How to Become a Sketchfab Store Seller: Application Tips

You may be reading this article because you want to earn some extra income selling your 3D assets and heard that you can do it on Sketchfab—or you may be reading this because you applied to become a Sketchfab Store seller but your application has been rejected. Regardless of whether you’re preparing your application for the first, second, or third time, use the information below to help submit a winning application and start earning money from your talents.

To start, here’s a look at the five questions the Sketchfab Store team asks themselves when they’re reviewing an application:

• Are the models sellable?
• Are the models competitive in terms of quality and, if known, pricing?
• Do the models offer something unique or better than what already exists on the Store?
• Do the models provide value to customers?
• Is the presentation of models consistent?

The basics for a successful Sketchfab Store application

Now that you have a sense of how we approach seller applications, let’s look at what you can do to help us answer each of the Store team’s questions with an easy “Yes”.

• Make sure there are enough models on your Sketchfab account
  If you haven’t already done so, open a Sketchfab account for free. Then, upload 5-10 examples of your work to your account. It’s OK if they’re in Draft mode and not published yet—our Store team will still be able to review them. This simple step will put you ahead of the 50-60% of applicants who get rejected for providing too few examples of their work.
• Upload quality models that multiple people might want to buy
  Uploading a basic donut in five different colors is not going to cut it. On a scale from beginner to professional, your models should be at least advanced. If what you’ve made can be replicated by anyone with 5 minutes and a YouTube tutorial, it is unlikely to provide significant value for buyers. Consider what someone might be looking for if they’re working on a project and need to purchase something that they can’t make themselves.
• Show that your work has a clear focus
  Perhaps you create 3D scans of food, or maybe your specialty is low poly assets. Whatever your interests and talents are, be sure to present a cohesive selection of models for the Sketchfab Store team to review.
  Looking ahead, as a seller, you will be more successful if you become known for doing one or two types of things well. You could be the person that buyers think of when they need to purchase sci-fi spaceships or VR chat avatars or 3D scanned cars.
• Make your models and your Sketchfab profile look nice
  It may be an afterthought, but how you present your Sketchfab profile and your models can make or break our first impression of your work and you as a professional. Start with updating your display name, avatar, and description. Offer some information that gives us a sense of what you create or your expertise, for example, “Low poly stylized artist” or “3D scanner focused on capturing architecture”.
  Adjust the 3D editor settings so that the background and lighting make your work look great. If you’re looking for some tips on how to make your assets stand out, check out this article. And if you want some tips and tricks for using the 3D Editor, take a look at this article.
• Give titles and descriptions to your models 
  We would like to see what a buyer would see when they look at your work. Give each of your models a title that briefly identifies the subject of the model, and use the model description section to provide any information that a buyer might find useful, for example, file format(s) included in the model download, what the model is best used for (games, 3D printing, architectural visualization, etc.), and so on.
• Polish up your presence on social media, art sites, and other marketplaces
  Our team wants to see more examples of what you create and get a sense of how you present your work to other online audiences. If you’re already selling elsewhere, they want to see how you price and present your products.

Has your Sketchfab Store application been rejected?

If you’re here because you submitted an application and it was rejected, here are some steps you can take to make your next application a successful one. Below are the most common reasons for application rejection—remember that whatever the reason for your rejection, we invite you to re-apply to become a seller on the Sketchfab Store:

Your models do not meet our technical requirements

Technical requirements will vary depending on the sorts of models you create and the audience of buyers that you would like to target. Models intended for 3D printing need to be watertight, for example, while models intended for game engines should include PBR textures and be highly optimized.

Solution: Consider the audience that your style is best suited for and then ensure that your models follow the technical guidelines specified for that category of models.

The technical reach of your models undermines the marketplace value proposition

This is another way of saying that your models could be made easily and quickly by someone with basic modeling skills. The Sketchfab Store is where buyers go to save themselves time—if they are able to make models like yours in 5–15 minutes, your models would likely not provide much value to them.

Solution: In order to avoid this same feedback on your next store application, we suggest you work on increasing the quality and complexity of your models. Go beyond the basics to bring something new and unique to the Store.

Too few models

When you apply to become a Sketchfab Store seller, your Sketchfab portfolio should include at least 5 models. This number helps us to get a sense of your interests and abilities.

Solution: If your application is rejected for showing us too few examples of your work, just create and upload a few more models and reapply, making sure that your profile includes at least 5 models.

Proof of model authorship is required

If your application has been rejected because we require proof of model authorship, what we are looking for is proof that you created the models shown on your Sketchfab profile.

Solution: Send us a complete timelapse or video documentation of you making your three (3) most recent models. These timelapses or videos should illustrate your knowledge of modeling and shading tools in the software of your choice. If you do not have timelapses or videos of your three most recent models, you will need to create three new models and record the creation process for each of them.

And that’s it! Now you can apply to become a seller.