How FromthePage 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?
Hi! My name is Callie, and my shop is called From the Page. I make candles inspired straight from the pages of books! Ten years ago, I graduated college and was working part-time when I started making candles as a hobby. I didn’t quite know what field I wanted to work in, but I was starting to be intrigued by being my own boss and starting a business. I knew I wanted the candles to have a twist and not just be ordinary scent names, so I tried to think of things I loved and what I was likely to buy. I saw an "Arcade" candle in a marketing email, and it hit me that scents evoked by places and fiction could be amazing! There are so many inspirations in the characters, settings, and themes of books, and thus, From the Page was born.
I started selling some candles at the coffee shop I was working at, and when I gained a little confidence and finally sold a few, I listed them on Etsy in 2013! I read once that if you’re not embarrassed by your first products, you started too late! And I’ll say our original designs and jars were not my favourites, and my pictures left a lot to be desired, but I’m glad I got the ball rolling when I did. So after revising and redesigning, we now have so many collections, but we continue to hand pour and design everything!
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
This is my favourite candle because of the smell and the fact that it was one of the first ones I ever created. Making it always makes me feel nostalgic, and it’s always a good seller because of the interesting scent combination of black currant tea and leather.
This has been our top seller since the moment I started making them. When you’re selling fragrances online, it can be a bit tricky for people to get a sense of things, so a smaller size and a sampler pack are perfect! This is also something people love to send as gifts to their friends.
These Greek mythology candles are my current favourites and our newest collection! They're selling well because they’re new, and people seem to be enjoying the jar design as well.
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?
I had my first sale after about a month on Etsy. It was from a friend of a friend, and the excitement of seeing an order pop up was so fun! It remained slow for a bit until we were included on a Buzzfeed list around Christmas of that year, and then sales were much more consistent!
Currently, I attract customers to Etsy through Etsy ads, where we advertise 3–4 of our seasonal candles or best sellers each month. Social media, mainly Instagram, is another key to driving customers to the shop, where we post about new candles, candle tips, and sales!
Occasionally, we also have "reps" on our social media, where we send candles to people in exchange for their honest opinions and photos! They also usually share information about the candles and sales, and I find people often trust other people’s genuine opinions over a company just promoting themselves.
Managing FromthePage
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 would say my shop is 85% me, and my family pitches in when there’s an influx of orders or in busy seasons!
The main tools and apps I use are:
Etsy seller: This one is obvious, but it helps me check my current orders and answer customer messages quickly!
Canva: Canva is such an easy-to-learn design tool! If you have a pro account, you have access to so many graphics and templates. It’s a great way for me to design announcements for social media or emails.
Omnisend: This is our email service! We have a pop-up sign-up on our own website, or you can share a link on social media. It’s easy to send emails and let people know about the news in our shop.
Online Labels: This is where we print our product labels, and it’s always a fast turn-around and professional product!
To handle shipping, we order supplies but also reuse biodegradable packing peanuts and big boxes from our suppliers. We bag and fill the candle boxes and add our business card and candle-burning tips information card to each one! We use Etsy to buy the shipping labels, schedule postal pickups on USPS, and then they’re off to your homes!
The future of FromthePage
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
Our main goal is always growth! I like to see more sales each year and would love to expand to an even bigger studio to make them! For 2024, I’d love to double sales.
I also dream of having a brick-and-mortar shop where we could sell candles in person, have events, and have orders available for local pick-up. Lastly, I would love to work more with authors and have them collaborate on candles inspired by their books with us!
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
My first piece of advice I always give to people who ask is to get a few sales and reviews in your shop, even from people you know! I know I personally feel much better ordering from a shop with at least a few testimonials, so this is an important step.
I also think you should decide who your customer is. My candles are very specific, so I go for people who love reading. Sometimes I feel tempted to try and reach out more broadly on social media, but it’s people who connect with your product that will buy it repeatedly. I have so many dedicated customers now that always show up when I have sales or new releases, and honestly, so many of them feel like friends since you connect with them with shared interests!
Lastly, start an email list as soon as you can! It’s hard to reach people collectively on Etsy, so if you have an email list sign up on your social media, it helps you have a good audience for any news or sales you want to share!
