Can Cosplay be a Career | Cosplaypowers
Channel: Cosplay Powers
Date: 05/02/2021

Can Cosplay be a Career | Cosplaypowers

Can cosplay be a career? That is a million-dollar question. 
Join our "Cosplay Connect" discord group: https://discord.gg/PGNexxY

For most people involved, cosplay is a hobby, but for some it can be more. No one will ever start cosplaying as a way of making money. It is a hobby above all. But yes there are paths to make a living out of it.

Host by Bri 
https://www.instagram.com/purely.mixed/
https://linktr.ee/Purely.mixed

How much money do cosplayers make?
Popular professional cosplayers can make at least $5,000 to $10,000.

10 TOP ways to make money:

1- On-Line Personality
Super popular cosplayers can make money from YouTube Channels, Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, and other Social Networks just like any other Web Celebrity. Some even have sponsor posts.
If you want to grow on Tiktok the right way. No black hat tactics and fast join our discord group. It's FREE! 

2- Convention Guest
Cosplayers are expected to run panels and after-parties, but their only compensation comes from the merch they bring to their table. And even then, cosplayers are only lucky to break even. I think more cosplayers should be adamant about being paid to go to conventions or else this is never going to change. You shouldn’t have to be Jessica Nigri or Yaya Han in order to get paid as a cosplay guest.

http://animecons.com/events/

3- Company Hired Cosplayer
Some companies (mostly game developers) can hire the best cosplayers to be in their convention booths and or events while in cosplay to interact with guests.
Cosplay Jobs: https://www.simplyhired.com/search?q=cosplay&job=dBIB32dIvCIsMA3SCAniE1AwT2j_m6asxzZ3xmQmwPPRrb-EcHVpOQ

4- Character for Hire
Popular characters like Super Heroes and Princesses can be hired for private events, children's parties, shows, and conventions.
 
5- Sell your Image / Sell Your Own Merch
If you are really good and have nice professional pics of yourself, there is the option to sell prints (and digital versions) of your work as a cosplayer. This can be done online and/or by getting a booth at a convention.
https://www.shopify.com/
https://poshmark.com/
 
Need a custom eCommerce website? Contact us: essencecartoon@gmail.com

6-Teaching your craft
If a cosplayer is pretty good a producing their own stuff this person can promote classes and workshops both on a location and online. There are also the YouTube channel and Twitch options for it.
https://teachable.com/
www.lynda.com
https://www.udemy.com/
www.twitch.com
www.youtube.com
Amazon Self-Publishing https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/
 
7- Cosplay making
Also for those cosplayers who are great at their craft, there is the option to produce and sell costumes by commission (that is what I do for a living).
https://www.etsy.com/
https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014483627-What-are-the-Fees-and-Taxes-for-Selling-on-Etsy-?segment=selling
 
 
8 - Patreon/Onlyfan/Ko-Fi
Just as with any popular creator, a cosplayer can rely on Patreon donations.
That being said, most professional cosplayers opt for more than one of these options at once. The most famous ones like Yaya Han even get industry deals to give their names to product lines. But those kinds of deals are still in early stages and not available to small cosplayers.

Tiktok Creator’s Fund: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/tiktok-creator-fund-your-questions-answered (join our discord if you want to join quickly) 

Onlyfan: https://onlyfans.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/
Ko-Fi: www.ko-fi.com

9- Website Ads and Affiliate Links

Setting up a website and affiliate links requires basic HTML knowledge and it’s pretty time-consuming. The first year I had Google Ads on my website, I made maybe $10, so it’s not a huge source of income. But it can be if you’re dedicated and supply website content on a weekly basis. If your website has enough traffic, you can even sell ad space for relevant products or services.

You can also set up affiliate links in order to make money as a cosplayer. Amazon now has an influencer program so you don’t even have to have a website in order to participate. Learn more about Amazon’s influencer program here.


10. Influencer Platforms

Influencer platforms like Famebit (which is shutdown) and Activate connect influencers with brands that recognize the importance of this type of advertising. This strategy isn’t a popular way to earn money as a cosplayer, but let me tell you— the opportunity is there. I think that as more cosplay influencers sign up for this type of sponsorship, more companies will become accustomed to utilizing our unique audience.

Some of these influencer platforms require you to have a certain following on your platforms. For example, Fambit only accepts YouTube and Tumblr influencers with an audience of 5,000 or more. However, you can sign up with Activate with next to no prerequisites.

https://try.activate.social/influencers

So can cosplay be a career? Well yes.