Monthly Column by Dorothy Jackson Smith |
SELL YOUR WORK!
So you know you're a good artist and you've
sold a few things, but how do you really "make it" as an artist?
Well, these are some of my ideas to help get you out there and selling. My very first work
sold through a gallery, that's one good way to sell work and get some recognition. Another
thing artists need to do is advertise, advertise, advertise. Get the word out that you
exist, because there are as many other artists out there as fish in the sea or politicians
in Washington:) It falls squarely on your shoulders to make yourself stand out in the
world. Don't be shy about telling everyone that you're an artist.
I have explained about galleries in an earlier column, so I won't go into the
"how to" of getting your work into one. But I will say that having your work in
galleries is a very good way of "legitimizing" yourself as an artist. It makes
people stop and look when they read "showing at" whatever gallery in your bio. I
would definitely put work in several galleries if possible. The forty to fifty percent
commission that they take is hard for the artist, but then galleries have a lot of
overhead and they need to pay their rent. A good gallery will also promote your work and
get your name out, so that's part of the commission fee right there.
A biography is very important as well. You need to have one, so potential buyers
can get a feel for your experience and see what galleries you're in, (smile). Your
biography needs to list training, galleries, work related experience and pesonal
information on it. It also needs to sell you!!! Write a boring biography with nothing
interesting on it and your potential customer will walk away without buying a thing. Why?
Because the buyer wants to believe that they have bought something special, something from
an exciting artist with experience. Wouldn't you?
Advertising is so important to selling anything and it's crucial to the artist. You
must get your name out and make yourself recognizable. But it's also very expensive to
advertise and artists are often quite poor. Advertising in a magazine or slick mass
mailings are indeed very expensive and you may not be able to afford such luxuries, but
there are many other ways to be seen. There are a lot of magazines that feature art on the
front cover or in the pages as a showcase for artists. "The Chronicle of the
Horse" always has a piece of artwork gracing it's cover, they are very supportive of
the art community. I have been in four different magazines, who have featured one of my
pieces as an article of interest, with no charge to me. Entering art shows and getting out
to horse shows with your work is a great way to be "seen". If you don't do
equestrian art pick another venue to show your work, country fairs, wine festivals etc.
etc.. Just pick a place that will say "this is a quality artist" and not
"this is someone who is desperate to sell anything they can". I try to pick
upscale events such as the Upperville horse show or a well established art show.
Continuing on the idea of advertising, I will say that there are more and more
resources available to us. The internet, for instance, is an amazing new tool. I now have
a website and someone to professionally maintain it near the top of the search engines.
Mailing flyers or brochures is also a terrific way to reach your target group of
customers. Try to identify who might buy your work and then send them a press kit of your
samples of work, your biography and a nice cover letter. Write articles if you can. People
will read the article, see that you are worth a look and hopefully they will contact you.
Always include a contact number, email address or address, so that buyers have a way to
get in touch.
And finally, word of mouth. Don't ever neglect to let people know what you are
doing and to show them your work. Your friends will be interested and they will tell
others. Don't force people to listen to a long boring lecture on your work, but do let
them know about you. Go to parties and shine as an artist. This is what you do, be proud
of it and make it interesting to other people. One of my buyers worked at the steel
supplier that I buy my materials from. He is a great person and I have enjoyed knowing him
over the years. I would never have sold that piece or made that friend, if I hadn't been
vocal about what I do. A shy artist is probably an unknown artist, so get out there.
These are just some of my ideas, if you have any others please post them on the
message board! We'd love to hear your ideas.
- Dorothy
Dorothy J Smith's Monthly Columns
