Making money by doing what you love might not be as complicated as you think.
Make Something
Gumroad is a marketplaceits only worth using if you have something to sell.
Theres no reason to let that discourage you, though!
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A wide range of products are on offer on Gumroad, including movies, books, music and courses.
Your passion project almost certainly fits in there somewhere.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help… An illustratedebookof essays aboutScrubsis $20.
Theseplansfor a cornhole board go for $5 a pop.
Its easier to talk about what youcantsell on Gumroad.
Non-original works:it’s possible for you to only sell your original work on Gumroad.
That means no vintage clothing or furniture, unlike the other creative marketplace,Etsy.
High-risk products:This is the big one.
Gumroad doesnt host products flagged as high-risk.
If you want to sell homemade diamond earrings or explicit, adult films, youll have to go elsewhere.
Other thanthese banned products,creators are free to share their work on the platform.
Set Up Your Shop
To sell your product on Gumroad, you first need to create an account.
The premium features are useful, but the free account is a perfectly functional place to start.
Gumroad makes this part pretty easy:
And youre done!
Its relatively simple to make a pretty and professional storefront using default prefs.
This lets you offer products for free, for pay-as-you-will or for a set minimum.
Flexible pricing allows newbies to gauge how much an audience is willing to pay for their work.
That said, there are pros and cons to each pricing strategy.
In the short term, however, it can help build your audience and prove your credibility.
Nothing wrong with a free sample!
Pay-as-you-will products are basically free with an option to pay.
A variation on pay-as-you-will pricing is set minimums.
If someone wants to buy your product, they have to pay at least your set price.
Then, once theyre at check-out, they can pay extra.
Then theres good old-fashioned standard pricing.
But how do you choose the right price for your product?
No one will believe they are buying a legitimate diamond ring for $5.
confirm the price fits the product.
Experiment with different strategies and see which earns the most revenue for your products.
Sure, Gumroad hosts the product, but you still have to market it.
Not sure where to start?
Join Facebook groups about your passion.
These can be a great place to learn and internet!
There are numerousmarketingresources availableonlinewhere you might learn more.
Gumroad also offers some useful built-in marketing features for free and Premium users.
First off, it can feature your product on its Discover page.
But hey a sales a sale.
Gumroad also offers affiliate marketing.
They, in turn, share it with their audience.
Gumroads features aside,standard marketing techniquesare key for success.
Time to Cash Out!
Youve listed your product and made some sales congratulations!
If you live anywhere else, it will come through PayPal.
Dont forget to keep records of sales itll come in handy when taxes are due.
Gumroad only issues a 1099-K if you make over $20,000 in gross sales.
Treat it as a learning experience and consider upping your prices next time.
Ciara McLaren is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in HuffPost, MoneyGeek, and Supermaker.
you could read more of her writing onSubstackandyou guessed itGumroad.
When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look?
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
