I Tried Selling AI Art Prints on Etsy for 30 Days: Here’s What Happened
Curious about the potential of selling AI-generated art, I decided to embark on a 30-day challenge to sell physical AI art prints on Etsy. From generating the art to handling the logistics, I wanted to uncover how much money I could make in this competitive market.
Getting Started with AI Art
I used several AI art generators, including MidJourney, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion, to create unique images. Initially, I considered selling quirky designs like a chicken wing oil painting, but I quickly realized I needed to focus on popular art niches. Using tools like E-Rank for keyword research, I identified trending categories such as mid-century modern art and floral designs.
Why Physical Prints?
While many artists sell digital prints, I chose to offer physical prints. Physical products typically command higher prices and provide more profit per sale. To simplify the process, I opted for print-on-demand through Printful, which handles printing, packaging, and shipping—leaving me to focus on creating art.
Setting Up My Etsy Shop
After generating my artwork, I uploaded it to Printful, created a draft listing on Etsy, and focused on optimizing my product pages. Key elements included:
- Professional Mockups: Using Photoshop to create visually appealing images of my prints.
- SEO Optimization: Crafting titles and tags filled with relevant keywords to enhance visibility.
- Free Shipping: Offering free shipping to attract more buyers, as Etsy prioritizes such listings.
- Pricing Strategy: Setting competitive prices while ensuring a profit margin of 30-45%.
To make my listings more enticing, I also ran a promotion by marking up prices and offering a discount.
Challenges Along the Way
Just two days in, my Etsy account was suspended due to random suspensions often experienced by new sellers. After a week, I received an email confirming my unsuspension, allowing me to continue my journey.
Over the next two weeks, I created 36 listings. However, despite my efforts, views and visits were minimal. I realized my listings weren’t niche enough. To improve visibility, I generated art for smaller, targeted niches, hoping to attract a more specific audience.
Breakthrough and Sales
Days went by with little to no activity until I noticed a surge in visits. This spike was primarily from direct and other traffic channels, which meant organic reach was still lacking. With just five days left in the challenge, I decided to invest in Etsy ads, spending $1 a day to promote my listings.
As the challenge drew to a close, the ads finally paid off. After five days of advertising, I received significant views and even made my first sale—a stunning purple peacock print!
The Financials
In total, I sold two AI art prints, generating $45.98 in revenue. Here’s the breakdown of my expenses:
- Printing Costs: $17.50
- Shipping Costs: $9.98
- Etsy Ads: $3.56
- Transaction Fees: $2.99
- Processing Fees: $1.99
- Listing Fees: $12 for 60 listings
Overall, my net income was a loss of $4.29. However, considering that I had only a month and limited ad time, I believe I could have turned a profit with more time and marketing effort.
Conclusion
Selling AI art prints on Etsy is no easy feat. While I didn’t achieve my financial goals, the experience taught me valuable lessons about market research, niche targeting, and the importance of strategic advertising. If you’re considering a similar venture, be prepared for challenges but know that with persistence, success is possible.
If you enjoyed following my journey, be sure to like and subscribe for more insights!
