The world is digitizing. Metaverses are taking shape all around us. Automation is the new normal. Almost anything can be delivered without ever meeting those involved with its design, production or shipping. Reality is molded by the tap of a button.

Say we time travelled back 100 years ago. Could someone from that era be convinced that in the future they could set up an online store, digitally render products, and manage all of the inventory in another state for a profit without breaking a sweat? Funnily enough, they’d likely be more convinced that time travel was real since “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells came out not long before in 1895.

I currently operate my own merchandising store called The Storyletter Gift Shop. The product selection is slowly expanding, but it’s pretty basic for the most part. Right now it’s tailored specifically to The Storyletter brand, but I aim to branch out to other products like books, maps, and artwork. Because I run both the newsletter and the online store like a non-profit, all of the proceeds currently go back into the community in the form of paid subscriptions to other writers, original fiction purchases, and cash prizes for contests.

The point of this month’s XPress post isn’t to convince you to set up an online store, but to explain the costs and headaches that come along with it, while also breaking down the basic steps for setting one up. If you’re not an XPress member, here’s a quick guide that may help you get started:

The Storyletter has been running a series called “To Build”, placing an emphasis on the basic tenets surrounding writing fiction online and establishing yourself as an independent creator. If you’d like to read the topics covered thus far, here’s the list:

• To Build a Community

• To Build a Habit

• To Build a Substack

• To Build a Podcast

• To Build a Submission

• To Build a Method

• To Build a Contest

• To Build a Website

• To Build a Reason

• To Build a Brand...