Etsy Seller Interview with Melissa of DorkyPrints

How DorkyPrints got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

I’ve always loved to draw and doodle. That love translated into digital art after I got my first taste of Adobe Illustrator in college. When I got married and started having kids, I wanted to stay home and still be able to provide financially, but back then, the options were fairly limited. I’m not old, but it’s not like I’m young. I tried various art jobs, including designing rubber stamps and scrapbook stickers, and then I discovered Etsy. I started with art prints but realised I didn’t like printing and shipping things. So then I started selling digital clipart, and I was hooked!

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

Halloween stuff is my favourite, just because I really like Halloween! I like to combine a little bit of spooky with a whole lot of cute. Here are some of my favourite clipart sets for Halloween:

And this one is brand new!

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

It’s been awhile since I started on Etsy, so I’m not sure how long it took to get my first sale. But I do know that the orders were fairly sparse for the first little bit. Now I have a pretty large shop with lots of different clipart, printables, watercolour designs, and SVGs. To attract buyers, I usually just add to the collection regularly, post a little on Instagram, and endlessly tweak my keywords!

Managing DorkyPrints

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I run my shop by myself, but sometimes I get my teenage kids to help list products (because, let’s face it, listing things is much more boring than creating new things to sell)! Luckily, shipping orders is really easy with digital products because they’re automatically fulfilled through Etsy. The first few years I sold on Etsy, there wasn’t a download option, so I had to email all of my orders. I’m really glad it’s automated now!

The future of DorkyPrints

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I would like to continue growing my collection of art on Etsy. I want to have more printables and relatable designs to offer. I have a couple other shops and a website where I also sell stickers, notebooks, mugs, puzzles, and other things using my art, which is really fun. I just want all of it to grow and become more popular! I love when my art can bring a smile to someone’s face, and I think this world needs more smiling! If I can reach more people through my doodles, hopefully I can help make more of the world smile!

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Make sure not to get discouraged when you first start out. There’s a lot of competition out there, so it might take time to be noticed. Also, it’s a good idea to find a niche; doing research is key. Also, be flexible and open to new ideas. Sometimes you need to pivot, and sometimes you need to go in a completely different direction. Stay true to what you represent and keep on working!