Sketch Fest thoughts...

[ellenmillion]

I'm catching up on Sketch Fest things, sending out notifications of sales... and poking around at ideas for improvement. I have no lack of ideas, just... a few hesitations about implementation.


Right now, I allow folks to post their sketches (and pieces finished from their sketches) as donations to the site - they can offer prints or originals, most people offer the original, but it varies. (I've done a few as progressive pieces, where people can buy time onto the sketch and get the original - more on that topic in the near future!)

We've made a tremendous push on the webpage, and you guys have made it all possible. I am so excited by how far we've taken the project in just one year; I could not have done it without you.

I want to balance 'giving back' and helping folks out against 'making a living' and not confusing business with charity. I want to continue improving the site (Better commenting features, with replies! More pretty! Better admin tools!), so I will still need donations towards that, and folks are also given the option to donate to EMG-Zine and Commission-Control, all of which also need the assistance to keep going.

So, one idea I'm tossing around in my head is allowing artists to list their work with partial donation to the site. All the shopping would get done at my site, as it is now, but the artist would accrue part of the purchase amount - whatever they choose, with a 10% minimum donation. (They'd still be welcome to link off-site and sell it for full prices wherever else, of course!) That covers fees and hassles, and tips a little to the use of the site. They can pick any other values that they like, if they want to donate more, and I'll still accept straight donations.

The biggest problem I see here is a pretty significant one: I'd be taking money for something I have no control over delivering. This always makes me antsy.

I can program in a few double-checks - for example, they wouldn't get the credit for the sale into their total credits until they had pressed a button verifying that they had already shipped the artwork.

But it's still a lot of trust in the artist, and I'm the one holding the risk. I'm risk-averse.



One of the things I like - a lot - about this idea is that it gives artists a credit pool that they can use to micro-tip other artists - and the writers and artists at Torn World and EMG-Zine. One of the things I hate about crowdfunding is that the little direct tips really just add up to a whole lot of business for Paypal - sometimes you'd like to be able to put just a dollar or two - or even just some cents! - into someone's tip bucket, but you know that it's worthless to everyone but the money transaction company. This would be a way around that - and artists/authors could withdraw the funds when it was worth it to them.

So... yeah, that's what's going on in my head right now. I'd love your thoughts.

More daily updates, art and photos when I get back from the gym...

Comments

[faebyl.livejournal.com]

I was just on the site and noticed my sketch was sold, but didn't know if you already sent the email so I could send it out:) I see now you were just doing that:) I'm always so impatient heehee:)
I like all your ideas, my only say is make it easy for us folks who suck on the computer:), so far all the navigation is easy peasy on my end:).
trying to make sure I can donate as much as possible:)

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

OH! I forgot to email you AGAIN. (My brain, it is pudding.) I shall send you the information about that ASAP. :)

I am thinking that having a place at the site where you can automatically see who got the piece (and where to send it) might be useful for all parties!

[faebyl.livejournal.com]

Thanks Ellen:) I want to mail it out as soon as I can:)
And I think that would be a fantastic idea!:)

[mathhobbit.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for suggestions for improvement, I have a usability suggestion.

I am a moron. If I click on a link and don't see exactly what I'm looking for in my browser window, I assume nothing happened and click the link again. For some reason I was having this problem trying to view the sketch fest prompts. As a result there was much flailing about and inappropriate answers to "repost last submission" popups. (The site handled the repostings perfectly; yay!)

I think the page would be more moron-proof if the link to "Prompts" changed color or there was a big banner saying "Prompts" on the page. (I just went and looked at it and can't figure out why I was having so much trouble. Maybe the problem was returning to the prompts page after submitting a sketch or prompt?)

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Oh! I have an idea for making those repost warnings go away - I shall have to work that into this next update.

[mathhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yay!

I think it's great that you involve the community in design decisions.

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

Oh, I have an idea! The prompts form at the top of the page? It is like going to the bottom of the Grand Canyon a few hours in, or just a link at the top that jumps you to the bottom? :)

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Hmm...you could hold the funds until the buyer confirms receipt, but that's not perfect because buyers might forget to do that. So there would have to be a deadline--a period of time after which you can distribute funds based on the assumption that a buyer who has not contacted you did get the art. You'd probably need to add a clicky box for language like "By buying art through you, the buyer agrees that if they do not contact you in the specified time, they forfeit any right to a refund that they might have."

It's not perfect, but at least it doesn't leave all the risk in your hands.

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

That sounds like a good idea, and make sure the form doesn't go anywhere until they agree, like highlight it in red if they try to go forward and don't click it. "Oops!You've forgotten to click da box!"

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

More like, "Oops, transaction cannot be completed without your agreement."

But yes, good point!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

30 days is probably reasonable in most cases. And a clicky box would be easy enough.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Isn't 30 days also the limit for sending refunds via paypal without paying an extra fee?

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

60 days, I think, which would give a bit of a buffer for communication between parties. I will check that for sure, though.

[kelkyag]

Micropayments are hard! There have been a lot of attempts at that, many of which are still out there in one degree of usability or another -- a bit of googling will tell you a lot about what people have tried.

You'd mentioned a while back that you were considering setting up cross-emg-site "credits" like Torn World has for subscribers -- that might be a good model to use if you want something just for that community, possibly making a credit (mini-credit?) $.10 instead of $1. Keeping small payments practical is likely to require buying and cashing out credit-equivalents in larger chunks to keep the overhead sane.

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

If there'll be micropayments on more than one site, I'd be all for combining the accounts.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm thinking about ways to combine things... the only stumbling block I've got is that I don't want people to be able to buy subscriptions and use those specific credits for something other than those authors/artists.

But it wouldn't be too hard to set up Torn World spending-only credits, EMG-Zine spending-only credits, general spending-only credits (which could buy sketches, too!) and credits than can be cashed out directly (OR used anywhere in the EMG network). I like the idea of better integrating everything. A lot.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

$0.10 might be a good thing, indeed - I like that option. And the cross-network credits is definitely something I want to pursue. Having a cap on withdrawals is reasonable, though I'd want some kind of caveat, so people don't feel like they won't be able to withdraw at all unless they hit some benchmark. And since it costs them, rather than me, when I'm sending them payments, it might be a non-issue.

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

Very good ideas...

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

WHOOO SKETCHFEST! It is amazing how far it has come in a year! Thank you, Ellen, such a fabulous idea! I am so happy I am able to contribute to the cause. :)


RE:partial donations:
Husband keeps asking me where my "cut" is, I kept telling him, "What? My cut is making art, and getting a spiffy Sketchfest site!"

Unfortunately, the expensive pens don't buy themselves, and the art doesn't walk to the purchaser on its own two legs.

I love the idea of it going through you, because then I don't have to deal with all the money thingers. The easier things are the better, so this might make more folks think about donating.


I understand how you feel about all the risk being yours, and there is always the " what if the art gets lost in the mail?" thing. :\ One of appealing things for ACEO's is that they are easy and cheap to ship out.

I thought that maybe for the art that sells you could require a high resoluition of the sketch before an artist gets the payout, but that would be a lot of work for you. I mean for just in case the art doesn't get there then you can offer the print option. It's not fully thought out (I am a little brain dead right now) and there are probably many more problems with it than it would solve, but I thought I'd put that out there.

I lovelovelove the thought of having little prints, ACEO size.. I am trying to think of a way to have the print be something equivalent to the original(I sell the original for $5, so I'd have to either bump up the original's cost, or make the print something that the original wouldn't have for the same cost. I think you, Ellen, need at least $5 to justify your time in printing and mailing and all that), like possibly color it with simple colors or something (look at me, making more work for myself *haha* I don't know when to quit!). Question: how much of a pain in the butt is it to print things on the back of printed ACEOs? I like to do little drawings on the backs of mine before sending them, so it is a little bonus surprise (and the art info).


For the mini payments/credits thingers, are you are going to have a minumum for a cashout? Seems like it would be a good idea so you don't get stuck sending someone fifty cents. :)

Okay, I am done now, gotta rest my achy blood donation arm.

Your artwork/sketchfest

[edward cammarota (from livejournal.com)]

I just wanted to voice my problem.....I love getting your art, but I had trouble this time with going back and forth between the sketchfest page and the checkout page. I clicked on an item and it took me to the check out page, by the time I went down and hit continue shopping, I lost a couple of prints that I wanted. I know I am not the only one with this problem, because I had to loose the art to someone???

Just my thoughts,
Ed Cammarota

Re: Your artwork/sketchfest

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Hmm! So, a faster way to claim them would be good. I will see what I can do about that!

Re: Your artwork/sketchfest

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

Oh dear...there is going to be more dueling between my fans! <:o Maybe like a little check box system where you could go through and tick off the ones you'd like and then take them all in on heap to the checkout? Would that take a long time to load though? I am not good at the web page stuff.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

It costs money to mail things, too, so I'd really like to set something up where everyone comes out ahead - customers get art they want, artists aren't out of pocket and get some reward, and Sketch Fest can improve. Everyone's happy!

I'm still thinking about ACEOs, too... *thinksthinksthinks.*

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

Heeeeeelp, Ellen! :D

Dang, I wish I had a printer with ink that didn't run, so I could just print a second copy out and color it. Special edition like, and I wouldn't have to worry about drawing all those lines again, and my fans can be happy. Though I must say that sometimes the ink blending with the watercolors is a plus.

For ACEO's I'd have to set up a whole page of W/C paper to try it. Ellen, do you print your to ACEO size or do you print them on a bigger sheet, then trim them? Then I could still decorate the back, and have happier fans. Hmmm... I'd need to know which ones got a second request for being bought though and it would take me a bit longer with the colored ones (depending on if I am crazy and do 5 billion sketches).

BTW, how is my SF list looking? I don't know what everyone gets. :)

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I sent your list Friday! You didn't get it?? I sent it twice, actually, because I mis-typed your email the first time, so it has FWD in the subject line. :P

I print to a letter-sized page, 8 to the page (because of printing margins) and then punch them out.

[marrael.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this works for all the artists, but ask for the art to be registered at the post office (international mail can do this too) when sending it off. There's more assurance for delivery there, plus the artist has a receipt to show the art's now in the hands of the post office--plus the receipt typically has the receiver's address and item and registration/tracking number. Registration works to confirm arrival of a package as well.

It's become standard practice for me to do registered mail now when mailing art--especially ACEOs, because I've lost two when I didn't register them. (What got me extra suspicious is that my other mail--art mail or no--doesn't get lost like that.)

I like partial donations, I also like the idea (I think it was Jenny's) of Sketchfest having a Zazzle account or something with Sketchfest pieces that artists expressly donate to Sketchfest to that end (esp for digital sketches). As long as it's all non-exclusive rights to offer them...

Aceos

[arline guenther (from livejournal.com)]

Hi Ellen! This is probably not the best way to contact but worried that e-mails get lost in the spam and hacker issues you were having. Was wondering if you still sell blank Aceo cards as I ran out of the ones I previously bought from you and can't find anything on the site. I would love to buy many new ones.
If not it isn't a big deal just find yours nicer than everyone else since you have rounded the edges on yours.

Re: Aceos

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Arline!! I will go find your email - it came in at a crazy time, but did make it through safely, and I can get you some ACEO cards. :)

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Hmm! It would be relatively easy to add a field for a delivery confirmation number.

Lisa offered to run a Zazzle account at one point, I shall have to see if that still stands - that's an excellent idea, too. Non-exclusive of course!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

A cap at which a delivery confirmation is required might be a good solution. If someone wants to send ACEOs for a simple stamp, and is only charging $10-$15 for them, I can see that delivery confirmation would add a whole lot of hassle. Maybe at $20 or more, delivery confirmation is required??

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

My concern is that registering mail costs more. One of my hesitations about listing art for sale/donation is that I have to pay the postage--and (as you know, but other people following this thread might not) I'm unemployed right now. Getting at least enough to cover costs would be a good thing. How hard would it be to give buyers the option of paying the fee for registered mail, if they want that service, and having that whole amount forwarded to the artist?

A related thing that I would be interested in seeing would be a discussion of what types of paper/cardstock people use for ACEOs. Or maybe a more complete discussion of ACEOs, perhaps in EMG Zine? It's something I'm thinking of trying.

[marrael.livejournal.com]

This is a good point actually, since sending stuff gets more expensive when it's international, or when the package is larger, etc. (Which was why for me the cost of delivery confirmation/registration is a relatively small part of postage costs--about US $1! I feel it's a worthy investment!)

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

I didn't have the Zazzle idea, that was a good one though.

I'll have to look into the registering the mail, see how much that costs.

Note to Ellen on ACEOS

[marrael.livejournal.com]

Arline just left a reply on my comment that I think she meant for your entry itself, I think.


So just to be sure you see it! :
http://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1176798.html?thread=4571870#t4571870

Re: Note to Ellen on ACEOS

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the headsup! I knew there was a slug of things here I needed to reply to...