I want to try and sell some of my
illustration work. To do so I needed to create some kind of product. I am
currently interested in pattern making, and surface design, and I had produce a
series of images as part of another module’ Illustration for Children’, based
around the story of the ugly duckling, and through because I had used only
shape and a limited colour palette that these simple design could be made into
pattern to be pasted onto notebooks.
I experimented with different sized
notebooks, but I eventually settled on A6 notebooks, simply because it is a
universally recognised size, a useful size, and my images worked nicely on this
size. I originally wanted to have lined paper, but could find any landscape
lined paper, so settled up using plain cartridge paper, but will be something I
will have to research further if I want to fully commit to this idea. I settled
on two types of paper to give my customers a chose, a 100gm white cartridge
paper and an 80gsm, hammered textured ivory paper, and a 160gsm slightly glossy
cartridge paper for the cover.
I printed the covers using the laser
printer, and cut all of my pages to size. I wanted to add a handmade element to
the notebooks so instead of simple stapling the pages together, I own a hand
singer sewing machine, I is simple using thread which matched the colour of the
inner pages and sewn along the fold of the notebooks. This method looks a
little more pleasing that staples, whilst adding a decorative flourish to the notebooks,
but does limited you on how many pages you can have in one book. After a few
experiments I learnt that the maximum singles pages I could sew, including the
cover 6, meaning that the notebook would contain 20 pages to write on, a decent
sized notebook I thought.
After I had sewn all the book, I then
trimmed them all so they were professionally all the same size, and tied of ans
secured the thread. In order to make them a little more appealing to customers
I grouped the books into packs of 3, all of different combinations. I then
added a belly band to each pack to secure them together, and wrapped them in
cellophane to protect them when traveling.
I need to work out how much I was going to
sell the notebook packs for, so a little maths was needed.
I worked out the following
1 piece of inner paper cost me around 5p
each- per notebook I used 2.5 sheets
0.05x2.5=
0.125- 12p
1 sheet of cartridge paper cost 20p- per
notebook I used 0.5 sheets
0.2x0.5=0.1-
10p
Printing cost 20p
Thread- I didn’t think was worth counting
In total each books materials cost-
12p+10p+20p= 42p
Each pack there are 3 notebooks- 0.42x3=
1.26= £1.26
Plus a few pence for the wrapping
materials- cellophane, tape, stickers and belly band printing paper and
printing.
As this was my first time sell anything and
the fact that the notebooks hadn’t cost me a lot to make, but had taken some
time to make, I would try and sell them at £3.50, a price which I had consulted
with my peers as a good, reasonable price.
I was going to be selling these notebooks
on a stall along with other products made by the illustration team at the
Museum in the Park Stroud fair. I unfortunately wasn’t going to be able to
attend the set up or start of the day, so I had to clearly mark up the prices of
the notebooks, and ensure that they were securely packaged. Below are the final products.
After the fair I was thrilled I find that 3
out of the 9 packs of notebooks I had made had been sold. I was delighted that
people were actually taking interest in my work, and actually liked it enough
to buy my products. I wish I could have attended the event as I witness people’s
reactions and ask them their thoughts on my work. I do think however; I need to
improve a few things. I perhaps needed some kind of background story of theme
for the notebooks, yes the designs were based around the ugly duckling story,
but I didn’t provide a reason why they were, and there wasn’t a connection
between the books and the illustration I had simply pasted the designs on to
the covers.
Therefore, for the next event I will ensure
I can attend it, have purpose for my designs which are well informed and
researches, and not thought of spontaneously, and will have a target market to
guide my design process.
From this making experience I have gain
some insightful information, regarding how to work out the price of materials
taking into consideration how much time to took me to make and design the
products. I have learnt how to package my products professional so they in a
ready to be sold. This has been a useful experience, informative and rewarding,
but mainly I think I has been a step towards me selling and self-publishing my
own work, something I am very keen to pursue.
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