This post is part of the Create Digital Products Blog Tour, hosted by April Bowles-Olin from BlacksburgBelle.com.

Digital products are great because you can create something once and then sell it over and over again, without out doing any more work. Well, sort of. You still have to do marketing, but you don’t have to make the product again and you don’t have to package it or ship it or even order it and have it shipped (like drop shipping.)

I used to design and sell wedding invitations and personalized stationery. I enjoyed that, but I took a lot of time to complete one order, from marketing to sending quotes, to creating drafts, revising, sending final proofs, and finally printing, cutting, folding, assembling, packaging, shipping, etc. When I did the math, I discovered there was not time in a month for me to complete enough orders to bring in the kind of income I desired, so I started exploring other options.

I started licensing some of my work, and I really enjoy that; and it could become quite lucrative in time, but it can take several months to a year from the time you create a design until the time you actually get paid any $$ for it. I wanted another stream of income that would bring in $ quicker and more often than once a quarter, which is how often royalties are paid for licensed designs.

So, I decided to reopen my Etsy shop where I used to sell invitations and stationery and this time only sell digital items. And Etsy has made it even easier now because you can upload your files when you create a new listing and then when a customer purchases the product it is delivered to them via instant download. It’s a win-win. It’s easy for the seller, and the customer gets instant gratification!

I’ve had a few sales every MONTH, but I’d like to have a few sales every DAY (and night), so when I found out that April Bowles-Olin was teaching a course on CreativeLive.com titled, “Create Digital Products that Sell While You Sleep,” I immediately sent in my RSVP for the class. I watched her other CreativeLive course on how to Build a Successful Creative Blog and I learned a ton and really enjoyed her passion and her authenticity. So I’m excited to see what she has to say about digital products.

(By the way, if you haven’t heard of CreativeLive.com, you are missing out. They broadcast live classes on all kinds of creative topics. And while the class is being broadcast live, it is free to watch. But then you have the option to purchase the class if you want to have anytime access. I have watched many classes and have purchased one so far and it was totally worth every penny.)

These printables (pictured above) are my 2 best-selling printables. I did a Pinterest contest with the Eat, Sleep, Rope, Repeat printable a few months ago and now it has sort of gone viral on Pinterest with over 1200 pins, with more & more pins every day. And I am still getting sales on it too. I think the Children Are a Blessing printable has sold well because a lot of people are searching for burlap and lace nursery art and decor and this item comes up on the first page on Etsy when you search for “burlap and lace nursery”.

Some of my other items, like the ones below have not sold as well, even though (to me) they are a higher quality art (and took a lot longer to make.)

So, what I am hoping to learn in April’s class is how to market better and how to attract and build an audience who loves what I offer and can’t wait for my next new item to come out. I’d really like to offer more items to help Christians hide the Word of God in their hearts and really fall more in love with it (and with Jesus, who IS The Word) every day, because I know how powerful it is to change lives. I’d like to get more ideas about different types of digital products I can offer to accomplish this goal. I have a lot of ideas that I just haven’t had time to create and list in my shop yet… like printable journal cards and scripture memory cards, smartphone wallpapers, facebook covers, printable designs for DIY buttons and pocket mirrors, patterned backgrounds and beautiful clipart and word art elements so people can make their own scripture memory cards, etc. But it will be interesting to see if April mentions some I have not thought of yet. I also have plans for a couple of e-courses and hope April will teach on that too.

So what about you… what would you like to see me offer? What would be helpful to you? Or what could I offer that would bring joy to your heart, brighten up your home or help you encourage a friend? (I promise to read and consider every comment!)

Do you also have a creative business? Have you thought about adding digital products to your offerings?

Are you ready to make your creative work more lucrative, stable, and sustainable in the long-term? Join April Bowles-Olin for an introduction to digital products and how they can enhance your creative business. This course will show you how to produce and position viable products for generating multiple revenue streams and passive income. RSVP right here to watch it live and get access to the workbook for FREE. This post is part of the Create Digital Products blog tour.