Being an illustrator is the best thing there is, or should I say; drawing is the best thing there is. Because 'being an illustrator' is a lot more than just drawing all day in the sun with an oat cappuccino on the side and a cat on your lap. If only it were that much fun.
I have chosen to sell my work in the form of stationery and items like mugs and calendars. And that means that most of my time goes into ordering cards and other products, sending out orders, keeping up with the administration, writing content for blogs, newsletters and social media, and searching for new products, themes etc.
In order to actually sell my stuff, I have had my webshop for years. And the nice thing about it is that I can make it look exactly the way I want. A small disadvantage is that only a few people end up on the site completely spontaneously. So long live Google, Instagram, Facebook and kudos to newsletters (and to the people who have subscribed to them). Through these channels there are quite a few ways to www.studiokvinna.nl to lead.
But yeah, how cool is it when you see your own products in a physical store? That you walk past a shop window in a strange city and then suddenly see your notebook with a whale behind the window. I can tell you; that is very cool 🙂 Bij these stores is that the case.
The question that immediately pops up is: how did that notebook with the whale end up behind that shop window? Again, there are multiple ways to get there.
Out on the street
The most straightforward way is – I think – to go to shops that appeal to you and suit you with a well-filled product folder (and up-to-date price list) and ask them directly if they want to sell your stuff. The advantage is that people can take a good look at your products, the disadvantages can be that the person in charge of purchasing is not there or that it is not convenient for whatever reason. Therefore, always leave a business card, so that you can be 'found' later. I also went to shops myself, when I did not have children yet and did have time. And you do need some courage for it. I was often told 'we already have so many card brands', without anyone really looking at my work. And that was sometimes quite demotivating. Fortunately, I also made sales from it, so it was not for nothing.
A slightly less straightforward route is to approach these stores via e-mail, Instagram or Facebook. This is a lot easier, it saves travel time and you don't run the risk of being rejected straight to your face (so you can then go and eat some comfort cakes somewhere). However, this does have the disadvantages that not all stores are equally busy answering such messages and that the recipient may sometimes not take the time to look at your products. Although you can approach many more stores with an afternoon of hard work than by physically visiting them, and in my experience there are also stores that are open to this and that have become customers in this way.
Shop full of shops
Another way to get to the shopping streets with your cool stuff is to look for shops that rent out shop space to small entrepreneurs and designers. They can be found in almost every big city. In Utrecht, for example, there is Winkel vol Winkeltjes, where I have been 'lying' for a while. And in Delft and Rotterdam you can find Aanbieding. All super nice shops with a unique offer.
At such stores you pay a certain amount each month and for that you can fill a shelf, table or card rack with your products. At the end of each month you get paid for your sales. And the store often also includes your products in its own social media, which gives you some extra exposure for your brand.
However, not all stores are the same, so think carefully before you decide to put your stuff somewhere. Of course, you want to earn back your monthly investment. Look in the store whether your products fit in with what is already there and how the contact with the owner is.
Wholesale platforms
A discovery I recently made myself is the wholesale platform. An online wholesaler, where you create a profile and place your products, which is visited by online and brick and mortar stores from all over Europe, the US and Canada. They then place an order with you via the platform, which you then send yourself.
By being here, my cards are now also for sale in Atlanta, Canada, Finland and Germany. Still can't quite believe that 🙂
And if it all comes to nothing, you can always consider opening your own shop 🙂 Your assortment, supplemented with brands and items that you like and that you think fit your products and style. Studio space, good coffee machine, I can see it happening. Someday.