Selling Your Art Successfully on Redbubble.com

A mate on LinkedIn recently messaged me with this corker of a question:

“You might have to explain to me how to get some sales through Redbubble. I had a bunch of images there for a while and have accrued 0 sales. B$%#S&$#”

Alas, I both remember and know this pain. Redbubble isn’t exactly a goldmine for most of us, unless you’ve gone viral or struck a niche so specific it’s got its own postcode. But it is a fantastic place to showcase your work—especially if you’re into photography or digital art like I am.

I use Redbubble as my gallery, not my paycheque. Sales? Rare. But I always share new uploads with friends and family. Why? Because you never know who’s watching… or buying.

Take last Thursday, for example. I uploaded a soft-focus shot of a tiny pink flower—delicate, elegant, very feminine. Friday morning, I emailed a bunch of my female friends a short message: “Hope you like this photo. Let me know what you think—share it with mates if you reckon it’s worth a look.”

Ten minutes later, one of them popped in for a cuppa and said she loved it. I smiled and cheekily asked, “So… you gonna buy it then?” She laughed and said yes.

No hard sell. Just a genuine chat. That’s the key—ask people what they think. Be curious, not pushy. Sometimes the next buyer is already in your contact list.

Another sneaky-good tactic? Give your art away. Last year I printed a stack of cards with my photos and handed them out to close mates and rellies. Blank inside. Just said, “Here’s a gift—do what you like with it.” Some got sent interstate, one even made it to the UK. A few ended up framed. Turns out, people liked my work too much to give it away. That’s a good sign.

Here’s the kicker: I buy my own cards through Redbubble at base price. Then I either gift them or sell them directly. That way, I pocket the profit instead of letting Redbubble take the lion’s share. Bit of business sense, that.

So, how do you get sales on Redbubble?

Let’s boil it down to three quick points:

1. Word of mouth matters. Tell everyone—on socials, in emails, at the local footy club. Don’t spam, but don’t be shy either.
2. Only upload what you’d buy yourself. If it doesn’t make you proud, why should anyone else want it?
3. Enjoy the process. It sounds cliché, but if you love the work, it shows. Passion’s contagious.

At the end of the day, I use Redbubble because I love seeing my photography out in the world—even if it’s only on a fridge or mantlepiece. If you’re trying to crack the code, don’t just chase sales—build connections, share freely, and let the rest follow.

Good luck out there. And if you’ve got a Redbubble store too, flick me a link—I’m always keen to see what others are creating.