This is Vol. 6 of the “Overseas Side Business with Zero English” series. Last time, I wrote the full story of passing INPRNT’s review. If you haven’t read it yet, please start there.
My artwork had finally opened to the world.
The moment my URL was issued and my gallery went live on INPRNT.
My heart was pounding — and yet what awaited me there was, surprisingly, overwhelming “silence.”
Previous: My INPRNT Registration and Approval Story
INPRNT Has No “Analytics”
After publishing, I realized something for the first time.
INPRNT has no feature for checking view counts (PV) or impressions.
On Fiverr, for example:
- How many people viewed your gig
- What the click rate is
- Which images get responses
Numbers like these are obvious at a glance on the dashboard.
INPRNT was different.
“Until something sells, you can’t see any numbers at all.”
Honestly, it’s unsettling.
“Is my work actually reaching anyone?”
“Is there no response — or is it simply not being seen?”
There’s no way to check at all.
It felt like throwing a ball into the darkness, over and over.
But Maybe That Is INPRNT’s “Philosophy”
But when I changed my perspective a little, I began to feel this might be INPRNT’s own philosophy.
Not being swayed by numbers — just facing your work.
Quietly reaching only the people who truly like it.
Maybe INPRNT is that kind of “place for creators.”
The exact opposite of the SNS world, where numbers constantly shake your emotions.
Precisely because of that, there’s an atmosphere here where you can concentrate on “the work itself.”
I decided to accept this quiet — not as mere non-response, but as —
“strategic silence”
— something positive.
Zero Response. But It Has Only “Just Begun”
Here’s where my gallery stands right now.
- Sales: zero
- Views: unknown
- Inquiries: zero
…Written out like that, it’s quite a flavorful situation (laughs).
Even though I knew it would be like this, it does get me down a little.
But I’ve already been ignored plenty on SNS and Coconala, so I’ve built up a fair amount of “resistance.”
On the other hand, thinking about it calmly, it’s only natural.
On a giant platform where talent gathers not just from Japan but from all over the world,
someone who debuted yesterday isn’t going to be found that easily.
This isn’t a “failure” (or so I’d like to believe).
It’s simply that —
“the seed-sowing has only just begun”
— that’s all.
From “the Reviewed” to “the Reviewer”
Starting INPRNT, the system that surprised me most personally is this:
Artists who pass the review can participate in reviewing other applicants.
In other words, I had been “the one being looked at” — and now I can also be on “the looking side.”
Looking at works arriving from around the world from people who want to sell on INPRNT, and judging whether to approve them.
This was a more stimulating experience than I had imagined.
- You can feel the quality bar with your own skin
- You encounter world trends and expressive techniques
- As input, the density is extremely high
Japanese creators who have experienced the reviewing side of INPRNT are probably still very few.
For this experience alone, I feel the challenge was well worth it.
Fiverr and INPRNT: An Overseas Strategy of “Offense” and “Defense”
Even though both are overseas platforms, Fiverr and INPRNT have completely different personalities.
| Fiverr | INPRNT | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Offense type | Defense type |
| Style | “Labor-intensive”: you go out and win work | “Asset-stock”: you place your works |
| Numbers | Visible (scam messages come too, lol) | Invisible |
| Time frame | Moves to earn right now | A system for building up long-term |
These two don’t compete.
Rather, their roles divide beautifully.
While going after “now” on Fiverr,
growing “future income sources” on INPRNT.
This “two-layer stance” is my current overseas strategy.
*I wrote about the Fiverr scam-message experience in detail in Vol. 4 — please take a look there too.
In Closing
INPRNT may not be a place where results come quickly.
But precisely because you can’t see the numbers,
there is meaning in purely building up “good work.”
Watching the backs of illustrators from around the world,
today, once again, I’ll add a new piece to my gallery.
Because it’s a quiet place,
things that last long may be born there — that’s how it feels to me.
Next Time
In the next installment, Vol. 7, I’ll publish Fiverr’s traffic numbers for the first time.
The numbers are honestly tough, but I’ll record the reality as it is.
Please look forward to it.
Next: The Reality of 24 Days on Fiverr
The big comparison of 5 overseas platforms is here
Comments