A creative second stream of income for writers and authors
My White Rose Writers Etsy shop banner was created using Canva
I’ve been the proud owner of the White Rose Writers shop on Etsy for twelve years. As an author and freelance writer, I enjoy owning my own business and having the flexibility to work my own hours and progress at my own pace.
Recently, a friend and fellow author who also writes on Medium reached out to me, interested in opening her own Etsy shop and asked how to go about doing that. She was particularly interested to learn how authors could benefit from having an Etsy shop.
Questions my friend asked
If you’re considering starting an Etsy shop, you may have similar questions
- What is Etsy? A general overview.
- Is there an advantage to using Etsy over Amazon, Kobo, etc.?
- Do buyers have to have an Etsy account?
- How do I set up an Etsy account?
- Is it available in all countries?
- I live in Canada, but most of my book sales are in the United States. How do I figure mailing expenses? How long does it take to deliver? What if there’s a mail strike in Canada?
- How do I get my money? E-transfer, PayPal or other?
- What about returns? What if they don’t like my book and want to return it?
- Where do readers post reviews?
- Do I have to have books in stock at my home, or can I order and deliver them to their address through Amazon or Draft2Digital?
1. Here’s how Etsy works
Etsy is a global online marketplace where people connect to buy and sell unique, handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. It’s a place where individuals can find a wide variety of products, from jewellery and clothing to home decor and art, often directly from independent sellers.
If you’re thinking of starting your own Etsy shop, leave a comment on this article for an introductory special to add your first 40 products with no listing fee!
2. Etsy or Amazon
You can sell your books on both Etsy and KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing, a branch of Amazon) at the same time (I’m not sure about individual traditional publishers’ rules) as long as you don’t have the ebook in Kindle Unlimited (a KDP rule).
This is advantageous as it gives you two groups of followers. It’s a good idea to change the cover and a few other elements if possible, so you don’t confuse the bots about potential plagiarism. So, Etsy is another venue for your author and writing work.
3. Buyers don’t need an account
You don’t need an Etsy account to purchase items from Etsy. Buyers can complete their purchase as a guest. This allows them to check out without creating a login. Several forms of payment are available, including credit and debit cards as well as PayPal. However, some features, such as leaving a review, reporting an issue, or contacting the seller before making a purchase, do require an account.
4. Opening your Etsy shop
There is a one-time setup fee of between $15 and $29 U.S to establish the account and process payments. You’ll need a government-issued ID on hand when completing the onboarding form, as well as a selfie photo and banking information. To get paid by Etsy, you must have a valid bank account linked to your Etsy seller account and use Etsy Payments.
When a buyer purchases an item from your shop, the funds are deposited into your Etsy payment account. The available funds will then be sent to your bank account. Etsy takes a small fee to process each transaction. This is around 6.5% of the retail price (2025).
5. Etsy as a global marketplace
While Etsy offers a global marketplace connecting buyers and sellers worldwide, certain countries have restrictions about opening new shops or using Etsy Payments. Canada and the United States don’t have such restrictions.
6. What to expect as an author selling on Etsy
I don’t sell my fiction novels on Etsy. For me, it isn’t worth all the hassle of shipping, storage and different taxes, etc. I still sell my novels and memoir paperbacks on KDP and Kindle, but I sell my workbooks, planners and journals on Etsy to avoid the current low-content issues on KDP.
I offer my Etsy buyers a simpler, faster, and more affordable method of instantly downloading those books in a digital PDF file, which they can print out themselves. And Etsy collects all taxes at the time of purchase. This way of selling books and other digital products is effective in all countries where Etsy is established, and a mail strike doesn’t interfere with sales. That’s a win!
7. Etsy’s payment plan
Etsy offers a great payment plan, which pays weekly by e-transfer. The funds are deposited into your Etsy Payment account. From there, you can manage direct deposits to your bank account or Payoneer for some countries.
8. How to handle returns
Etsy automatically informs buyers that digital products are non-refundable after they’ve been downloaded. It’s set up so that you provide all the onboarding information in your description ahead of time, to avoid misunderstandings.
And the message to sellers from Etsy explains it this way:
If you sell digital items, we include this message on the Downloads page for digital orders. It applies to all digital listings purchased from your shop. Learn about selling digital items. — Etsy
Although I had a buyer who seemed legit, asking for a refund because she bought the wrong workbook. I asked Etsy to refund the buyer and offered her a 25% discount on an alternative product of her choice. She purchased another workbook and left a lovely review about the great service!
Product description
Your product description will vary depending on your product, but every description needs good long-tail keywords and relevant product details for SEO search. Sellers generally string together long-tail keywords in a way that allows most of the words to be used in several sentences.
When people search online, they typically use specific phrases rather than generic terms. For example, instead of searching simply for “shoes,” someone might search for “size 8 women’s leather hiking boots” to find exactly what they need. — WordPress
For instance, here are the long-tail keywords and the description for my digital Creative Nonfiction workbook:
“Nonfiction Book Template Printable Download PDF Book Outline Creative Writing Worksheets Author Planner Writing Worksheets Author Planner Novel Planner Writer and Author Gift“
No commas are needed, which allows the title to be broken down into several sentences, such as:
Nonfiction Book Template
Book Template Printable Download
Printable Download PDF Book Outline
Book Outline Creative Writing Worksheets
Writing Worksheets Author Planner
Novel Planner
Novel Planner Writer and Author Gift
Writer and Author Gift
Here’s a free long-tail keyword search tool recommended by WordPress: keywordtool.io
Your product description should also include the shop’s policies regarding returns and refunds. Here’s my description for my Creative Nonfiction workbook:
Hi there, writer!
Do you have a true story to tell? This workbook is a step-by-step guide to help you turn a nonfiction story into a novel that will thrill readers.
* This is a downloadable file which you print out.
* No physical product will be shipped to you.
* It may take a few minutes to show up in your inbox.
* Check your spam or junk folder if it takes a long time.
*Prints well on a regular home office printer and paper.WHAT IS CREATIVE NONFICTION?
Creative nonfiction is a factual narrative presented as a story to entertain the reader. It can be your life story, memoir, historical account or any other story based on facts.Will your true story be a mystery, suspense, an amateur sleuth detective story or maybe one of intrigue, a thriller? Or is your memoir more of a romantic comedy of two star-crossed lovers?
You can write all those as a compelling novel that will delight the reader.
I’ll lead you through the writing process and offer tips for marketing and promotion.This workbook has templates to help outline your backstories, create character profiles, write essential scenes, and organize your ideas into a captivating novel.
An ink-saver option for the cover is included.
*This book also makes a fantastic writing companion for writing challenges and an ideal gift for any nonfiction writer.
*COPYRIGHT NOTICE*
This file is for personal use only. You can print the PDF as many times as you need for your personal use. However, reselling, sharing, or commercial use of this product is prohibited. Thank you.I’m so happy you chose me to partner with you on your writing project.
Leave a message in my Etsy shop if you have any questions.
And be sure to leave a review if you found this workbook helpful. Thanks.~ Lynne, owner of White Rose Writers” 😊
And here’s my message that Etsy sends to buyers in an email:
Thank you so much for your digital purchase! Please note that due to the nature of this item, refunds will not be applicable once your item has been marked as downloaded. Please contact us before downloading your item if you purchased it by mistake. Thanks again, and keep supporting all the wonderful crafters on Etsy.
If you choose to sell physical products, visit Etsy’s home page for information on selling and shipping those items.
9. About reviews
Etsy automatically posts reviews, and you’ll be seen by more buyers the more stars you receive. You can also copy your reviews to your marketing promotions.
10. Stocking products
My shop is dedicated to supporting new writers and providing them with the resources they may need along their journey. From beginner workbooks and guides to wall décor for inspiration. All of my products are digital, meaning they are PDF printable downloads that buyers can print themselves.
The cost to buyers is significantly less than purchasing a print copy on Amazon, and they can print the entire book to work through in their own binder or print a few pages at a time. And I don’t need to stock any items!
If you have a stockpile of paperbacks, I’ll give you a suggestion of how to get those into the hands of readers in a moment.
How I started my Etsy shop
I started my shop under my business name, White Rose Writers, with a few quotes from books and famous authors as printable posters, as well as printable copies of my Novel Author’s Workbook and Creative Nonfiction guidebooks, which I’d previously published with KDP.
Initially, I used the free version of Canva to create all of my products. That meant I could start my Etsy shop without it costing me a ton of money for design programs.
I also create my marketing images using Canva and write ebooks using their templates. Initially, I had a partner with some background in graphic design. When she started her own business as a designer, I had to learn how to do the designs myself. Fortunately, Canva has a wide range of templates and tutorials!
Canva also helps you create product graphics and the Etsy shop cover, too.
It makes it simpler and easier to get started right away.
There are graphic designers online that I can hire, too, but I’m enjoying learning these new skills. Some designers you may want to check out are 99Designs and Fiverr.
Some ideas of items fiction authors sell on Etsy
. Signed copies of your books that you ship directly to buyers.
. Bundles of books in a series, along with a goodies bag and a “thank you” note.
. Regular or expedited shipping.
. If you write cozy mysteries that include recipes or gardening tips, you can sell those individually or create a cookbook or gardening e-book from them.
. Gift bags to accompany a book, perfect for giving as a gift set, including a bookmark, stickers, or pocket-sized affirmation cards.
. Merchandise related to your book, like printed t-shirts.
. Printable quotes from your books as posters using Canva.
. Personalized poems and short stories written by you.
. Create planner templates for authors.
. Design social media templates and mockups for authors.
. Colouring books you create around your theme or with characters from your book.
. Stickers and journaling pages.
Some ideas of items nonfiction authors sell on Etsy
. Printable ebooks of your paperbacks.
. How-to ebooks about your expertise.
. Printable calendars and planner pages.
. Author business card editable templates.
. Printable reading checklists and writing checklists.
. Social media schedule templates.
. Printable quotes by famous authors (be sure they’re in the public domain).
. Book launch party invitations and decorations.
Etsy is another venue for your nonfiction paperbacks and journals as printables, and it’s also a great way to connect one stream of income to another. Like I did in this article!
Search on Etsy for other ideas and get creative!
Marketing and advertising your shop
Most Etsy sellers use their newsletters to promote new listings and share sales or coupons. You can add a link to your newsletter sign-up in your Etsy bio.
Etsy also features a unique “Share and Save” button on every listing, allowing you to share the image and link directly to Facebook, Pinterest, X or copy the link to share anywhere else online. The company also offers Etsy ads that you can purchase.
But my favourite way to drive traffic to my shop is through Pinterest. I enjoy using that platform, and it’s by far the most effective at driving traffic to my Etsy shop.
As you can see from my Etsy stats, 81% of visits to my store came from Pinterest, followed by only 15% from Facebook. This is a great Etsy tool that helps sellers track the origin of their traffic. The stats help to determine where to best promote your shop.
How much an Etsy seller can expect to earn
If you’re wondering how much money you can make on Etsy, the sky’s the limit, pretty much. It depends on what you sell and how much time and effort you’re willing to put into your shop.
Here’s one of my favourite Etsy shops. Among many other items, Sandra Di writes and creates ebooks and planners for her shop and is very successful.
And here’s another owned by a friend who sells craft supplies:
When I was working consistently in my shop at the beginning, I was mostly earning around $600–900 per month from my author workbooks and simple wall art quotes, working only a few hours per day, Monday to Friday. However, I now see new opportunities for income with Canva’s creative design features, and I’d like to try to increase my Etsy sales.
Create a product once and display it in your shop. It brings sales while you create something else (or take a nap). It’s a great way to sell products and set my own hours. Income is mostly passive.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income for craft and fine artists in 2023 was $52,910 per year, or $25.44 per hour. — Marmalead
On average, an Etsy seller earns about $35,583 in revenue per year and around $2,965 per month. — Customcy
If you’re thinking of opening an Etsy shop, drop a comment with your new banner design, logo, description or anything you’re working on.
Let’s encourage each other in this new venture.
And, if you’d like to hear more about opening and operating an Etsy shop and how it can benefit you as an author, please leave a comment and let me know what else you want me to address. I may write a second post!
And don’t forget to leave a comment to get your 40 free listings!
’Til next time — thank you for reading, and remember you are loved by the One who created you in His image.
~ Lynne
Please leave a comment on any of my articles, stories or poems. I love to hear from readers.