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Third-Party Marketplace Distribution: Artist FAQ

Verified Sellers in the Spoonflower Marketplace are welcome to opt-in to our Third Party Distribution program. Third Party Marketplace refers to any external vendor where we sell Spoonflower fabric, wallpaper and Home Decor. This includes sites such as Etsy and Amazon.

This distributions program is a great way to increase exposure of your creative work. All artwork found on a third party marketplace can always be found on the main Spoonflower site.

Artists maintain full rights to artwork and are welcome to enroll or opt-out at any time. Even better, we take full responsibility in listing the products so there's no additional work to participate.

 

Basic Program Information

What to Expect After Signing Up

Sales and Commissions

 

Basic Program Information

Why is Spoonflower offering this option to sell on other platforms?

Exposure! For some customers, these third-party shopping platforms are preferred shopping sites. Listing your designs on these external marketplaces is a great way to get your designs in front of buyers who aren't searching on Spoonflower.

How much does it cost to participate?

This program free! In fact, we cover the costs and manage the entire process for you!

External marketplaces charge fees for listing products, and setting-up new products and designs takes time. Spoonflower will pay all fees and do the hard work of labeling, describing and posting your designs for ordering.

How do I opt in?

To opt in, you first must be a Verified Seller. Once verified, log into your Spoonflower account and link to your Account Settings. Click into the Design Distribution tab, enter your password and then review your settings for "External Marketplaces.”

Your settings will default to "No", but upon reviewing the External Distribution Agreement, you are free to opt in to the program.

DISCLAIMER: Opting-in offers no guarantee that your designs will be made available on these platforms. This simply affords you the chance to be considered for inclusion.

What if I'm not interested in being a part of this program?

That's perfectly fine. If you do not want to participate, simply do not opt in. We only consider the work of Sellers who have given us permission to review and distribute their designs. 

When I opt in, am I restricted from selling my designs elsewhere?

No, however it may reduce the efficacy of this experiment to have duplicate listings, so we recommend that you do not simultaneously sell your designs as fabric yardage on these sites (though selling finished products made with your designs is still fine). Remember, we're doing the heavy lifting for you!

Does this affect my artist rights?

No. You will maintain full rights to your artwork. 

Can I choose which external marketplaces my designs are placed on, or which designs are offered?

No. We are not able to offer the ability to choose certain sites, nor can we exclude certain designs while including others. Ultimately, our goal is to include certain designs on certain marketplaces that we believe will do well amongst the consumer base of that site.

Are any designs that are excluded from the program?

We typically are not able to accommodate half-drop wallpaper designs in our Third-Party marketplaces. However, if the vertical design repeat for a half-drop design is less than 24" we may, at our discretion, include the design when we believe it is a good match for that site. This is because most walls are 8-feet in height and a 9-foot roll will still ensure a seamless installation for a half-drop that is 12" (half of 24") or less.

 

What to Expect After Signing Up

What do I need to do to prepare my designs?

When you upload your designs to Spoonflower, you create a design title, save tags and write descriptions. We will use these three features as guidelines for preparing your design for the Third-Party site. In some instances, we made modify the name or offer additional descriptive details when we believe it will elevate the success of your design.

Review the article Preparing Designs for the Marketplace for basic information and review the offerings in Spoonflower Seller Handbook.

How long will it take before I see my designs on external marketplaces?

We cannot guarantee every designer or design will be made available on these platforms after you opt-in. It could take up to 3 months before your designs are available on external marketplaces, and your designs might show up on one marketplace before another. At this time, we do not alert artists when a design in included in the Marketplace. The best way to find out will be when a sale posts in your account!

Are there specific pattern or styles that you are more likely to include?

Styles are always changing, and the demographics of each Third-Party marketplace are unique. We consider a variety of factors, including industry trends and shopper profiles as we explore what designs to include. You may want to review the offerings we post with these vendors to get a better sense of what we might be looking for, but keep in mind that consumer tastes are  always in flux.

When you list my designs on external marketplaces, can you include my website and links to my social media in the description?

While your Spoonflower profile name will be included within the listing of these external marketplaces, we cannot include personal links to other websites within the product pages.

When a customer reaches out to us directly inquiring about your work, we will do our best to guide them to your Shop. Be certain your profile includes pertinent links and up-to-date handles.

If I remove a design from my shop, how long will it take to be removed from the external marketplaces?

If you remove a design from the Spoonflower Marketplace, we will remove it from all external marketplaces within 7 days. If any orders are placed on external sites in this small window, we reserve the right to fulfill the order and award you commissions. If there is a particular design that needs to be removed with great urgency, please contact our customer service team.

 

Sales and Commissions

How are commissions for Third-Party orders calculated?

Commissions are calculated and rewarded in the same way as those made directly through the Marketplace. Because orders are all processed through Spoonflower, you will be paid in the same time frame, as well. Review the Seller’s Agreement for a more detailed explanation.

How will I know when a design sells on an external marketplace?

Orders placed through an external marketplace will generate an order through our Marketplace under a Third-Party moniker, such as "EtsyDistro" or "AmazonDistro." This order is just like an order placed directly through Spoonflower.com and you will receive a standard notification email. 

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