Hello! Today I am announcing the final month(s) of my online shop via Etsy.
I began making horror the subject of a lot of my art back in 2018 with a lengthy series depicting scenes from my favorite horror films. It exploded in 2019, when I decided to make an online shop with prints to raise money for a papasan chair (yes, really), and carried me through the pandemic. I began taking on commissions that were much more in line with my style, and horror art became my “thing.”
When I look back at how quickly things have grown and changed since 2020, I am struck with awe and insanely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the direction my work has taken. I mean, in 2020 I would have said “illustrating a horror novel” was at the top of my bucket list. Here, in spring of 2022, I am working on my eighth, with six more on the horizon. I’m truly so, so thankful for the talented creators in the horror community for allowing me to put my spin on their awesome creations.
The only (and I repeat, ONLY) downside to all this is that my online store grew stagnant. Sales only happen when I frequently create, post, and update my shop with new material, and since I began working to illustrate books, my inventory of marketable work grew stale. Recycling the same few best-selling prints in social media posts every few weeks does not result in sales.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! I’m simply explaining. In fact, I’m ecstatic. Etsy sales were a significant portion of my income in 2019 and 2020, and the fact that it is now more financially and professionally lucrative to put all my efforts into book illustration is something that I still can’t really wrap my head around.
That said, my Etsy shop isn’t gone yet.
Beginning now, May 1st, all items in my shop are discounted 60% with free shipping and will remain so until I sell down as much of my inventory as I can. Once that happens, the shop will be closed as I focus all my energy into indie horror publishing.
Thanks for reading, and if you’re able, grab a print for yourself and for a friend. It’ll help the fund for new drawing equipment, as mine is very old and beat up and frankly starting to scare me.
Shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RyansInkSpace?ref=search_shop_redirect
