Nuts and Bolts: Freshen up a Saturated Category
GCU strongly encourages artists to create cards for categories in need, those with few to no cards. We discourage adding new cards to a saturated, or heavily populated category. However that is if your submissions are simply “more of the same”. No matter how populated a category there is sure to be a style, subject matter or sentiment that has gone uncovered.
So if you intend to submit to a heavily populated category here are a few tips.
1. BEFORE designing, review the current offerings in the category to see what is being offered and more importantly what is NOT being offered.
2. If your idea addresses something fresh and new for the category, go ahead and design and submit it.
3. When you submit, add in your Notes to the Reviewer something like “I did my homework and there are currently no Chinese crested dogs offered in the Chinese New Year category. Please consider this a fresh addition to a populated category”.
4. Wait for the results of the review before creating more submissions based on the original design.
In addition to adding variety to a populated category, another excellent reason to do is to offer fresh designs to repeat shoppers. GCU shoppers tend to be return shoppers. But if they return to the same category year after year and don’t see new choices they may bore and go elsewhere. So although you may have a top selling card in a category, don’t rest on your laurels and assume it will sell year after year after year. Identify new designs you can add to the same category that appeal to repeat shoppers, especially if they are a fan of your work.
TIP: Pssst, Persian New Year could use some new designs, Feel free to submit for FastTrack review.
GCU Community Manager
