1000 Markets: My "Other" Venue

I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about Etsy. And that's because I think Etsy is great. There are all sorts of awesome handmade products from all over the world. It's very inclusive. Anyone can sign up in just a few clicks and start selling handmade items, supplies, or vintage stuff.

I also sell on a newer, smaller, and lesser known venue called 1000 Markets. Although the two sites are very similar, they have some significant differences. Those differences are precisely why I love 1000 Markets, too.

For example, Etsy is inclusive. That's great. 1000 Markets is exclusive. And that's great too. What do I mean?

Well, not just anyone can sell their products on 1000 Markets. They are looking for high quality, well established artisans. If you're interested, you need to apply and a jury will look over your submission before the accept you. Here's how it works:

• First you need to register. This is the first step to buying or selling on 1000 Markets, but it's no big deal. Quick, easy, and free.
• You can set up a shop right away, but it will be provisional. No one except you will be able to see it until after your shop has been juried and approved.
• You'll need a "portrait," basically a little avatar that can be a picture of you or your product. You also need a digital banner for your shop.
• You'll need to take a few minutes to write out return policies and any other fine print to include in the "Profile and Policies" section in your shop.
• You must have at least one -- but preferably six or more-- products for sale. That means loading photos, writing, descriptions, pricing, and all that good stuff.
• You have to be set up to receive money with Amazon Payments.

• You will also have a little blog space as part of your shop. Using it is optional, but highly recommended if you want the jury to approve your shop.

All of this is just to get your shop juried. If you're approved there's still more work ahead of you, categorizing your stuff, adding more products, more blogging, applying to join various markets...

Whew! This is an exhausting process. But it's well worth it. My next blog post will explain why jumping through all these hoops is a good thing.