Deb Trotter, Cowboy's Sweetheart

I know I say over and over again how much I live in Cody, Wyoming.

I'm just not sure I spend enough time showing you why.

Dedicated to all Cowgirls, Cowboys, and Horse Lovers everywhere!

Happy Trails!

Tags: Cody, Cowboys, Cowgirls, Deb Trotter, horses, Photography, Wyoming
Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Photography, Travel, horses | No Comments »

I formally sold this art on Cafepress. (Minus the obvious deviations)

Cards, mugs, and mousepads were my best sellers.

Christmas sales were especially good – so much so that those rockin' Old Gringo Boots I was coveting are now in my collection.

Having a storefront on CP enabled me to purchase and sell gifts. To brighten someone's day with a lot of art and a little humor. To share my giddy up, Cowgirl side with others. To meet new artist friends.

If you want raw honesty, Cafepress was a great promotional tool.

But guess what? Like many of my fellow artists, I was also Cafepress's promotional tool.

I linked to them on my blog. Featured them in blog posts (a LOT), as well as in my right sidebar. Promoted them more times than I'd like to admit.

Well, here we are. Cafepress and me. At the crossroads between Greed and Integrity.

And I'm takin' the fastest train outta Dodge as far away from Greed as I can.

I learned late last week that Cafepress has decided that all of my hard work was for naught. If a potential customer googles "Cowgirl Art," "Cowgirl Cards," "Christmas Cowgirls" – even "Deb Trotter" – finds my work on Cafepress and decides to buy it – then CP is going to (magnanimously) give me only 10% of the profit.

10% ???

So I tell people about Cafepress, recommend them to fellow artists, drive them up a bit in the search engines, and purchase oodles of my own products to sell and give away (thereby making them some dough), and they give me 10%? Just because someone arrives at my store through a search engine other than directly through my blog and website?

Get read, CP.

Let's say I normally make $2.50 on a card if someone comes to my CP shop through my blog.

If they arrive at my shop through google, I would make 50 cents instead.

Or how about I normally make $4.50 on a mousepad, and now I stand to earn a whopping 90 cents.

Oh, I wasn't exactly getting rich before this new policy of theirs. But I liked the pocket cash. I liked the visibility. And if someone asked if I sold my work on cards, it was easy to send them straight to Cafepress.

I readily admit Cafepress makes it easy. Artists don't have to package and mail the items, so CP saves us time. And it's nice to have all sorts of neat little products featuring our artwork so readily available.

But … there are plenty other online stores like CP that are just as good – and who, so far, are not treating the artist community like second rate citizens.

So. Like I mentioned last Friday, I have closed my Cafepress shop, and I've deleted many of my posts that mention CP.

I'm also closing down over at Imagekind, simply because it is owned by CP. (It's just my little way of sayin', It's not right. It's not fair. And it's no longer productive.)

One little Cowgirl artist may not change the world or be able to bring greed to its knees. But she can certainly join a large community who is proclaimin' …

"I'm not goin' to take it anymore."

Tags: Art, artists, Cafepress, Cowboy's Sweetheart, Cowgirl, Deb Trotter, vintage
Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Cards & Invitations, Photography | 6 Comments »

Cafepress?

NOT!

No more sidebar features. No more recommendations. No more nothing.

Cafepress ain't this Cowgirl's Huckleberry, that's for sure.

And I just betcha if Doc Holliday wuz here (straight out of the movie, Tombstone), he'd say the same darned thing.

I'll fill you in next week, pardner.

Until then … Happy Trails!

P.S. As for you, Cafepress? This cowgirl ain't a botherin' to tip her hat.

Tags: Art, Cafepress, Cowboy's Sweetheart, Deb Trotter, Tombstone
Posted in Art and Life, Blogs for Artists, Cards & Invitations | 3 Comments »