Seller Handbook

1. Getting Started as a Seller

Setting Up Your Shop

After creating your PitchNow Live account and completing seller onboarding, your first step is to set up your shop. Navigate to your Seller Dashboard and click Shop Setup. You'll be asked to provide:

• Shop Name — Choose a memorable name that reflects your brand. This is what buyers and investors will see.
• Shop Description — Write 2–3 sentences about who you are, what you make, and what makes your work unique.
• Shop Photo — Upload a logo or profile image (recommended: 400×400px, square crop).
• Phone Number — (Recommended) Your phone number for account security and important platform communications.

Seller Dashboard Tour

Access your Seller Dashboard by clicking your account avatar in the top-right corner of any page and selecting My Dashboard. Your dashboard is your command center — here's what each section does:

• Dashboard — Overview of your shop's key metrics: total sales, views, followers, and recent orders. The dashboard features a dynamic stream status widget that adapts to your current streaming activity — showing a live indicator when you're broadcasting, a countdown to your next scheduled stream, or a prompt to schedule your first stream if you haven't streamed yet. Quick action buttons for adding listings, viewing your shop, and sharing your shop link are always available below the widget.
• Products — Add, edit, and manage all of your listings.
• Orders — Track incoming orders, update fulfillment status, and add tracking numbers.
• Go Live — Schedule and launch livestreams to pitch your products.
• Stream Library — Access past stream recordings and replays.
• Posts & Feed — Share updates and behind-the-scenes content with your followers.
• Followers — See who is following your shop.
• Analytics — Deep-dive into performance data: traffic, conversion, stream viewership, and revenue.
• Payouts — Track your earnings and payout schedule.
• Settings — Update your shop profile and Stripe connection.

The PitchNow Live Maker Standard

Every seller on PitchNow Live must meet our Maker Standard. To qualify, every listing must satisfy three criteria:

1. You originated the creative work. The idea, design, or concept is yours.
2. You are meaningfully involved in production. Whether you craft by hand, use digital tools, or collaborate with a small team, your hands, mind, or vision are directly part of the making process.
3. Your items are produced in limited, non-industrial quantities. We welcome small-batch makers, not mass manufacturers or resellers.

Connecting Your Stripe Payout Account

PitchNow Live uses Stripe Connect to process payments and send payouts. During onboarding, you'll be guided to create or connect a Stripe account. You'll need to provide your banking details for direct deposits. Payouts are issued on a 7-day rolling schedule in US Dollars. You can check your payout status at any time from the Payouts section of your dashboard.

Founding Seller Status

If you joined PitchNow Live as one of our first 50 sellers you have Founding Seller status. As a founding seller you receive zero transaction fees on your first $500 of cumulative sales OR 90 days from shop activation, whichever comes first — PitchNow Live does not collect its standard 15% fee during this waiver period. You can track your founding seller fee waiver progress in your Seller Dashboard Overview — a progress bar shows how much of your $500 waiver you have used alongside a countdown of days remaining in the 90-day window. When either limit is reached you will receive an email notification and standard 15% fees apply to all subsequent sales. Your permanent gold Founding Seller badge appears on your shop profile and all your product listings. Founding Seller status is permanent — your badge never disappears even after the fee waiver is used.

2. How to List Products

Creating a Listing

From your dashboard, navigate to Products → Add New Product. Every listing requires a product name, at least one image, a price, a description, and a category. Fill in each field thoughtfully — well-crafted listings convert browsers into buyers.

Writing Product Titles

Your product title should be clear, specific, and searchable. Include the item type, key material, and a distinguishing detail. Avoid vague or overly clever titles that don't describe what the item actually is.

Product Photography

Great photos are the single most important factor in selling online. Every listing should include these five essential shots:

1. Hero Shot — The main product image on a clean, well-lit background. This is what appears in search results and category pages.
2. Scale Shot — Show the product being held, worn, or placed next to a common object so buyers understand its size.
3. Detail Shot — A close-up of texture, stitching, glaze detail, or craftsmanship that highlights quality.
4. Lifestyle Shot — The product in use or styled in a real-world setting. This helps buyers imagine owning it.
5. Packaging Shot — Show how the item arrives. Thoughtful packaging builds trust and encourages gifting purchases.

Category-specific tips:

• Jewelry: Use a macro lens or close-up mode. Photograph on skin to show scale. Natural light is essential.
• Ceramics: Capture the glaze variation. Include a shot of the bottom/maker's mark.
• Textiles: Show drape and texture. Iron or steam items before photographing.
• Candles & Home: Include a lifestyle shot with warm, ambient lighting to convey mood.

Writing Descriptions

A great product description answers three questions: What is it? What makes it special? What does the buyer need to know? Start with 1–2 sentences about the story or inspiration, follow with specific details (dimensions, materials, weight), and close with care instructions or usage suggestions.

Pricing Your Work

Pricing handmade work is one of the biggest challenges for independent makers. Use this formula as a starting point:

Remember: PitchNow Live charges a 15% transaction fee (12% for Pro sellers), plus Stripe processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Factor these into your pricing.

Shipping Settings

Set your shipping rates during listing creation. You can offer free shipping (built into your price), flat-rate shipping, or calculated shipping by weight. Be accurate with package dimensions and weight to avoid losses. All orders must be fulfilled within 7 calendar days of purchase.

Listing Variations

If your product comes in multiple options (sizes, colors, scents), use the variations feature to create selectable options within a single listing. Each variation can have its own price and inventory count. This keeps your shop organized and makes the buying experience seamless.

Managing Inventory and Avoiding Oversells

Inventory management is critical to maintaining buyer trust and avoiding order cancellations. Follow these best practices:

• Set conservative quantities on limited-stock items. If you create one-of-a-kind handmade goods, list a quantity of 1. For small-batch items, consider listing slightly fewer than you have on hand to create a buffer.
• Monitor your Orders dashboard closely after going live. During and immediately after a livestream, order volume can spike. Check your dashboard regularly to catch any inventory issues early.
• If an oversell occurs, act quickly. Contact the buyer promptly via Messages to explain the situation. Then issue a refund through your Orders dashboard — this is faster and more reliable than processing refunds outside the platform.

Product Status Convention

Every listing on PitchNow Live has one of two statuses:

• Draft — The listing is saved but not visible to buyers. Use this while you're still preparing your photos, description, or pricing.
• Published — The listing is live and visible to buyers (subject to moderation approval). When you click "Publish" on a new or edited listing, it enters moderation review before appearing in search and browse results.

3. How to Go Live and Pitch

Why Livestreaming Matters

Livestream commerce is the fastest-growing segment of online retail. On PitchNow Live, livestreaming isn't just a feature — it's the core of the platform. Live sellers consistently see 3–5× higher conversion rates than static listings alone. Buyers want to see the person behind the product, hear the story, and ask questions in real time.

How Streaming Works

Browser streaming runs entirely inside your Seller Dashboard. Your camera preview, chat, featured products, viewer count, and stream controls all live in a single browser window. Use a wired internet connection (or strong Wi-Fi) with at least 5 Mbps upload speed for the smoothest broadcast.

Viewing Your Own Shop Page

When you visit your own public shop page while logged in, the Follow, Message, and Report buttons are hidden — they only appear to other users. In their place you'll see an Edit Shop button that takes you directly to your shop settings in the Seller Dashboard. The Share button remains available so you can copy your public shop link to share with buyers. For quick access, your Seller Dashboard header also includes View My Shop (opens your public shop page in a new tab) and Edit Shop (jumps straight to your shop settings) buttons next to the greeting — no scrolling required.

Taking a Break — Vacation Mode

If you need to take a break from selling you can put your shop in Vacation Mode without losing your listings, followers, or shop history. To enable Vacation Mode go to your Seller Dashboard, click Settings, and find the Vacation Mode section. Set your planned return date (up to 60 days out), then toggle Vacation Mode on. While Vacation Mode is active your listings remain visible on your shop page but buyers cannot place orders. A vacation banner appears on your shop profile showing your return date so buyers know when you will be back. Vacation Mode is saved to your shop automatically — it persists across page refreshes and sessions. Your shop automatically reactivates on your return date — you do not need to remember to turn it off. To return early, go back to Settings and toggle Vacation Mode off. Note that your shop score for Featured Shops placement is paused during Vacation Mode and resumes when you return.

Going Live Step by Step

When you are ready to go live, open your Seller Dashboard and click Go Live. Then follow these steps:

1. Click Go Live Now and enter your stream title.
2. Grant camera and microphone permission when your browser prompts. Your stream goes live within a few seconds and a green "You Are Live" indicator confirms viewers can see you.
3. When you are finished, click End Stream in the Studio and confirm. Your replay will appear in your Stream Library within approximately 10 minutes.

Add a replay thumbnail (optional)

Right after you confirm your stream has ended, a prompt will appear asking "Want to add a thumbnail to your replay?" You can upload an image (JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 20MB) to make your replay stand out on the homepage and in your shop, or click Skip for now. You can always add or change a thumbnail later from your Stream Library. The prompt only appears once per stream and never interferes with the End Stream confirmation flow.

During your first 60 seconds:

1. Greet viewers as they join. Introduce yourself and what you'll be showing today.
2. Feature products one at a time using the product panel.
3. Engage with the chat — answer questions, thank buyers, and respond to comments.
4. Close with a summary of what you showed and a reminder to follow your shop.

The Four-Part Product Pitch Framework

When featuring a product during a livestream, follow this proven structure:

Engaging with Chat

Chat interaction is what makes livestream commerce special. Greet new viewers by name when possible. Answer questions promptly. Don't be afraid to pause your pitch to respond to a comment — viewers appreciate feeling seen. If you get a purchase notification during stream, celebrate it! Social proof drives more sales.

Featuring Products During Streams

Use the product feature panel to highlight specific items during your stream. When you feature a product, viewers see its image, name, price, and a direct link to purchase. Feature one product at a time and spend 3–5 minutes on each before moving to the next.

Post-Stream Checklist

• Review your stream analytics: peak viewers, average watch time, products clicked.
• Fulfill any orders placed during the stream promptly.
• Save your stream recording to your Stream Library for replay viewing.
• Post a thank-you update to your followers via Posts & Feed.
• Note what worked and what to improve for your next stream.

4. Marketplace Rules and Policies

Permitted Items

PitchNow Live is a marketplace for handmade, maker-created goods. Permitted categories include jewelry and accessories, ceramics and pottery, textiles and clothing, woodworking and furniture, candles and home fragrance, skincare and wellness products, food and specialty goods, art and prints, and other handmade categories where you are the creator.

Prohibited Items

• Mass-manufactured goods or resold items you did not make
• Counterfeit, replica, or knockoff products
• Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
• Drugs, drug paraphernalia, or controlled substances
• Tobacco and e-cigarettes
• Hazardous materials without proper labeling and compliance
• Items that infringe on another creator's intellectual property
• Digital-only products (NFTs, downloads) — physical goods only at this time
• Live animals

Listing Moderation

All new listings are subject to review by the PitchNow Live moderation team. Listings that do not meet the Maker Standard, contain prohibited items, or violate our policies will be flagged and may be removed. You'll receive a notification if a listing is flagged, with an explanation and the option to revise and resubmit.

Order and Fulfillment Policies

• All orders must be shipped within 7 calendar days of purchase.
• A valid tracking number must be entered within 24 hours of shipment.
• Sellers must respond to buyer disputes within 48 hours.
• Consistent fulfillment failures may result in account suspension.

Tracking Numbers

After marking an order as shipped, you can enter an optional tracking number directly in the order card. If provided, it will be included in the buyer's shipment notification email.

Order Status

Shipped is the final seller-actionable status. Delivery confirmation is handled automatically — you don't need to mark orders as delivered.

Buyer Notes

Buyers can leave an optional note for the seller at checkout (e.g. gift messages or special instructions). When present, the note appears in the expanded order card in your Orders dashboard.

Buyer Communication Standards

Respond to buyer messages within 48 hours. Be professional, courteous, and helpful in all communications. If a buyer has an issue with their order, work to resolve it directly before it escalates to a dispute. PitchNow Live may intervene if a seller is unresponsive or unhelpful.

4.1 — Managing Your Messages

All messages — from buyers, followers, and investors — are consolidated in your unified Messages inbox at pitchnow.live/messages. Click the Messages icon in the navigation bar to access it from any page. Your inbox shows conversations organized by type with filter tabs for All, Unread, Shop, Investor, Broadcasts, and Archived.

To reply to a buyer message, click the conversation in your inbox and type your response. Messages are delivered in real time — both you and the buyer see new messages instantly without refreshing. You can also start a conversation with any follower from your Followers page by clicking the Message button next to their name. From the New Message composer you can search for any buyer who has placed an order with your shop — just type their name to find them. You can also search existing buyer conversations by name or find seller conversations by shop name using the inbox search bar.

Broadcast messages sent from your Followers page appear in a separate Broadcasts tab in your followers' inboxes. Broadcasts cannot be replied to individually. You can archive or delete conversations from the three-dot menu on any conversation row.

Email Deliverability Tip

Our order notification emails come from marketing@pitchnow.live. To ensure you receive every sale notification, add this address to your contacts or safe sender list. If you don't see an email after a sale, check your spam folder.

Reviews and Feedback

Buyers can leave reviews and ratings on products they purchase. Reviews are public and visible on your product pages. You cannot remove reviews, but you can respond to them publicly. Fraudulent or abusive reviews can be reported to our moderation team for investigation.

How to Respond to Reviews

To respond publicly to a buyer review go to your Seller Dashboard and click the Reviews section in the sidebar. Find the review you want to respond to and click the Respond button next to it. Type your response in the text field — maximum 500 characters — and click Submit. Your response will appear publicly below the original review on your product listing page. All buyers can read your response. Keep responses professional, warm, and constructive. A thoughtful response to a negative review demonstrates your commitment to customer service and often reassures future buyers more than the negative review discourages them.

Intellectual Property

You must own or have proper rights to all content you upload, including product images, descriptions, and livestream content. Do not use copyrighted images, trademarked names, or other creators' designs without permission. PitchNow Live will remove infringing content and may suspend repeat offenders.

5. Tips for Success

Habits of Top Sellers

• Go live at least once per week on a consistent schedule.
• Respond to every buyer message within 24 hours.
• Keep listings updated with current inventory and seasonal products.
• Use high-quality photos for every product — never skip this step.
• Tell your story in every stream. Buyers connect with makers, not just products.
• Ship promptly and include a personal touch (handwritten note, branded packaging).

Growing Your Follower Base

Your Followers page in the Seller Dashboard shows your total follower count, new followers this week and this month, a week-over-week growth rate, a 12-week growth chart, and a list of your 20 most recent followers — including a Buyer badge for followers who have purchased from your shop. Click any follower name to see their full profile including purchase history and reviews. Use the Message button next to each follower to send them a direct message through PitchNow Live.

You can send a broadcast message to all your followers once per week — use this for new collection announcements or upcoming stream reminders. Click Message All Followers at the top of the Followers page to compose a broadcast (280 character limit).

Share your PitchNow Live shop link on your social media channels. Mention upcoming streams in your Instagram stories, TikTok, and email newsletter. Cross-promote with other PitchNow Live sellers. The more consistently you go live, the more the algorithm surfaces your shop to new buyers.

Using Your Shop Feed

Your shop feed is where you share the story behind your work between live streams. Post behind the scenes moments, new arrivals, work in progress updates, and announcements directly to your followers. Every post appears in your followers' homepage feed keeping your shop top of mind even when you are not streaming.

Post consistently — sellers who post to their feed two to three times per week see significantly higher follower engagement and repeat purchase rates than sellers who only list products.

To create a post go to your Seller Dashboard and click Posts & Feed in the sidebar. Write your update, select a post type, add images, optionally link a product, and click Publish. Your followers see your post immediately in their homepage feed.

Using Analytics

Check your Analytics dashboard weekly. Pay attention to which products get the most views, which streams have the highest viewer retention, and where your traffic is coming from. Use this data to double down on what's working and adjust what isn't.

Seasonal Strategy

Plan your inventory and content calendar around key retail moments: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, graduation season, back-to-school, holiday gifting (November–December), and New Year. Start promoting seasonal items 4–6 weeks before the occasion. Create gift guides and themed livestreams.

Handling Difficult Situations

If you receive a negative review, respond professionally and offer to make it right. If a buyer is abusive in chat during a livestream, use the moderation tools to mute or block them. If you're dealing with a dispute you can't resolve, contact PitchNow Live seller support for mediation.

6. Growing Your Visibility on PitchNow Live

6.1 — How Homepage Placement Works

PitchNow Live surfaces products and shops to buyers through three homepage sections — Featured Shops, Trending Products, and Watch Replays. Understanding how each section works helps you focus your energy on the activities most likely to earn you homepage visibility.

Featured Shops showcases four seller shops on the homepage. Shops earn Featured placement based on follower count. Shops may also be selected for editorial placement by the PitchNow Live team.

Trending Products showcases four product listings on the homepage updated every hour based on real buyer activity signals. Products earn Trending placement by generating views, wishlist adds, cart adds, stream pins, and purchases in the last 48 hours. New listings receive a recency bonus during their first 72 hours giving fresh inventory a chance to be discovered. Buyer wishlist saves are one of the strongest signals in the trending algorithm — encourage buyers to wishlist your products during live streams by mentioning the heart icon.

Watch Replays showcases four stream replay recordings on the homepage when no live streams are active. Replays are selected by the PitchNow Live editorial team and by recency.

The most reliable path to homepage visibility is consistent quality activity — adding new listings regularly, streaming frequently, earning positive reviews, and building your follower base.

6.4 — Tips for Maximizing Your Homepage Visibility Without Spending Credits

The most reliable path to homepage visibility is consistent quality activity. Here are the practices that drive organic placement across all three homepage sections.

• Stream regularly — the single most effective driver of all three organic visibility metrics. Every stream generates views, follower growth, and purchase activity that feeds the trending and featured algorithms simultaneously.
• Add new listings frequently — new listings receive a 72-hour trending bonus giving fresh inventory an automatic visibility boost at no cost. Adding two to three new listings per week keeps your shop consistently surfacing in Trending Products.
• Encourage reviews — review rating is one of the key factors in your shop's visibility ranking. After every order send a brief thank you message to the buyer and mention that reviews help other buyers discover your work. A higher average rating directly improves your Featured Shops ranking.
• Build your follower base — follower count is the primary factor in Featured Shops placement. Every follower you gain improves your visibility. End every stream with a direct follow request and promote your PitchNow Live shop to your existing audience on other platforms.
• Respond quickly — fast response times to buyer messages and order fulfillments signal an active engaged seller which feeds into your overall platform activity score.

7. FAQs

8. Brand Voice and Community Standards

PitchNow Live Brand Voice

PitchNow Live's brand voice is maker-centered, warm, direct, and empowering. Every piece of communication — from product descriptions to livestream intros to support emails — should champion authentic creators, celebrate originality, and make it clear that we are on the side of real makers.

We speak to sellers as peers and partners, never as subordinates. We're honest about challenges (pricing is hard, going live is intimidating) and practical in our advice. We avoid corporate jargon, empty hype, and overpromises. We say what we mean and we mean what we say.

Community Standards Summary

• Be authentic. Represent your work honestly. Don't misrepresent materials, origins, or production methods.
• Be respectful. Treat buyers, fellow sellers, and PitchNow Live staff with courtesy and professionalism.
• Be responsive. Answer messages, fulfill orders on time, and communicate proactively about any issues.
• Be original. Only sell work you created or meaningfully participated in creating.
• Be supportive. Lift up other makers. This is a community, not just a marketplace.

9. Keeping Your Account Secure

Your PitchNow Live seller account controls your shop, your listings, and your earnings. Protecting it is essential.

• Enable two-factor authentication. Go to your Security Settings — it takes less than 2 minutes and significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
• Use a strong, unique password. Do not reuse a password from any other platform.
• Never share your login credentials. PitchNow Live staff will never ask for your password via email or chat.
• Review your Recent Activity regularly. Check your Security Settings to identify any suspicious logins or account changes.
• Act immediately on anything suspicious. If you see account activity you do not recognize, contact us immediately at support@pitchnow.live.

10. Video Studio

Video Studio is your hub for all video creation on PitchNow Live. Open your Seller Dashboard and click Video Studio (clapperboard icon) — from there you can either go live in real time or record a video privately at your own pace. Both flows finish in the same place: your Stream Library.

Go Live Now

Stream live to your followers with chat enabled. Viewers can join in real time, ask questions, and pin products as you pitch. Live streams are public and notify your followers as soon as you go live. See Section 3 for the full live streaming walkthrough.

Record a Video

Record at your own pace — no live stream, no chat, no viewers. Click Record a Video, enter a title, grant camera and microphone permission, and capture as many takes as you need. When you're happy with a take, click Upload to library. The finished video uploads to Mux and is added to your Stream Library automatically as a hidden / private video — only you can see it until you publish it.

Reviewing and Publishing

From your Stream Library, recorded videos behave exactly like live stream replays. You can:

• Preview the video privately before sharing.
• Edit the title and upload a custom thumbnail.
• Publish by toggling visibility from Hidden to Public.
• Share a direct link to the watch page.
• Delete the video permanently.

Where Published Videos Appear

Once a recorded video is set to Public, it appears on your shop page under Video Replays alongside your live stream replays. Buyers can watch it just like any other replay.