Sell Amazon

I applied to Amazon Handmade -- you have to be reviewed & approved in order to sell -- as they want to make sure products are really hand-made.

SO I was accepted, then started to build my online shop.

Learning curve is very very very steep. You have to make sure you hit the right button so your call or email doesn't get routed overseas; in my experience, if it's other than a U.S. agent, the call takes 4 times as long; I know this because I log my calls from start to finish & keep track of the minutes.

As I was ready to launch my online shop, I found that their categories were limited -- only 5! I make handmade crayons. On one of my calls with a Seattle staffer, it was suggested that I categorize it under Kitchen & Home.

If you're looking for a craft item, would you look under Kitchen & Home?

So Amazon created Amazon Handmade to compete with Etsy et al BUT they put the cart before the horse, launched the thing, but didn't have the wide vision to create the categories FIRST. Other crafters have complained about this but nothing has been done to expand the categories.

Here's what Amazon is doing: they've been offering artisans a chance to sell for FREE, from about Oct 1,2015. But come August 1st, you'll be charge $39.99/month.

It feels like they're trying to seduce artisans into a free deal.

I wonder how close to that August 1st deadline they're going to have the appropriate categories?

It does me no good to create a shop, put in the hard work to make the site appealing but then realize that the categories don't exist so that customers can find my product.

I asked Amazon who was at the helm there in Seattle.

And what person/business in their right mind would create everything else -- I receive tutorials & suggestions about 2x/week -- but what good are these, I asked, if my product isn't classified in the correct category so customers can reach me?