What is Society6 and why is it different from Etsy?

For the past few months I've been talking about my design shop and Society6. But, really, what's with that? What is Society6? Why have a Society6 shop AND an Etsy shop?

It seems a big mess and a bit convoluted but it's not. They both serve different purposes and I use them both because they're awesome and they allow me to share my art on different platforms and, better yet, they'll allow you to share yours too.

What is Etsy and Society6?

Etsy and Society6 are both wonderful sites that allow artists to sell their work without having to buy a brick and mortar store. They allow anyone, at any level, to sell their work. The difference between Etsy and Society6 is that Etsy allows you to sell almost anything from yarn to pottery to art and Society6 allows you to sell art, which will be printed on mugs, mobile phone cases and canvases.

So, why not sell your prints and mobile phone cases on Etsy?

With Society6, the artist uploads their image and Society6 prints, imposes and creates the items they sell with your image. As such, the artist gets paid a commission for the use of the print but the creation of the art is where the artists' input ends.

For instance, my friend bought a mug with my cheerful floral watercolour on it. I received a small commission for it but I had nothing to do with the creation of the mug, I didn't throw it, fire it, paint it, package or post this item. I just lent Society6 the use of my image for them to use and sell on my behalf.

Love my colourful new mug via @LemonHive @society6 #pretty pic.twitter.com/dudeNIyWY7
— Dianne (@dnam0) November 20, 2014

From the lovely @dnam0

I LOVE Etsy and I love my store. I enjoy the process behind making the paper products and home decorations I create. It really is one of my favourite parts of the process. Etsy is one of the best places to sell your handmade products and you have the opportunity to make them your own but, the cost and time involved in using Etsy is higher.

In order to sell the products sold on Society6 through Etsy, I would have to be proficient with the printing process, have the machinery and technology to be able to transfer my product over to items like clock faces, laptop decals and mobile phone cases. The time, money and skill set it would take to learn how to do all of that is intense and would take away from my ability to be able to enjoy what I do, it'd also set my selling prices sky high!

Why use Society6 then, if you have no part in the process or you don't receive much payment for it?

I consider Society6 to be similar to a collective. It'd be incredibly expensive for me to put a print on a tote bag for every individual who suggests they want one. This way, I am able to create and offer my designs on items that I'd be unable to offer if I weren't part of this collective. Admittedly, I don't make much from the products sold but I'm also not losing money when Society6 offer free postage or 15% discount (like Society6 are offering today if you use the code GIVETHANKS), I'm not having to tackle with packages at the post office BUT I'm still offering my designs in ways that my customers actually want.

There is no price on that.

I love what I do, I continue to be thankful that others see the fun in my work and want it to be a part of their every day.

Is Etsy or Society6 better?

They're both very different entities and they're used for different things. I offer prints and cushion covers through Society6 that I'd be unable to offer anywhere else, I also allow others to see the prints and digital work that I don't sell on Etsy.

Etsy allows me to sell and show the physical manifestations of my work. Everything in my Etsy shop has a long story behind it. Each item represents hours, days, months and years of honing skills, developing my own personal style and my love of colour.

The benefits for and against Etsy and Society6 are vast, so it's all about making your choices.

 

Should I buy from Society6 or Etsy? What supports you more?

To be honest, you should buy from the shop with the things you like in them! I love the options Society6 offers for those who just don't need another art print on their wall. Sometimes you just want a mug or a cushion cover. Society6 doesn't offer me much in terms of commission but it does offer me invaluable insight into what form people want to see my designs and that's amazing.

Etsy offers more in terms of monetary value but I also have to invest the time taking photographs, creating the product, driving to get more ink for my printer, battle with the post office. It's all endless! But the joy that comes from being able to think up an idea, create it, post it and hear the wonderful feedback is absolutely worth the effort.

Neither venture really supports me enough to do this full time but it does bring me pleasure and both of them offer me the financial support to keep working on them and offering more products and items that people love.

Where do you prefer to buy, Etsy or Society6? Have you used either of these platforms before? Which would you recommend to others?