So here I am, scrolling through my designs. I'm just messing around and checking the quantities of each part I've sold. Hm . . . oh yeah! I remember that hair. I only made and sold 7 of those. 25 of those. OMG . . . how on earth did I manage to sell 1,284 of this ONE hair?!
Remember how I said I was going to show you all how to design something nice? Yeah, so I was thinking . . . I'm going to postpone the tutorials for another article. I think it would be better to introduce you to some nice techniques on how to sell your face parts successfully! What sense would it be to show you how to design something if you aren't quite sure on how you'd like to market your stuff?
It's time to take things in baby steps. I'm a person who loves to experiment. So naturally, that's exactly what I do, even with designing. When I first started designing, it was back in 2004. Trust me, I was definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer back then, but I managed.
It's that occasion again. Put on a space helmet, or maybe just duct tape some styrofoam around your head. We are going to travel back in time, and this time it could get fairly messy. It is now 2004, and I am a timid eleven year-old again. I also think I know everything at this point in life (psh, please feel free to talk some sense into the old me). To blatantly state things: I'm an incredibly stupid eleven year-old (at least in terms of the designing world). Go ahead and laugh, but I'll just laugh with you.
Anyway, I hadn't the slightest clue on how to market my stuff. I didn't even think about that until I made a few designs. I decided to start off by making hats, believe it or not. The whyhat was a big hit back then, so I decided to make a ton of hats that I thought would appeal to my peers. One of my biggest sellers was The Bling Hat. It was unbelievably hard to get these hats to sell at first. So how did I do it? I went to the beach and told people about my parts, and then proceeded to take things to the next level by loitering in room one of the trading post. I kept my hats up on display, and soon people slowly made their way to Akbar's to purchase them. It was a very long and tiresome task, though. When I made my first 20,000 I was absolutely delighted. I bought my membership to Club Why and started to hang out with all of the other designers on Whyville.
After getting to know some of the old Club Whyers, some of the other designers started complimenting my parts. At this point, I was making blush, cheek glitter, noses, hands, stuffed animals, shirts, and hair. I didn't have much out, but it was something. One day, though, mitsuy asked me if I wanted to collaborate with her and FairyKiya. I thought it would be cool, but I didn't know that joining together with some friends to make an even bigger store would bring in larger profits.
That was one of the most important things I learned about designing. Collaborations. If you're not a big designer, don't run a store on your own. It costs too much to advertise if you don't have very many parts in your store, and you surely won't be making a lot of money in return. So if you are just starting to design, consider making a store with some friends!
Now, be cautious. Designing can make and break friendships. If you are going to make a store with some friends, keep these points in mind:
* Make sure you and your friends are on the same designing level (in other words, if you do original designs and they remake, things could get ugly later on. Also, if you do a lot of scribbles and your friend makes some awesome shirts, that friend will probably want to kick you out of his store if he sees that he is on a higher level than you).
* Make agreements with advertising. If you own the store, you're the one who is in charge of advertising it in Akbar's Face Mall. You're going to get ticked if you're paying all of the advertising fees while sharing a store with a few friends. Everybody needs to chip in.
* Designing can bring a lot of drama your way. Your fellow friends might start talking behind your back. This, in my opinion, is highly unlikely and easily avoidable. Just remember to be a good friend. Clams are less important than the friends you had before the fortune and fame came your way.
* Remember where you came from. This falls hand in hand with the previous tip. Old friends will sometimes get nasty with you once they see you became a designer. Don't throw them aside. Try to satisfy both worlds. Designing and friends.
* Advertise for each other in your City Records.
After you are well-known, you may be ready to fly solo. Having a store with friends has many benefits, for it makes the store seem huge while getting all of you guys well-known in an easier, yet convenient manner. Make your own store, and make sure you let your friends know that you are branching down your own path (I did a surprise move and didn't tell my friends I was moving out of the store . . . it turned ugly).
Okay guys, you can take off the helmets and styrofoam gear . . . adventure is over (plus, you probably look silly sitting there with . . . okay I bet nobody did it anyway, so never mind)! I hope the best for all new and current designers out there! If you would like more tips tune in next week for another article!
