So, I did a thing. One day I happened upon a webinar about creating and selling printables. I didn’t even know what printables were, but I was intrigued. After the webinar, I was even more intrigued. So I signed up for a course — and paid money to learn more.
After the course, I was inspired. And now, a couple of months later, I find myself the “owner” of an Etsy shop called Multiprintables. Clearly, there’s more to the story.
Maker envy
I’ve always admired people who make things. Paintings. Photography. Novels. Architecture. Crafts. You name it. I’m not artistic. I don’t take particularly amazing photos or design beautiful buildings. And I’m absolutely awful when attempting anything crafty. But I appreciate the skill it takes to turn creativity into something tangible.
I channel my creativity through my writing. Yet my writing has always been about work, or before that, school. Sure, I’ve had a little fun with it on the side, but in my mind, writing is tied to working. In recent years, this has been especially true. In 2019, I launched Write Hand Ann and discovered the thrill of being able to make a living doing something I enjoy 97 percent of the time! However, spoiler alert, enjoyable work still equals work.
Anyway, I guess my point is that I’ve always had the itch to turn my creativity into something extra that I could do for fun, not work.
Enter Etsy
A few years ago, as we prepared to sell my mom’s house, my sister suggested that I set up an Etsy shop to sell some of our mother’s china. I rolled up my sleeves, started taking photos, and doing some research about the dishes. But it really got fun when I had to come up with the name of my shop and write descriptions of the items. (I’ll admit, bland descriptions would have sufficed, but went for a clever upscale catalog vibe!)
Then, before I even launched the shop, my sister called to say she had lunch with a friend who wanted the china. Like, all of it. No inventory. No Etsy shop.
If you don’t know, the deal with Etsy is everything sold on the marketplace has to be made by the person or “vintage.” I daydreamed about shopping flea markets to fill out my Etsy china shop, but it wasn’t realistic. I thought about figuring out something I could make, but that was even less likely.
What are printables?
With the above background in mind, the webinar and course caught my attention because they said people were making and selling printables on Etsy.
Printables are products people purchase, download, and print out at home or a print shop. Planners. Cards. Calendars. Coupons. Stationery. Stickers. Coloring pages. You name it.
During the course, people gave testimonials about how they had turned selling printables on Etsy into a full-time business. (Seriously, one person was earning $12k/month.) But here are the two things that hooked me:
- Some of the printables people were making were pretty lousy, and I knew I could do better… and
- I’d get to have an Etsy shop!!! (I’m odd, I know.)
Introducing Multiprintables
I made some basic planner pages, sourced artwork and fonts, added some playful verbiage. Wa-la! My first printables.
Next, I set up my Etsy store. Of course, for me, it all starts with a good name. At first, everything I was coming up with was taken. Then, I had a lightbulb moment. My dad owned a printing business when I was growing up. It was the epitome of a small business and the source of many fond memories. The name of his company was Multiprint. That was it. The name of my Etsy store would honor that — Multiprintables. (Luckily, the name was available.)
I recently opened the doors to my shop. So far, my inventory consists of the planner pages, a goal-setting kit, and Instagram-ready age cards for baby photos. And, I just added a set of so-called “love coupons” ahead of Valentine’s day.
So, how many printables have I sold? 0. But I’m having a blast. I’ve learned more about commercial use licenses, font choices, and color palettes. And I’m having so much fun designing, writing, creating, and marketing what I make that it almost doesn’t matter. Almost.
Next, I have to figure out the SEO piece so I can drive traffic to my shop. Right now, I’m not getting the clicks and eyeballs, which totally explains why I haven’t sold anything. SEO has to be thoughtful, research-based, and strategic. It isn’t easy… but I’m taking it as a challenge. I mean if people selling some seriously icky printables are getting search traffic and sales, then I know I can figure it out, too.
And, did I mention how much fun I’m having flexing some new creative muscles?
If you’re so inclined, please check out Multiprintables.Etsy.com and let me know if you have any ideas on what I should create next.
