Month Two on Overseas Platforms: FAA Visitors Pass 1,000 — and Sales Are Still ¥0 [Overseas Side-Job Journal, Vol. 15]

[Overseas Side Business with Zero English, Vol. 15]

About two months since registering on overseas platforms.

This time, I’ll publish the real numbers from my activities on four overseas platforms, exactly as they are.

First, the conclusion.

My overseas side-business sales are… zero yen (laughs).

…That said, there was one small happy event.

The cumulative visitor count on Fine Art America (hereafter FAA) — the overseas print-sales site I struggled with most at registration — recently passed 1,000 people.

Just under two months since registration.

And this is 1,000 people without actively promoting on SNS, and with the blog’s SEO barely moving yet.

“Sounds like it’s going well, isn’t it?”

You might think so.

But reality is different.

Sales are ¥0.

Followers: 1 person (and I don’t even know who).

This is the honest reality of month two on overseas platforms.

This time, while publishing all the numbers, I’ll write about what I’ve learned so far — and what I still don’t know.

Previous: Toward a New Market (Europe)

All the Platforms I Registered in Two Months

Compared to last month (INPRNT 11 works, Redbubble 12, FAA 12), the number of works is steadily increasing.

However, honestly, sales remain at ¥0 (laughs).

Publishing the Numbers Honestly

Fine Art America (FAA)

INPRNT

Redbubble

Fiverr

Blog Revenue

*This cumulative total includes the ¥1,147 pending approval from Moshimo Affiliate (generated in June 2026). For what happened afterward, see the latest revenue summary (in Japanese).

That is the current record. In short, overseas side-business revenue is ¥0.

Checking Off the “4 Things to Do in Month Two” I Declared Last Time

In the Vol. 13 article, I had declared four things to do in month two. Let me check them off honestly here.

1. Solve Displate’s login problem and register works → Not achieved. The login problem couldn’t be solved, and I haven’t reached work registration.
2. Complete Zazzle’s email verification and target the European market → Not achieved. The email verification still hasn’t gone through.
3. Increase the number of works → Achieved. FAA, INPRNT, and Redbubble all increased in works.
4. My art quietly sells…! → Not achieved. Sales remain at ¥0.

Only 1 of 4 achieved. Honestly, it’s frustrating. However, I have moved from the “just registered” state to the “increasing works” stage, so I see it as not zero progress at all.

FAA Visitors Pass 1,000 — A Feat, or Just Normal?

Amid all that, there was one happy event.

That is: FAA’s cumulative visitors passing 1,000.

Honestly, my own feeling was something like “before I knew it, it had become 1,000.”

It’s an account just started by a Japanese person who barely understands English.

I never thought it would be viewed this much.

Curious, I researched overseas selling, using AI as well, and it seems it’s not uncommon for new accounts to go months with their works barely viewed at all.

Of course, no official average is published.

Even so, the number of 1,000 visitors in about two months since registration was personally a very encouraging result.

Having continued SNS for about four years, I think I understand a little that “being seen by 1,000 people” is by no means easy.

Perhaps my somewhat old-fashioned style is being received overseas as a distinctive character instead.

……Of course, it may all be my own assumption (laughs).

Another Fact I Learned from the Weekly Report

Looking at FAA’s weekly report that arrived the other day (it comes by email every week), there was interesting data.

The top 4 works by visitor count.

• “World Soccer Championship”: 46 people (last visit: America)
• Woman with Hinomaru & Hakama: 34 people (last visit: Milan, Italy)
• Taisho Beauty: 23 people (last visit: Paris, France)
• Celebration Poster: 21 people (last visit: UK)

The visiting countries: America, Italy, France, the UK.

Exactly the countries getting excited about the 2026 World Cup.

I think “World Soccer Championship” being number one is not unrelated to the timing of the World Cup being held.

Soccer, a topic shared worldwide, may be serving as an entrance for people to find my works.

This wasn’t something I aimed for from the start; I think it’s the result of continuing to draw what I love, which happily overlapped with the timing.

Since the opportunity is here, I’m thinking of adding a few more works to the “Taisho Roman × World Soccer Championship” series, themed on various countries, during the World Cup period.

……That said, since the Japanese national team was eliminated, my motivation to create has honestly dropped a little right now (laughs).

Even so, while cherishing this flow, I’ll aim to sell my first piece overseas in July.

What the 1 Follower Taught Me

Current Followers: 1 person. 1,000 people visited, and 1 person followed me.

Looking only at the numbers, it feels small.

Even so, I think “it wasn’t 0 people.” A follow is also an expression of intent: “I want to come see the works again.”

Increasing new visitors is SEO and SNS. Increasing repeat visitors is the works and the profile.

There are still many parts I can review, such as improving the profile and the overall unity of the gallery. In month three, I plan to improve those areas too.

Why I Continue Even with Zero Sales

Of course reality is harsh: visitors passed 1,000, but buyers are still 0.

On overseas platforms:

You get searched.

People view your works.

They like them.

And only then are they purchased.

When this flow connects, it finally becomes a sale (so AI says, laughs).

It’s not a world where results come out the day after you register.

So right now, I see this as a period for building up assets — works and blog articles — one by one.

English is helped by AI (not only English!).

But “continuing” is something only I can do!!

What I’ll Do in Month Three

Platforms (carried over from Vol. 13)

• Displate: solve the login problem and proceed with work registration
• Zazzle: retry the email verification
• Redbubble: find the cause of the unpublished state
• Society6: proceed with the application

Works & Blog

• Add new illustrations (including the World Cup series)
• Keep updating the blog toward a goal of 50 articles
• Improve the FAA profile

Precisely because there are no sales now, I think there are things I can do.

I’m not optimistically thinking “it will sell someday,” and I don’t have that much leeway either. If anything, my feeling is: improve, one by one, the causes of why results aren’t coming. That’s how I’m proceeding.

Next month, it would be the best if I could report the “first overseas sale.”

However, even if sales are zero, I have no intention of hiding it!!

Because I consider this series not a success story, but a real growth record of overseas selling.

I’ll keep publishing both the good and the bad.

Next time, I plan to write about the truth behind the Redbubble shop unpublished incident.

Next: Why Redbubble Was Unpublished for About a Month and a Half

I’ll deliver the real state of my overseas side business again.

Also recommended: “The Big Comparison of 5 Overseas Illustration Platforms”

Next: The Shocking Reason My Redbubble Shop Was Unpublished for About a Month and a Half