quarter of what I need. I am fortunate to still have some reserves to tide me over, so I can pursue this ridiculous dream a while longer.
I make enough money to think it might be possible. Not this year, or next, but maybe the year after that. My Medium efforts are me taking a break from the design grind, and believe me, when you do it for the money you need, it becomes a grind.
It’s work. It’s hard. But I still get a thrill when someone, anywhere in the world, buys a Mark Ewbie design.
And I still can’t quite believe it!
If you hoped I was making a fortune and have secrets to tell you, I don’t.
The gurus out there, on YouTube and elsewhere, don’t have anything but courses to sell you. If they — or I — were making a good living from POD design sales, we would be enjoying life. Not grubbing around the internet selling lies to the gullible.
I hope you’ve noticed not one advert or link to my stuff is in this piece. I’m not trying to sell you anything.
I still do not make a sufficient income from my POD outlets, despite nearly eight years of effort. I make a quarter of what I need. I am fortunate to still have some reserves to tide me over, so I can pursue this ridiculous dream a while longer.
I make enough money to think it might be possible. Not this year, or next, but maybe the year after that. My Medium efforts are me taking a break from the design grind, and believe me, when you do it for the money you need, it becomes a grind.
It’s work. It’s hard. But I still get a thrill when someone, anywhere in the world, buys a Mark Ewbie design.
And I still can’t quite believe it!
Summary
Thanks for reading this; it gave me pleasure to revisit my experiences.
I hope it was useful to you, perhaps in your quest on your own journey.
Thanks for reading this; it gave me pleasure to revisit my experiences.
I hope it was useful to you, perhaps in your quest on your own journey.