Welcome, Guest Login
You must login or register to post.

Not Happy! (Read 937 times)
Sherry_205423
Gold Member
*****



Posts: 743
Not Happy!
May 31st, 2020, 6:10pm
 
Yes, I'm not happy. I've been on GCU for several years. Over the last week, GCU has gone through my military cards in my shop Dog Tags and Combat Boots. They have declined over half my cards. It's really disheartening seeing over 50 cards a day declined. Yes, some have been returned for edits. Do I feel like editing them? The answer is no.  
 
I spent a lot of time creating them in the first place. Sitting here after two months in quarantine, and still quarantining,  I don't feel like spending more time on them when I receive very little compensation when they sell. Many have sold well. As I mentioned at the beginning I'm not happy. Life is too short, especially with the pandemic, and at my age (74), to spend my time editing. There are other things I'd rather be doing. Several people have told me the same thing. No, I'm not leaving GCU, I'm just not wasting my time editing cards. Sorry everyone, just frustrated and disheartened.
 
Sherry H.
Back to top
 
 
Email   IP Logged
Lisa_214209
Full Member
***



Posts: 219
Re: Not Happy!
Reply #1 - Jun 1st, 2020, 7:34am
 
Hi Sherry,
I just wanted to drop you a note of encouragement. Being in quarantine and seeing the effects that it's having on everyone, I can understand you're feeling disheartened. The world seems so uneasy and turbulent, even more so lately.  
If it helps any, I also understand the frustration that comes from being a creative entrepreneur. As a freelance illustrator for 20 years, I have dealt with all sorts of feedback, reviews, and comments. Especially portfolio reviews - some would make me smile for days and others, break down in tears. An agent once told me that my illustration looked like it had been drawn with crayons (yeah, not good). The best advice I ever received, was to keep what I needed and leave the rest. Simple, but true. Art will always be subjective and that's what makes it great.  
Your shop/cards have a lovely patriotic spirit and I am always amazed at seeing shops (like yours) that have so many cards! That is such an accomplishment in itself! Keep making cards that you love and want to share with others. And if there are some cards that can be easily revised to meet the updated GCU recommendations (especially the designs that you mentioned sell well) then adjust and resubmit. Tackling a few a day would add up pretty fast. At least, that's what I found when I resubmitted cards that had been returned for edits. The cards that I had declined, I just deleted and tried something new.  
Anyway, I hope that this makes you feel less alone in this matter and might even help in some way.
Sending you some   Smiley Smiley Smiley  
Lisa
Back to top
 
 

La Belle Paperie, Artistic Greeting Cards:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/LaBellePaperie
Email   IP Logged
Kate_209623
Full Member
***



Posts: 114
Re: Not Happy!
Reply #2 - Jun 1st, 2020, 8:37am
 
Hi Sherry, I just wanted to write and say that I have noticed your cards on GCU in the past and have always thought they are great. Stay strong ... that's it really, just a bit of support. Kate XX
Back to top
 
 
Email   IP Logged
Sherry_205423
Gold Member
*****



Posts: 743
Re: Not Happy!
Reply #3 - Jun 4th, 2020, 9:12pm
 
Thank you, Lisa and Kate, I appreciate the messages. I'm now down from 780+ cards to 177. I
m not even sure they're finished going through them. It's very disheartening, to say the least. I've had a lot of compliments on them throughout the years. At this point, I'm not willing to spend time re-doing any that I've spent hours creating. Maybe sometime in the future. Who knows. My hubby and my daughter both say forget it. I look at as GCU's loss. They made money off the cards, I certainly haven't gotten rich. It gave me a little spending money. I'll survive. At my age, I've learned," not to cry over spilled milk." There are other more important things in this world, especially right now. Thanks again.
Back to top
 
 
Email   IP Logged
Doreen_137017
Gold Member
artist
*****



Posts: 5328
Re: Not Happy!
Reply #4 - Jun 5th, 2020, 7:21am
 
Hi Sherry -
 
You know, this re-review is site-wide and many of us have already been through it. Back in 2012/2013, GCU announced Submission Guidelines and along with it, that all stores and all cards would go through a re-review process.  
At that time - and with a few reminders over the years from Mindy - the artists were told to go through their cards BEFORE the re-review and make adjustments to meet the SGs. It took me a year to go through all my cards, but I re-did card front text, checked margins, corrected superscript and ellipsis errors and for many of my old cards, improved the imagery overall - beveled text and elements - YUCK!
It was time-consuming, but WOW have the sales soared!  
 
I also know several artists whose experience was more like yours-  only they took it on as a learning experience and a challenge. They too have praised the process in that their cards look more professional now and their sales have doubled or even tripled.
 
How you handle this is your choice and you have to do what feels right to you, but you've been here nearly as long as I have so you knew this process was on-going and your store would come up - after all it's been 8-years since the original announcement. Being an artist means continuous growth and change in all aspects of what we do. Why not look at this as a positive kick in the creative tush?
 
These posts may encourage you:
 
https://gcucommunity.com/2018/08/31/nuts-and-bolts-be-encouraged-not-discouraged
/
 
https://gcucommunity.com/2018/01/26/nuts-and-bolts-storewide-facelift/
 
https://gcucommunity.com/2017/09/29/nuts-and-bolts-updating-old-to-nolow-selling
-card-tips/
Back to top
 
 
Email   IP Logged
Sherry_205423
Gold Member
*****



Posts: 743
Re: Not Happy!
Reply #5 - Jun 8th, 2020, 6:30pm
 
Well, Final count, I have 34 cards left out of almost 800!! Sorry, Doreen, but probably not going to redo most. Too much time for so little profit. I'm not spending a year or more of my life after the time I've already spent creating them. One card may have taken me a day to a day and a half to make. Nope. More important things in life, and at my age. It's GCU's loss. I sell cards here every day. I have people tell me all the time they love my cards and my shop. So c'est la vie. Life goes on. I'm not leaving, but the store will have 34 cards!
Back to top
 
 
Email   IP Logged

About Us     Artists     Artist FAQ     Blog     Card Sellers     Contact Us     Content Disclaimer     Forum     Paper Card Categories     Privacy Policy     Shopper FAQ     Holidays 2011

Click to verify BBB accreditation and to see a BBB report.                        
© Copyright 2000- Greeting Card Universe - Powered By Bigdates-Solutions.com   

GCU Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.1!
YaBB © 2000-2005. All Rights Reserved.