Author:
Kristin Royce

As an artist, the key to selling more artwork is maximizing its
exposure. The internet is an increasingly popular tool for
promoting original art, and if done properly, can be quite
profitable.

One of the most effective (and free!) online marketing tools for
artists is the blog. Artist blogs provide an easy way to display
your art, discuss your creative process, post exhibition
announcements and more. Best of all, blogs require no working
knowledge of HTML and the search engines love their dynamic
content.

What is a blog and how will it sell my art?

A “blog” is a web-based diary or journal. The author of a blog,
also known as a “Blogger”, publishes content on a regular basis
about a focused topic. These regular postings typically provide
a “community” feel by allowing site visitors to post feedback to
your journal entries. This mode of communication can deepen
relationships with potential art buyers, leading to increased
sales.

Blogs also have the ability to archive all of your previous
posts, dynamically creating an individual page for each journal
entry. The feature is great for art buyers using search engines
to find original art. For example, if you have a blog post
describing a painting that you just completed of the Golden Gate
Bridge at sunset and an art buyer in Florida goes to Google and
searches for “painting of Golden Gate Bridge at sunset”, there
is a very good chance that your blog entry will appear pretty
high in the rankings.
Cha Ching!!

Many artists have felt the pain of email marketing losing its
effect due to spam filters, junk email overloads and virus
paranoia. Blogs provide a new way to communicate with clients,
fans and industry professionals. This trend can support your
email marketing efforts by allowing blog subscription options
for site visitors so that they are notified whenever your blog
is updated along with providing a permanent place on the web for
all of your postings as opposed to newsletter emails that are
typically deleted.

How to start a blog

Blog Publishing Tools

To begin, visit some of these free blogging sites, all offering
unique template options that even an artist can appreciate,
image uploads and syndication ability.

Blogger.com
(Simple
to set up and multiple authoring ability)
MSN Spaces
(Create your own
mini site, with an exceptional blogging feature)
Live Journal
(Requires a
bit of ‘blogging knowledge’ to get it set up)
Blog Drive

If you’re interesting in reviewing additional blog features,
these sites require a small monthly fee to maintain.

Typepad
(starts at
$4.95/month)

Tripod Blogs
(starts
at $4.95/month)

Note to artists with MySpace accounts:

MySpace
provides members personal blogs, but it is important to know
that MySpace blogs are not currently listed in search engines,
which as noted above, is one of the main reasons to get a blog.
While MySpace works to remedy this issue, it is recommended that
you blog using a tool that is accessible to search engine
spiders.

Decide on a title for your blog

The title of your blog should be brief and to the point. You
can get creative with your language in the blog description /
tag line. A focused title will help with higher search engine
rankings and make it clear to visitors what the blog is about.

For example, the title for ThePauper.com blog is ”
Diary of a
Pauper
. The blog description is Rants and raves about the
careers and lives of starving artists.” The title is concise,
stating exactly what it is, while the description is a bit more
creative.

Blog theme

It’s important to establish yourself as a professional working
artist if you want to use your blog as a vehicle to sell your
art. Blog theme involves the layout and color of the page,
quality of the artwork images displayed and verbiage used for
blog postings. Select your blog template carefully and make a
habit to review your blog from the perspective of a potential
client. Is the page visually appealing? Do the images of your
artwork provide a link to an extra large version to see detail?
Does your content have a consistent theme? Here’s a good example
of a working blog by mix engineer, Ken Lewis:

http://protoolsmixing.
com/blog.html
The content theme is exceptionally consistent,
plus the colors and page layout match his website.

What to write

What’s beautiful about blogs is that there are no rules on what
to write, but if you want to attract and keep an audience, you
might consider some of these suggestions.

Keep your posts creative and interesting. Move and inspire your
readers by being completely honest about your creative process.

Use keywords in your blog title and post.
Using the
example mentioned earlier – if your post is about a Golden Gate
Bridge painting, be sure to use that exact phrase in the title
and body of your blog. Think about what people might type into
search engines to find your content and then use those keywords
in your blog. This technique will help increase the ranking of
your web page on search engines.

Post daily
, or at least twice a week. If you publish blog

entries frequently, you will see more return visitors,
subscriptions to your blog and comments from site visitors.

Proofread and preview your blog
entries before posting.
Some blog HTML editors have a way of creating weird symbols out
of certain characters and a quick spell-check never hurts.
(Note: be sure to create your blog entries using Word or some
other text editor. Many blogging tools tend to “time out” after
a certain amount of time and you could potentially lose hours of
work.)

Publish your blog
Finally! Your blog looks great and has
unique content. Now, depending on the blogging tool that you
selected, follow the steps to publish it to the World Wide Web.
Test the live URL that now houses your blog. If all of your
graphics appear correctly and the copy is flawless, then you
want to make sure that you promote your blog on your personal
website, in your email signature and by word of mouth.

Using the tools you already have to spread the word while
testing your dedication to frequent posting is the best way to
get started. Part 2 of will unveil tons of ways to promote your
blog online

About the Author:

Kristin Royce is a search engine optimization and online
marketing professional contributing online marketing and
promotional content for artists to The ARTrepreneur
E-Zine. The ARTrepreneur offers articles helping artists
focus on proven techniques to accomplish any goal. Read
More:
http://www.theartrepreneur.com

Article Source:
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–
Why Every Artist Needs a Blog & How to Create an Artist Blog

Author:
Greg Katz

Everyone feels that the artist life is glamorous and easy, but that’s the furthest from the truth. The number of artists making their living from their art is small and those who do have a sustainable business work very hard splitting their lives between creativity and business.

If you want to create an “art business” the four pillars of success are: vision; challenge; perseverance and motivation. Developing actions surrounding the four pillars will give you a giant leap from “Starving Artist” to “Successful Artist”.

Vision
As artists we have over developed right hemispheres of our brain so creativity is not in short supply. The interesting thing is that we don’t use that creativity as it pertains to our business. Having a vision for your business will enable you to begin a different type of portfolio, a business portfolio.

Take the time to be specific about how you want your art to serve in your life. If your art is your bread and butter then you must treat it that way, with respect and lots of elbow grease. If your art is an avocation, then what do you want to accomplish and by when.

It’s important to develop the road map to success or you’ll wander aimlessly, you’ll become discouraged and you’ll put out the fire better known as your dream. Set an intention and once you’ve set the intention build upon that intention. Each action you take should support your vision, shoring up the first pillar of success.

Challenge
If the business of art were easy then every artist would be successful. When we challenge ourselves creatively we are looking for new ways to express ourselves. The same is true in our business, the challenge is to show potential buyers that you wear more than one hat and you do it with conviction.

One of the key challenges for artists is not confidence in their work, but in how they present their work to the world. Artists are notorious for engaging in conversations from a one down position. We feel as if there is a caste system and we struggle to be taken seriously as an entrepreneur. Standing in the role of entrepreneur takes practice. It takes support from others and encouragement from peers. When you take yourself seriously as an “artrepreneur” others will follow suit.

Perseverance
I’ve heard it said that it takes three years to become an overnight sensation. I believe that to be true and I see it as I attend gallery openings, poetry readings and other venues of artistic expression. Those who have separated themselves from the pack have one thing in common, perseverance.

The successful artist has to be focused and find renewable sources of energy to keep moving forward on the journey. The primary factor that hinders perseverance is isolation. When artists have a support system they are more inclined to stay the course toward their vision. They are able to unload the emotional detours that arise from not getting selected for a show or not getting a call back for an audition. We gain strength by the cheerleading squad we’ve assembled in our lives. Create a success team to help you navigate your unchartered waters and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Motivation
You would think creating beautiful work would be enough motivation, but that is the external motivating factor. How do you keep the internal flames that propel you forward burning bright? Reward yourself! We all love rewards and by creating our own incentive program keeps us in the game.

Having mile markers along the way that show your success in measurable outcomes is essential for maintaining motivation. Ever wonder why nonprofit organizations or religious institutions create a huge thermometer during their fundraising drives? It’s to show the public the progression of their mission. As they get closer to the top it draws others who want to be a part of putting the organization over the top. Create your own gauge and make it visible so it stays in your consciousness. When you hit the top of the gauge be sure and shout it from the rooftops because you’ve shown that motivation yields results and that is evident by your success, both personal and professional.

Greg Katz is a national juried artist and the owner of the Artist Success Studio, a virtual artist community that transforms “Successful Artist’ from oxymoron to declarative fact.

About the Author:

Greg Katz is a national juried artist and the owner of the Artist Success Studio, a virtual artist community that transforms \\\”Successful Artist\\\’ from oxymoron to declarative fact. Greg can be reached at 720-851-6736 or visit his website at
www.artistsuccessstudio.com.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
The Four Pillars for Artist Success

Author:
Gary Goldstein

Most software programmers, photographers, game developers, and artists use licensing as a means of generating additional income from their hard work. Because the expenses associated with these pursuits often leave technical and creative professionals without a lot of revenue, licensing is usually done as a way to make additional money. However, there is one way that licensing is used that is more for promotional purposes than for income generation purposes. Many creative professionals are now allowing members of the public to download their works, but use them in a limited manner, through Creative Commons licenses.

Create Commons licenses
take into account the basics of copyright law, but offer a way for users and creators to balance their needs. Instead of creators maintaining all control lest they be taken advantage of, Creative Commons licensing allows creators to dictate how users can use their works. This gives users a means of using the works of other people without forcing the creators to give up all of their copyrights. Most people think of licensed Creative Commons works as being online. Many of these licensed works are found online, but offline works can also be licensed under the Creative Commons. When a Creative Commons license is created, anyone is able to use the work as long as they use it within the parameters of the license agreement.

There are several ways a creator can control his or her work under a Creative Commons license. The attribution non-commercial no derivatives license is the one that most restricts how a work is used. This type of license allows users to download and share a work with others, provided that they do not edit the work in any way. Additionally, the creator must be credited any time the work is used or shared. The attribution non-commercial share alike license is slightly different. This license allows users to download and share the work, and it also allows them to edit it, provided that the user is not using the work for commercial purposes (e.g. editing and reselling the work as his own).

The attribution non-commercial license is slightly less restrictive. While users must credit you as the creator of the work, they can create derivative works by editing your original work, provided they are not using the derivative work for a commercial purpose. Attribution no derivative licenses allow users to download and share your works freely, for commercial or non-commercial purposes, provided they credit you and do not change the work in any way. An example would be of a photo that is sold online. The user would have to credit the creator and would not be allowed to edit the photo in any way.

Many people don’t understand why creators would want to license their works without receiving any monetary compensation. The beauty of Creative Commons licensing is that the creator receives credit every time the work is shared or used. This can create excellent opportunities for the creator that he or she would not have received had they simply licensed the work to a user for money. For example, a magazine editor may see a photographer’s work and ask him to do a paid photo shoot for an upcoming issue of a magazine. These additional opportunities make
Creative Commons licensing
an attractive option for creative professionals.

About the Author:

Gary Goldstein is a top rated hollywood movie producer! Check out our web site today at
http://garywgoldstein.com/
to learn more about the screenwriting classes, business coaching, and success secrets teleseminars we offer. Click
here
to learn more.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Promoting Your Talents With Creative Commons Licenses

Author:
Michael Bridges

Being an artist myself, I know how hard it can be to sell your art in the real world that is one reason you might what to try to sell your art online. A few years ago I decided to start selling my art online and I’m glad I did. Now, I’m not getting rich doing this, but I have made more sells online than I ever did in the real world. Plus I don’t have schlep my artwork from place to place.

Lets just take a look at some reasons you should consider selling your art online.

Convenience

In the real world you have to sale your art in galleries, art festivals, fairs, libraries or any place that will allow you to place your art and sell it. Now consider you have to pack up your artwork and carry it to these places and in some of cases hung the work yourself. Also consider that the pieces that don’t sale you have to take them down, pack them up and carry them back to your home or studio

However, when you sell your art online you just put up some photos of your artwork on a website with some information on the size, medium and price and depending on where you put it you may be able to keep your artwork there indefinitely. Even if the artwork doesn’t sale on a site where it has to be removed, all you have to remove is a photo and some information. No packing and no carrying bulky paintings back and forth.

You Have Total Control

By selling your art online you take over total control of your art career. No more middlemen telling you how much to price your art for and then taking a cut of your money when the art sells. Galleries will take anywhere from a 40 to 50% cut of your art sales. Art Festivals will charge any where from $200 to $500 fees just to be in the festival and demand that you have a certain amount of inventory, which you have to pay for. If you don’t sell anything at the festival you are just out all of that money.

If you sell your art online you can decide when where and how long you have your art up on a website and although there are some sites that may charge you to have your art on them, most of the places are free and the ones that do charge it’s usually a very small amount. Also most places where you can sell your art online will let you set your own price and won’t charge you a commission. So you can keep 100% of your art sells. Also on most places that allow you to put art on their sites, you can put up as many or as little as you want.

A Worldwide Customer Base

When selling your art in the real world your art sales are usually limited to the place where your art is at the moment. If you are exhibiting at a gallery your art sales are limited to that gallery and the people that come into that gallery. If your art is being shown at a fair your art sales are limited to the people that see your art at that fair. I think you get the picture. For the must part in the real world your art sales is going to be limited to local or regional sales.

On the Internet you have a worldwide audience to market your art to. Because of selling my art online I now have my artwork in Japan, France, Great Britain, Canada and other places that I would not have been able to reach in the real world. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world you will be able to reach people from different countries. An artist in Italy can sell a piece of art to a buyer Russia or an artist in India can sell a painting to a buyer in the United States. Your online presence is your art gallery to the world.

I’m not saying not to sell your art in the real world, but as you can see by opting to sell your art online you have more control and a wider buyer reach. However there’s no reason you can’t do both.

About the Author:

These are some reasons why you should consider selling your art online. For ways on
How To Sell Your Art Online
just click the blue link.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Sell Your Art Online – Why You Should Consider It

Author:
CD Mohatta

Your fourth step is to assemble the portfolio. A nice, classic-looking portfolio implies you take great care in your art and work professionally, but also remember, it is better to have any portfolio and improve its contents and appearance when you can, than to have none at all.

On the cover page, include your name, address, and contact information. It is a nice touch to include a small professional photograph of yourself. You may also wish to include a short bio of yourself and/or an artist’s statement on that or another page. Your bio could be as simple as, “Jane Doe is an artist living in San Francisco with her family. She has been painting furniture for eight years and was encouraged to start her own business painting furniture in 2007.” Your bio could also include any awards, large commissions, art or craft shows you have completed, quotations of people who have admired your work, or anything else of interest. An artist’s statement should come from you. Don’t force one if you do not have thoughts about what you are trying to do with your art.

Center photos and art as if the background paper is a frame. You can choose any color for the background, but black, white, and cream are the most classic and least distracting. Short descriptions, typed or hand written on either the background paper or typed onto a small card and included in the sleeve, can help the viewer name and understand what they are seeing. An example might be, “Mt. Fuji, ceramic pot, raku, 2007.” The first, “Mt. Fuji,” is the name of the piece, followed by what it is or the medium, the method, and the year. Do not include prices on the pages that show your work. If desired, you can include a price list at the end of your portfolio.

You now have a working portfolio. Don’t hesitate to ask people if they would like to see it. Even if you are asking people who may not buy your work, you never know when down the road someone might mention to them they are looking for an artist, and they will think of you. Keep business cards with your portfolio to give people your contact information.

About the Author:

Social network users, add new
myspace layouts
to your profile. Try out new
myspace comments
and
myspace graphics
to comment your friends on any social network.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Steps for Making a Binder Portfolio – Part 3 of 3

Author:
Cynthia Morris

The Starving Artist myth proliferates because it is often accompanied by that other myth: creative people aren’t good at business. With these ideas circulating, it’s easy to see how artists struggle to succeed professionally.

But I don’t buy these myths. In fact, I believe that artists and creative people make the best business people. Here’s why.

Artists are experts in seeing the big picture. They can hold an expansive point of view. This creative perspective, this ability to see what isn’t there and to relish possibility, is key to business success.

Good artists are adept at pinpointing the details. A painter knows the difference between cobalt and azure, a writer uses specifics to describe a character, and a sculptor’s strokes will make all the difference in the end expression on a sculpture.

Artists and business people are willing to risk. There is no guarantee in art, business, or life, but creative people take risks every time they go into the studio. In fact, any art worth its salt takes the artist and the viewer outside the realm of the known and shows them something new.

Artists are able to dwell in the unknown. Art making is the biggest adventure there is. If you do not know what you are creating, if it will appeal to anyone, or if you will make any money at all, you’re in good company with both artists and business people.

Business and art are fueled by a high level of passion. Any advice on running a business will preach that you need to be passionate to fuel the long stretches of challenging times. Artists thrive on passion.

All of these characteristics give artists an edge over others in the business realm. It’s great to be fueled by the knowledge that you do have what it takes to succeed, and you also need to operate in a business-like way to make it happen. Here are the keys to business success that I have used and enjoyed.

Vision. You have to want your creative success from a deep, deep place. What is this about for you, anyway? Have a vision for yourself and your business. Write a vision statement that springs from your values and passion for your art.

Commitment. In a business or art career, there will be plenty of ups and downs. It’s important to have a solid commitment that you can return to when times are tough. You will question this commitment again and again, but if you have a clear sense of your commitment at the beginning, the dips will be navigable. Write a mission statement for how you will fulfill your vision.

Follow through. Most success can be attributed to those extra actions we take – sending a thank-you note, making a call, going the extra mile, or researching a tip. Follow through is a key factor in being able to maximize opportunities, build connections and deliver on your promises. It’s also a key to being perceived as professional and on top of things.

Build authentic relationships. Do business with people that you want to be around. You want to be able to be yourself with your support team (accountant, banker, coach) and your clients (gallery owners, editors, clients). Connect with people who share similar values, interests and art forms. Some people say that building relationships is the key to success, so become a master at being a good human with others.

Maintain self-care practices. Making art and building a business is a lot of work. There can be a lot of stress involved with art and business, so having a stable personal life is key. Know your needs and do what you can to get them met. Know what helps you release stress. Make sure that you have play time, too, since it can be easy to work all the time at your art business.

Perspective. This is the secret weapon. Perspective is the most powerful tool we have. How you see the world, yourself, and your enterprise all have an enormous impact on how successful you will be. If you can shift your perspective easily, you’ll have a much broader range of options available to you in your art and business. Practice noticing throughout the day what perspective you are operating from. Does it feel good? Bad? In between? How does the perspective of any moment contribute to your work?

Systems. And, of course, for business success, you’ll want systems for operating your enterprise, for marketing your work, and for handling all the money that comes your way. Contact systems, marketing systems, bookkeeping systems, and ways to catalogue your art and record your sales are all essential for a thriving business.

If some of these essentials make the artist in you cringe, take that as an opportunity to see where you could grow. I can’t think of any other work that challenges us to grow more than art and business. If you want to stay safe and unchanged, you’ll want to choose another path. But why would you? Art and business are grand adventures!

About the Author:

Cynthia Morris of
Original Impulse
helps writers and visionaries make their brilliant ideas a reality. Author of Create Your Writer’s Life: A Guide to Writing with Joy and Ease, and Go For It! Leading Tours for Fun and Profit, Cynthia coaches from Boulder.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
The Art Of Creative Business Success

Author:
CD Mohatta

Your second step in making a binder portfolio is to assemble what you have at present to include. Also, make a list of other items you would like to have in your portfolio. Usually 12 – 24 items makes a good portfolio, and if you have twelve items now that is enough for a start. You may need or want to make arts or crafts to show what things you can do.

For some artists, their work is very large or involved, such as painting murals or harpsichords. It may not be practical to have a dozen projects like this completed to show in a portfolio before you begin your business. In this case draw good sketches of designs you could do, preferably in color.

Give yourself a deadline of when you will complete your portfolio, and if you must complete new items for it schedule your projects so that you do not delay. You should be able to complete at least one item a week. Every day without a completed portfolio you run the risk of losing business and income. Plan to complete your portfolio in one month’s time or less.

Your third step in most cases is to work out a system for photographing your arts or crafts. This is particularly true if your art or craft is 3-dimensional or large. Either film or digital cameras will work for a binder portfolio, but you will definitely need to get prints. A tripod will definitely help you to take better photos.

You also need to consider the background to your photographs and the lighting. For 2-dimensional work this usually means a clean white wall and some way of hanging your work. For 3-dimensional work this usually means a table with white paper or a white sheet draped from above on the wall behind the object and over the table in a C curve, so that no distracting edges appear in the photo. Choose a particular place in your home where you can get good results and photograph your work easily as you make it, without a lot of hassle to set it up.

About the Author:

Social network users, add new
myspace backgrounds
to your profile. Try out new
myspace comments
and
myspace graphics
to comment your friends on any social network.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Steps for Making a Binder Portfolio – Part 2 of 3

By
Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

Often, while viewing other artists experiences with their creativity, defined by pen to paper within their “Artist’s Statements”, I find myself thinking, “This reminds me of man trying to define God by putting creativity into a box.” Oft times too I wonder, “What the heck are they talking about? I wonder if even ‘they’ even know.”

I have met all kinds of artists. I always hope that I will share some kind of phenomenon with fellow artists, of an unmistakable vibration we both generate and feed off of. I hope that our connection will cause us to reach new heights and feel compelled to go home and create great things. I rarely come across artists like that, they are as different from one another as anyone.

I really do believe there is an ‘energy’ within art, colors, and it is that energy about a piece of art that people resonate to.. or not. Some only like only my precise artwork, of which I feel are renderings and not in my personal opinion, ‘true art’. It tells me that we are not connected in a ‘spiritual’ sense. We connect on other levels though so consequences of that kind of thinking are not something that needs to be brooded over, on the outside chance you find my opinion offensive or objectionable.

I think a lot of ‘art talk’ is mumbo jumbo, and is as redundant and boring as the latest football player explaining how his team is going to win the next game. Yet, I also think there is a need for the artist to describe the connection they feel with their art. Doing that, helps the viewer to enter their world, as well as the artist to understand ‘what the heck happened’ to cause them to create what they did.

Creativity is elusive, but the more we enter that gate, the more we find ourselves in the presence of something truly remarkable. I think the vibration of colors, coupled with the spirit of the dance of creative action, can be found in all kinds of art and no one has the market on that. Once in a great while we come across genius like Leonardo da Vinci and we stand in awe. Because of miraculous adventures of the soul, in any genre, it is our responsibility to pursue the unknown. Leonardo da Vinci only scratched the surface. Pursuing the vibrations of the elusive is often an alone experience. It is within that ‘prayer’ of sorts that mystics are uncovered. There are many ways of doing it though, as there are religions, so I don’t think anyone has the key to it all.

So how do you do it? How do you write an “Artist’s Statement” that makes sense? First define who you are within your work in your own mind. If you do not know, you won’t be able to write anything at all that others will comprehend. Be careful of the mumbo jumbo, but write out your heart as you look at your work. You may just discover a part of yourself you had not met before. Take your time, discover who you are. Remember da Vinci as well, nothing he did was done without extreme confrontation of what it was he was looking to explore, so laziness is not acceptable. Right? Yes!

ABOUT Kathy Ostman-Magnusen: I am an artist, represented by Monkdogz Urban Art, New York. ORIGINAL ART may be purchased through Monkdogz:
http://www.monkdogz.com/chelseagallery/artistart/Magnusen/artist_magnusen.htm

My newest website:
http://www.kathyostman-magnusen.com

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Ostman-Magnusen

http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Challenge-of-Writing-an-Artists-Statement-That-is-Artistic-and-Deep-But-Also-Makes-Sense&id=2424623

Author:
Steve Morgan

Hi, My name is Steve Morgan, and I have been a Music Artist and in the Business since 1967, have been in verios bands of different genres like, rock, blues, jazz/swing, country… I have had a small recording studio for the past 12 years, and have been active in it, since about a year ago.

I have been working on this free website,

MusicPlaces.com

, dedicated to helping independent music artists promote them selfs, and sell their music on the internet, with a

Music Artist and Listener Community

. The site offers FREE accounts to all Music Artists and Listeners.

Artist accounts

feature a Main Artist Profile Page with a portable flash player that each artist and fans can use to post music on other sites getting even more exposure than most other sites give, also other site features like mp3 song hosting, video hosting, guest book, photo gallery,
digital music store, an artist promo kit in pdf format, Internet radio stations, and so much more!! There are so many ways to promote your music on the internet for free, and this is one of the best resources for independent music artists and listeners that love Indie Music!

Now, I would like to help artists get the most out of internet self promotion by giving you some sound advice about how to get started.

First, there are many free music artist sites that you can get free artist accounts on.

Join as many of these as you can, still being able to
monitor each of your accounts at least 2 times a month, keeping active and
putting fresh content up as much as possible. I would think that 5 or 6 of these would be some work,
especially if you are gigging and work a day jab too!

Try to choose sites that have been around for more than 2 or 3 years, as they are probably more established on the internet and have more traffic and listeners giving free exposure to your page.

Try keeping your user names (artist name) on all of these sites the same, as this will only help with search engine results when searching for your name or band name in a search engine.

Try being as active on all sites as you have time for, as this will get your name out there, and people on the internet will soon know who you and your music are!

Choose one of these sites to be your home site, and link to it from all of your other sites.
Usually when selecting a home site for your music, select the site with the most features for free first! Making sure that the site you choose is the fastest loading and works the best.

Most of these music sites that you sign up with have forums these days. Be as active in as many of them that you can, make a link to your home page as your forum signature, if they let you. Search engine spiders spider forums every day and the more posts you post, the more links you will have in google. The more links you have, kinking to your home page in google, the higher google will rank your home page.

Sites with portable players that you can put on other sites that play your songs are a great resource for getting exposure on places in the internet that wont host your mp3 songs.

MusicPlaces.com has a great portable player that will play your songs on sites that let you past code into them like myspace, tagworld, and other places that let you use html, including forums, blogs, guest books…

If you sell your music, most sites these days have a
Digital Store
. Put your music for sale on as many of these places that you can. Even if you dont sell anything, your songs and merchandise will be spidered by the search engines and you will get more exposure!

Have a good email address that works, and check it often, answering any enquiries and fan messages.

It takes some time to get real popular as far as google is concerned but, time will pay you with good results!

About the Author:

Steve Morgan, a internet DJ and Spoksman for MusicPlaces.com

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Promoting Your Self and Your Music, as an Independent Music Artist, and Help Tips

By
Kathy Gulrich

Have you ever wondered why you often find a coupon tucked inside your cereal box, or get invited to a customer preview sale at your favorite department store? Those companies know that their existing customers are the best – and most profitable – customers they’ll ever have. So it’s not surprising that they’ll do whatever they can to keep these customers happy and coming back again and again.

Believe it or not, the same concept holds true for your art career. While you don’t want to ignore potential customers, you’ll find that when you pay a little more attention to the customers and collectors you already have, it will really pay off – in increased sales and profits for your art business. The following 10 practical strategies will get you started.

1 – Understand how and why your customers buy art

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What’s in it for them when they purchase your art? Maybe they feel great about owning a piece of original artwork. Or they’re happy to support an emerging artist. Perhaps they’re looking forward to showing their new painting to friends. Start listening to your customers and asking questions, and you’ll learn a lot – fast.

Don’t underestimate the power of being an art collector yourself. You’ll know firsthand how your collectors feel when they purchase your work, and you’ll be a great role model for them. Even better, you’ll be supporting other artists.

2 – Make the first purchase a fabulous experience

When you sell a piece of artwork, remember that it’s also an exciting event for your customers. So let them be excited about their purchase. Accept any compliments graciously. Then share something personal that lets them know that you’re excited about the sale, too. Tell them how the sale is meaningful to you: It’s your first; your first to someone in New Jersey; your first in this series, or your last one like this. A positive connection now can pay off for years to come.

3 – Be businesslike in everything you do

Treat your art as a business, and treat your customers in a businesslike manner. Be meticulous about meeting deadlines and keeping appointments. Always provide the materials or information you promised – complete, and on time. And remember to thank your collectors personally when they attend one of your shows or support you in any way. A quick note or an e-mail will be appreciated, and remembered.

In addition, be businesslike when you price your artwork. Keep your pricing consistent: from the gallery to your studio, and from city to city. And stick to your prices no matter what; never discount your work.

Naturally, it makes sense to present yourself in a professional manner every time you show someone your work. That said, never try to be someone you’re not. Let your personality come through, and you’ll be the best businessperson you can be: you.

4 – Make it easy for your customers to purchase more of your work

I was at a friend’s house recently and admired a beautiful hand-made journal she’d purchased at a local craft fair. Thinking it would make a perfect gift for another friend, I asked for the artist’s name. When she didn’t remember, we looked inside the journal and discovered the artist’s name and phone number were nowhere to be found. The result? He or she lost a sale.

Put your contact information on everything that leaves your studio: letterhead, invitations, show announcements, note cards, etc. Affix a personalized label on the back of each painting that includes your name, plus your e-mail address or Web site.

And send your new collectors home with an “Artist Pack”: a professional-looking folder with your business card, resume, artist statement, bio, articles about you and by you, and so on. Youíll be amazed at how often your customers will share it with their friends and associates.

5 – Ask for another sale

When liquid shampoo first came out, it gave consumers a convenient and easy way to wash their hair. “Lather and rinse,” the label said. But shampoo sales really took off when just one word was added. Your shampoo bottle now says, “Lather, rinse, and repeat if desired.”

Repeat sales can revolutionize your business, too. So display your work in your home and studio where visitors will see it. And when customers are making a purchase, be bold: Ask them if they’d like to purchase a second (or third) piece. Ask your collectors for referrals to another collector, or to a shop or gallery where they think your work might fit in. Or suggest a commissioned piece you’d like to do for them. The key here is to ask for the sale.

6 – Upgrade your customers

Another way to increase your income is to upgrade your customers to a more profitable product (“deluxe” shampoo for color treated hair, for example). It’s really pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. Here are some upgrade ideas that have worked well for my clients:

• Encourage your customers who ordinarily buy giclee reproductions to purchase an original painting.

• Introduce your existing customers to some of your more expensive or larger pieces of art.

• If you have collectors who so far have bought only your sketches or drawings, suggest they purchase one of your paintings next time.

7 – Cross-sell your customers

Cross-selling is simply selling your customers something different from – but related to – what they’re already buying. Think back to the shampoo example. Wouldn’t it be relatively easy to cross-sell hair conditioner to someone who already uses shampoo?

Now take a look at your own artwork. Cross-selling might mean selling a piece of your pottery to one of your painting customers, selling a painting to one of your sculpture collectors, or suggesting your art note cards as an add-on sale when a customer stops by to pick up his pet portrait. Be imaginative, and you can increase both sales and profits.

8 – Get to know your customers and collectors

Remember that your customers are people first, customers second. Take your relationships beyond “business” and build personal relationships, as well. If appropriate, invite them to social gatherings, send a holiday card or drop them a postcard from your favorite vacation spot.

When you’re chatting with your collectors, make it a habit to listen for important dates and occasions. Then remember their very special occasions with an artwork gift. Imagine having a small piece of your artwork forever connected in your collectors’ minds with their 50th anniversary, the birth of their first child or grandchild, or their son’s graduation from medical school. Sometimes a little goes a very long way.

9 – Let your customers get to know you – and your art

Don’t you just love it when you get to watch another artist at work and see for yourself how they do what they do? You’re not alone.

Almost all art collectors are curious about how you create. So it makes good business sense to find ways to share your process with them. You might invite them to an informal demo. Show them photographs of the location that inspired you. Or even let them try the process themselves. Take the time to show your customers what makes you and your art unique.

Customers who understand how you apply your paint, why you use those strange-looking long brushes, or how you get so many layers of color onto your canvas are not only educated about what you do – they’re interested in what you do. And that will translate into more sales, and more referrals.

10 – Build strong, ongoing relationships with your collectors

Don’t be shy about asking your customers for advice and input, whether it’s on how you showcase or hang your work, or on new projects or techniques you’re trying out. Do it one-on-one, or host a studio open house (notice I did not say “studio sale”) to find out what they think.

And when you’ve just finished a new series or collection, or you’re ready to hang a new gallery show, invite your best customers to your studio for a special preview of your new work. They’ll love it.

Most importantly, be yourself with your customers and collectors. Yes, you may meet a collector or two who wants to be dazzled by art double-talk and rhetoric. Most collectors, however, will want to get to know the real you. They’ll love hearing about your feelings about your artwork, some of your artistic quirks – and even some of the mistake youíve made.

Once customers and collectors really connect with you and your work, they’ll be back for more. And that’s good for every artist’s business.

Best-selling author Kathy Gulrich helps clients get from idea, to action, to results – more quickly, and more easily – whether they’re looking to write a book, develop a new product, or market their product or business. Clients love her direct, no-nonsense approach – and her gentle insistence on great results. Find out for yourself: Check out one of Kathy’s teleclasses, or pick up a free worksheet, at
http://www.smARTbusinessCoaching.com

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Gulrich

http://EzineArticles.com/?Making-the-Connection:-Customer-Relationships-That-Build-Your-Business&id=34940

By
Arnold White

Artists are a special breed. They march to a different drummer. Artists have been given a special gift, and that gift can be very rewarding as well as very frustrating. The rewards are self-evident. The frustration comes from how to make money from your creative efforts. The purpose of this article is to provide you with some tools to solve this problem.

It is important for the artists to understand that they are the most important part of the “Art Market”. Without the artist there is no art market…no art galleries, no art shows, no art books, no art magazines, no art workshops, no art supply houses, no art agents. In fact, no businesses of any kind relating to the art world exist if not for the artist.

Making money will never be your primary motivation, but it must run a close second if you want to make a living from your talents.

How should you represent your work in order to make a professional presentation of your artwork? As a professional artist it is extremely important to put your best foot forward when submitting your art for review. The following six components are the foundation for making money with your artwork.

1.

So, let’s start with how you communicate visually; and let’s also remember that as an artist you are in business, and every business should have a professional image. Here is what you will need in the category of “Professional Stationary”: your letterhead; your business card; and your mailing envelope.

Your letterhead should be simple and creative. It should have your telephone number, address, e-mail address and web address. Your business card should have all of the information that is on your letterhead. Finally, your mailing envelope should have your logo and return address.

2.

You will also need some “Professional Quality Slides and Photographs”. What does professional quality really mean? As an artist you are creating a visual product, a product that needs to be seen before it can sell. Slides and photographs are your product inventory. If you are capable of taking a high quality photograph of your work, that is fine; but unless your photography truly captures your work, get a professional to do this for you. It is important when photographing your art that you never photograph your art framed. Framing is fine when your work is sold and hanging, but those reviewing your work are distracted by the framing process.

When submitting your art for review or consideration, your slides should have at the minimum your name and telephone number. However if you really want to be professional, your slides should also have the title, the medium and the size. The lab that does the developing can do this for you. If submitting photographs instead of slides, be sure that all of the above appears on the back of every photograph.

Every dollar you spend to make your art appear professional is more than worth the cost. Photography is a business expense and tax deductible.

3.

What about a “Professional Website” you ask? Absolutely! Four or five years ago, most artists were not aware of any of the following terms: URL, dot.com, Internet, Hosting, On-line, Search Engines, etc. Only now are they beginning to see the value of an online presence as an incredible new opportunity for exposure.

If you don’t already have a web site, you should remedy that as soon as possible. The fact is the Internet offers contemporary artists a unique opportunity to showcase and sell their art.
4. Professional Brochure

A first class brochure can be the most effective way to visually present what you do and how well you do it. A professional brochure can create a better impression than an entire book with cheap reproductions. Your brochure should contain a representative sampling of the scope of your work and should also include your biography.

A photograph should also appear on your biography page. Although this is not essential, an interesting picture of the artist can influence the reader’s interest in the artist’s work. Be sure your brochure is produced using the four-color process and is printed on 80-100lb gloss stock.

5. Professional Biography

Your biography is basically an artist statement. It is comprised of why you do what you do, who has influenced your work and anything that has been written about you. Your biography should incorporate a photograph of yourself.

6.

Finally, who should you submit your art to for review? The most readily available sources are: galleries; juried events; competitions; print publishers; agents and representatives; art fairs; and art festivals.

Take these simple steps one at a time to help get going on the road toward making money from your artistic talents. Remember to put your best foot forward and to represent yourself and work as if you were in a business because, indeed, you are.

Arnold White has been a publisher and distributor of fine art prints for over 20 years. He is the President of Winner’s Circle Gallery, a firm that represents artists seeking to enter the print market. Mr. White serves as a consultant and reviews work from artists wanting to enter this market. You may contact Mr. White at Winner’s Circle Dept. AB, P.O. Box 4814, Palm Springs, CA 92263 or call (800) 748-6400. More on selling your artwork at:
http://www.framehousegallery.com/WinnersCircleGallery/index.html
Comments or questions can be sent directly to Arnold White
swhite@DC.RR.com

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Comments or questions can be sent directly to Arnold White
swhite@DC.RR.com

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arnold_White

http://EzineArticles.com/?Attention-Artists:-You-Can-Make-Money-with-Your-Art-with-Six-Sure-Fire-Ways&id=304938

By 
Suzanne
Lieurance

Source:
http://www.pacificarticles.com/articles/102/1/The-Artists-Statement-A-Marketing-Tool-Every-Artist-Needs/The-Artists-Statement-A-Marketing-Tool-Every-Artist-Needs.html

By
Nina Alvarez

Your website is ready to go and you’re just itching for buyers, but where are they? First, find your niche online, then, effectively focus your time and efforts on those who are most likely to buy your art.

*
Associations
. If you haven’t already, join at least one art association in your medium. Associations usually have online forums and will send you emails chalked full of links and info about collectors, artists, galleries, resources, and organizations in your art community, most of which will be accessible electronically and will save you tons of time. The Artspan portals list hundreds of art associations. Check out Painting, Photography, Ceramics, or any of the 30+ art portals.

*
Forums
. Next, join forums specific to your art at Artspan and WetCanvas and anywhere else with a strong community. Do an online search to find these. Then, join forum conversations populated with thoughtful and interesting threads. Stay away from the vitriolic, rambling, or off-topic. Read posts, visit website links, and check out blogs, leaving comments wherever you can. In turn, talk up your art and post your website link in the forum and website comment sections.

*
Social Networking
. Join general social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace, Bebo) and vertical (niche-specific) social networks (Ning). List your website URL on your profile and post your website to ‘share a link’. Some Facebook groups, like Black and White Photography have over 40,000 members, all potential readers of your website. All you have to do is leave some comments and post your URL. (Extra tip: if you have a niche so specific that you can’t find it online, try starting your own social networking site at ning.com.)

*
Social Bookmarking
. Social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us and digg allow you to bookmark pages you find relevant and see what other sites are getting buzz. Find the people bookmarking the same pages as you and strike up a conversation by sending a ‘thank you’ for an interesting lead.

Nina Alvarez, Chief Editor of
http://www.Artspan.com
– an online artists community, and writer of the Artspan blog on art marketing. She also created the Philthy Art blog offering encouragement to writers and artists, and the popular poetry blog NinaAlvarez.net. Nina has an master’s degree in English and is

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Alvarez

http://EzineArticles.com/?Artists—Finding-Your-Niche-Online&id=1760518

Author:
Sen Ze

Artists who work with oil paints, watercolors and canvases may seem rather old-fashioned with the increasing advancements of computer software designed specifically to draw and paint digitally.

Although there can be no replacement for the skill, purity and simplicity displayed in an oil-on-canvas painting, as compared to a digitally rendered one, the commercial value of artists has certainly declined with much of today’s art work being created by their digital counterparts.

So how can ‘old-school’ artists start generating enough income to maintain their profession, without giving in to the pressure of turning to graphic software? It may seem somewhat ironical, but the Internet (in all its technological glory) could in fact prove a viable way for artists to boost their fortunes.

Artists who set up their own domains (using their own names, of course) and blogs will find that they have not only uncovered a great method of sharing their art with the world, but have opened themselves up to a myriad of wonderful opportunities. If you are an artist, here are 4 great reasons why you should immediately be investing in your own domain.

1. A World Wide Audience

Because artwork on canvas is significantly more difficult to pass around (as opposed to the ease of a JPEG file!), the people who get to view an artists work are often restricted to those who have visited the artists workshop or has had the artist send some copies of his work over.

With a website or a blog, however, an artist can easily take digital pictures of his work and put them on his blog, even commenting on the inspiration behind the painting and the techniques used. This would be akin to you – the artists – showing someone around a gallery your work!

But of course, the advantage of showing them around on a blog is that your viewers and fans of your work can access your website from all over the world, at any time, from any place with an Internet connection, leaving you to do what you do best – art.

2. Meet Other Artists And Build A Useful Network

It’s always useful for artists to know other artists, as it invariably means that you create more opportunities for yourself and your career. For example, an artist you likes your art and has been invited to show his or her work in an exhibition may help to get your work displayed as well.

By having a presence on the Internet, you will meet a large number of other budding artists like yourself from all over the world, which may prove to be invaluable contacts in the future. You will also allow yourself to be found online by art gallery owners and managers, art collectors and other art aficionados, any of whom may play a role in advancing your career.

3. Sell Art Online

Of course, the most obvious commercial aspect of any website for an artist would be the selling of his or her artwork. Once you have set up your domain and blog, you can also arrange for an online merchant account, which will enable you to sell your art online to customers who will pay using their credit cards.

As an artist, this may not the most ideal way to sell your art work, but it can be an effective way for you to make money selling smaller art pieces, which you can then send to your customers anywhere in the world using a decent courier service. Just selling one piece of work a month can more than cover the cost of running and maintaining a blog!

4. Open To Commercial Opportunities

Aside from selling your work, a website or blog opens the artist up to other opportunities from which money can be made. For example, a frequent visitor to your website who enjoys your art may commission you to create an artwork for a decent fee. Or you may be invited to sell your art at an auction after an organizer of the event came across your website.

The opportunities are endless and mind-boggling, and with an open mind, any artist can take advantage of the vast untapped expanse of the Internet to give their career and finances a serious boost!

About the Author:

Sen Ze and his 1-of-a-kind sites at
http://www.SenZe.com
(where else?) and
http://www.SOLOBIS.com
help you
make money online
in ways you’ve never known. Discover how to
sell your services
within days, starting with a dotcom version of your name!

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
4 Reasons For Artists To Take Their Masterpieces To The Internet

Author:
Beautiful Artist Websites

Summary

Here’s the scoop on what you must know when designing a website to showcase your art, impress galleries, and win over collectors. Learn how to avoid the mistakes most emerging artists make when creating their online portfolio.

1.You need an artists website

Any artist who can classify themselves as either “emerging” or “mid-career” will definitely benefit from having their own website to promote their work. At this stage of your career it is important to be able to have a place where anyone in the world can easily access and view your work.

2.Know who you are trying to impress

Are you trying to engage a Soho gallery to sell your $20,000 paintings or sell $5 prints to children in Korea? That Soho gallery might not be impressed when they see your online-store selling prints and art cards – but on the other hand, you could make a very handsome living if you really knew how to market those art cards.



3.Make your website fit with your overall art marketing strategy

A website is most effective when it is part of a larger overall marketing strategy for your art. This includes mailings, lots of in-person gallery visits and presentations, regular (physical) showings of your work, and developing relationships with the art world. An effectively planned website can greatly compliment and simplify your other marketing efforts.

4.There is a real market for art on the internet

The internet is quickly becoming an accepted place to showcase your art to collectors and arts professionals. They might still want to see your work in person before they buy, but the fact remains: they saw it first on your website! Having an online art presence is very important at this time.

5.Have your own website and a website portfolio service

A website portfolio service (e.g.
www.absolutearts.com
or
www.art-exchange.com
is like an online slide registry. For a fee you can upload images of your work together with a bio, artist statement, and resume. They have many visitors and are a convenient way to make your work accessible to potential clients. The down side is that they don’t display your work well, and there is little flexibility in how the art is showcased.

Your own website, on the other hand will require more work to promote, but you’ll be able to present the work in the most beautiful way. Remember the times you’ve been taken into the dimmer room in a commercial gallery? How that art which looked fairly good on the main gallery wall suddenly became something you had to take home? That’s how a good artist’s website should showcase your work.

We recommend both options – they are a perfect compliment.

6. Have a website that collectors and art professionals will enjoy

Here are some common elements which most dealers and galleries would agree on for your website design:

– Keep the site simple and elegant with the focus on the art itself and don’t overpower the art with a site that looks too busy

– Avoid advertising such as banner adds or sidebar adds. If you must have them, put them in a separate “resource” section

– Avoid complex effects like flash movies. In the time it takes to play your exotic entry page, your visitor may have moved on. Include your bio, artist statement, resume, contact information, gallery(s) of your work, contact information, and a pricelist.

Showcase your work beautifully

You need to have visual design skills to create a beautiful artist website. Here are some points to get you started:

–
Most Important:
Use high-quality, professionally-photographed images. Excellence in, excellence out!

#NAME?

– Create multiple galleries to compliment the work – just as a good physical gallery would do.

– Choose colors that compliment (not overpower) the work. Think of the colors you would use in a physical gallery to showcase your work – neutral colors like crème, white, gray, and good safe choices.

– Think “minimalist” not “busy” for the layout.

– Keep your copy (text) brief. Let the art speak for itself!

7.Bring collectors and galleries to your website

Its no use having that stunning website sitting in hyperspace. Make it work for you! Here are the ways to bring quality visitors:

Search Engines:
If your website has been well optimized for search engines, a search on your name or your style of art should bring up your website in the first few pages of results.

Letters of Introduction:
A letter of introduction sent to a gallery or dealer is a very effective way to bring a qualified visitor to your website. Better still is to include a brochure or postcard of your work with the letter.

Advertising online or in magazines:
For example, if your art is minimalist and modern in style, a banner add on an interior design website focused on the same minimalist ethic could draw a lot of traffic to your site.

You need to be able to sell your work on the internet.

But there are many ways to do it. More important than anything is that you have clear and up-to-date contact information on your website. If a buyer likes your work enough to bring out their checkbook, they will normally be happy to call you to close the sale.

It’s also handy to be able to sell directly from your website, especially if you sell lower-cost reproductions. There are simple and cost-effective ways to do this.

8. Think again before designing your own website.

– Have you really added up the total cost? Here are some questions to consider before you start designing:

#NAME?

#NAME?

#NAME?

#NAME?

– Are you fully trained in your design software?

Can you answer “Yes” to all of the above? If so, you might think about doing it yourself. Otherwise, hire a designer!

9. Choose your website-designer thoughtfully

The most important thing here is to remember what you are trying to create – a beautiful online gallery space to elegantly show your beautiful work – this is very different from building a high-volume website selling printer ink cartridges and paper rolls!

Look for the ability to design a space to present your work. One way to do this is to find artist websites that you like and then contact the artist to get the name of their designer.

10. Know what you should pay

Artist’s website development prices range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. Typically, bigger design firms have larger overheads and will be significantly more expensive. On the other hand, Joe down the street can probably build you a website for $200 – but you probably don’t want that website!

At Beautiful Artist Websites we have packages ranging from $700 to $2000 for simple elegant artists websites with different levels of functionality. We can also develop fully customized sites to your specifications with prices based on requirements.

About the Author:

Beautiful Artist Websites is a design studio based in Santa Monica, California and Minneapolis, Minnesota. We specialize in the development of beautifully designed
artist websites
that showcase artists’ work to arts professionals and collectors. Our mission is to help you
sell your art
. That’s it. There are thousands of good designers to choose from – but only a few understand the special needs of showcasing art. We do.We love art. And we are passionate about
design.
; We aim for premium quality clean and elegant solutions for all your design needs. Whether it’s a website, an artist brochure or artist DVD we can create an integrated look and feel that will capture the essence of your vision as an artist.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
12 Tips for Designing an Artist Website That Showcases Your Art

By
Isabelle Garbani

Designing a good website seems to require an endless checklist of chores: organize and select the materials, photograph the artwork, write a bio, an artist statement and an updated resume. You need to decide how to display the materials, what color scheme will look best with your art, what fonts will compliment your work… and more!

Don’t give up! I have compiled 20 important points that Artists should keep in mind when designing their website. Keep these guidelines as checkpoints during your site creation, or to check and improve an existing site.

1.
Keep it simple
. Don’t try and put every piece of information about your career or display every single piece of artwork you ever created. Choose relevant information that will keep the site simple and elegant. Try and include materials that reinforce your site’s purpose (is it to sell work? Attract new collectors? Or present a portfolio to galleries?).

2.
Keep your file size low
. People viewing your site don’t necessarily have a high speed connection to the internet, so be aware that too many images or too many large files can slow a site down significantly. Remember that a lot of people will not wait for a site to download! Keep your jpgs at 72 dpi, and try not to have images over 540 pixels in any direction. You can also try and minimize the number of large files (music and video are typically very large) in any one page.

3.
Keep your navigation simple
. Do not try and have too many categories or too many layers in your navigation system. Keep the placement of the navigation buttons consistent: if you choose to have your links on the left side, keep them there throughout the site and don’t scramble the order of your buttons from page to page!

4.
Have your own domain name
. If your aim is to impress galleries and collectors, make sure they know you take your art seriously: your own domain name looks more professional, can be easier to remember, and can be more search-engine friendly! Registering a domain has become quite affordable: typically between $10 and $15 a year with hosting costs between $5 and $15 a month.

5.
No under construction page
. If you are not done building a page, don’t link it to your site. People’s time is precious: don’t waste it by announcing a category… then have that category be blank!

6.
Prominent contact info
. Your site is a marketing tool: you can get potential collectors and galleries to discover your work. Make sure they know how to reach you when they fall in love with your art!

7.
Label all artwork
. Images on the internet give no sense of scale or medium; it is therefore extremely important to label each piece of artwork with dimensions and materials used to make the work. Labeling your pieces with their price can be valuable if your aim is to sell online.

8.
Include a brief Art statement and resume
. Keep in mind that text is difficult to read on the screen. As an artist, you must include an art statement and resume (people want to know about you), but keep both brief. A few paragraphs for an art statement, and 1 to 2 typed pages for a resume. If you must have a complete resume, give the viewer the option to print the document as a pdf.

9.
Keep your text simple
. Sans serif fonts such as Arial are easier to read on the screen. Don’t overuse bold and italics which make text harder to read and can get confusing.

10.
Avoid underlined text
. Underlined text is usually reserved to indicate a link: avoid using underlined text that is not a link to prevent confusion and frustration.

11.
Keep your color scheme subdued
. Don’t blind your viewers! Avoid a bright yellow background with red text!!! Bright colors can be difficult to look at on a screen, especially for text. Keep your color scheme with low saturation colors

12.
Avoid background image
. Background images can slow the site down, and unless properly done, will tile and look unprofessional. Background images also tend to make text harder to read.

13.
Avoid background music
. Although it can be tempting to have music on a site, I have to recommend against it for several reasons: your viewers might not share your taste in music, music files are large and therefore slow to download, and finally, even if your viewers like your music, it may get annoying to hear the same song every visit.

14.
No cutesy mouse animation
. This one is fairly obvious: it will annoy a large majority of internet users. Your goal is to make people like your site: don’t alienate them with annoying gimmicks!

15.
Don’t disable back button
. Some sites try and keep their audience captive by disabling the back button. It’s obnoxious! Don’t do it!

16.
Refrain from using frames and flash
. Both of these methods of coding tend to be unfriendly to search-engines, so use them sparingly and embed them with good old fashioned html.

17.
Make sure your site is compatible in all browsers
. There are no enforceable rules for website coding, only general accepted guidelines, so browsers tend to display the same code in slightly different ways. Therefore it’s important to try and look at your site on several different browsers and screens to ensure that your site looks good for most users.

18.
Check that all your links work
. It’s not only annoying to the user, but you may also run the risk of losing your site’s ranking with search engines, or worse, not being indexed at all!

19.
Open all external links in new window
. It’s nice to give extra information to your viewers by providing useful links, but make sure your own site stays on their screen by opening all external links in a new browser window.

20.
Keep an honest relation with your gallery
. Galleries cannot prevent you from selling work on the internet. However, you need to keep a good working relationship with your gallery. Make sure you both understand who gets or doesn’t get a commission through internet sales. For example, if your gallery sells work on their site, or you sell work on your site that’s currently in their space, they should get the commission.

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Author:
Cathy Robertson

As an Artist you know there is no greater thrill than seeing your artwork on someone’s wall; knowing that they love it, that you have brought joy into their world. Whether you’re a part time hobby artist, a full time professional or somewhere in between there is always opportunity to sell your work. You may find that one or more methods work well for you. Pursue them. Hone your skills. Reap the rewards! Remember the old adage, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained …”

Your Local Art Community

If you haven’t already done so, check out your local ‘art scene’. Many communities have organizations designed for the budding Artist. They offer classes, exhibits, information on local events (booth opportunities) and general art related resources. You may also fine resources through the Chamber of Commerce and your local Colleges and Universities. It’s a great place to start.

Word of Mouth

Everyone loves to sell by word of mouth. It’s free and you know people are talking good things about your art. Great word of mouth is every seller’s dream.

Advantage: Someone else is marketing for you simply by giving their recommendation to a friend.

Disadvantage: In order for “word of mouth” to be affective, people have to know about it first!

Conclusion: It takes time to develop ‘word of mouth’ selling. Produce good work, conduct yourself with integrity and a great reputation will follow! It is worth its weight in gold.

Commissioned Work

With commissioned work, you sell it before you create it.

Advantage: You can pretty well expect to get paid for the job, assuming you deliver as promised.

Disadvantage: You have to market yourself to get the job. And you are obligated to paint within someone else’s parameters rather than yours completely.

Conclusion: Working within boundaries forces you to solve the problems it presents. It forces creative solutions. Many of us do our best work when presented with unique challenges!

Event Booths

Event booths can be a fun way to sell your artwork and participate in the community.

Advantage: Booth rentals can be relatively inexpensive. You get to talk with people and promote your work. You get instant feedback. You know immediately how people feel about your artwork; everything from style, content, size and price. You get a ‘feel’ for the market. You have the opportunity to get the word out about you and your art; give out business cards or email contact.

Disadvantage: You have to deal with how you will accept payment (credit card, cash, check).You don’t want someone to walk off with one of your paintings and find out their check was bad. You need to sell enough to cover your expenses. Event opportunities may not come around often enough to suit your taste or you may not have enough pieces to warrant having a booth.

Conclusion: Consider these – renting a booth with other Artists if you don’t have enough work to fill the space; excepting credit cards or cash only; selling low price point prints or cards of your artwork to passers by (for spontaneous sales). Market yourself to the hilt. Tout your web site.

Your Own Web Site

Nowadays everyone seems to have their own web site. If you have anything to sell, people expect you to have one.

Advantage: It’s fast, convenient and you’re not confined to any one location. Your artwork is available for people around the world to see 24/7. Getting online can be done on the cheap. If you’re willing to do the research, the world is literally at your fingertips to learn the In’s and out’s of being online.

Disadvantage: Getting on the web is one thing. Getting found by people searching for your product is quite another. Getting listed on page 158 on a Google search doesn’t add up to sales. Unless your prepared to take on the full time job (and expense) of marketing your site, you will most likely only be found by people to whom you have personally given your web address. You will also need to have a payment and delivery method. And work out things like who pays shipping.

Conclusion: If at all possible, at least get a web page. Give people a convenient way to see your work and contact you by email. It’s expected.

A Hosted Website

Showing your artwork on a hosted web site is a fairly fast and easy process.

Advantage: When you show your work on someone else’s web site, you don’t have to market your art or your website. It is relatively inexpensive. There are online companies that will ‘host’ your artwork and often for free or a small annual fee. Buyers are then directed to you; where you handle the sale and shipping, etcetera… Some of them even take care of accepting payment, shipping and returns if you sell prints of your art that they produce (for a fee of course). Luckily many are able to print on demand, so you don’t have to ‘buy’ the print until someone places an order for it.

Disadvantage: The hosting site makes the bulk of their money by selling their services to you (hosting and producing prints), not by selling your original pieces of art. In other words, they do not target sales to a specific market of art buyers; but rather you, the Artist. You may have to provide your own digital capture. If you want to offer larger prints you will need to use high end capture methods (professional camera or scanner). The hosting company may also take a % of the sale for themselves.

Conclusion: It’s a fantastic way to get your art ‘on the web’ without a lot of time or expense involved.

Art Shows & Galleries

Art shows are often hosted by galleries and organizations that can attract lots of interested buyers.

Advantage: The event is advertised by the host, so you don’t have to. Art shows can be a great way to introduce yourself and your art to the local market (and possibly larger, if a licensing agent sees your work). You have the opportunity to sell your work or walk away with an award. Everybody loves an ‘award winning’ artist! Many Artists get their start via shows and galleries.

Disadvantage: You may not be accepted into the Show or you may have to pay to enter. Galleries are very particular about the work they carry. Once you are accepted, if you are accepted, you can expect the Gallery to take 40-60% commission right off the top. You must do your homework and deal with reputable galleries only.

Conclusion: The Internet is great, but it’s impossible to beat the ‘real thing’ when it comes to viewing art. Viewing the original up close and personal is the true art experience. The high end sales are still made in the galleries. Go for it.

Sell Prints

Selling prints of your original art is easier today than ever before.

Advantage: You can sell prints of a popular piece at an affordable price. You can sell the original as well or choose to keep it in your own private collection. Fine art printing companies are widely available on the Internet and elsewhere. Many of them do digital capture as well as the printing itself. Depending on your budget, and quality of digital capture, you have control over the type and quality of the Giclee Prints created. You also have choice of selling limited or open edition prints.

Disadvantage: You have to invest in the digital capture and printing services and hope that you can re-coup those expenses through the various methods of selling your art.

Conclusion: Whether to sell prints or strictly one of a kind, originals is a personal decision. The advantages are obvious, yet for some, it goes against the grain. Follow your heart.

License Your Art with a Company

Your “license” is your permission for someone else to market and sell images of your work. How the image is used is agreed upon in the contract.

Advantage: Your art continues to work for you long after you have created it, generating a passive income.

Disadvantage: These companies usually license art only for their own use. Meaning the art is used strictly for that company’s product.

Conclusion: Once you have a contract it is a no hassle way to sell your art. Be sure to sell your license, not your copyright!

License Your Art with a Commercial Licensing Agency

With this type of licensing your image is contracted out to manufacturing companies through the Agency. How the image is used is agreed upon in the contract. It could be used on anything from mugs, dishware, cloth, napkins, art prints, T-shirts stationary and any number of things in the manufacturing industry. Licensing art with an agency is the professionals’ game.

Advantage: Once you create the original artwork and sign a licensing agreement, you can return to the art of creating great Fine Art, all the while earning passive income.

Disadvantage: The licensing market is highly competitive. Agents will only license what they believe they can sell because it literally costs them thousands of dollars to land good contracts with manufactures, publishers and various agencies. They need art they ‘know’ they can sell. Some licensing agents will ask you to put up a significant sum of ‘good faith’ money to help off set their expenses. Then you both cross your fingers that it sells. If the agent doesn’t get paid, you don’t get paid. You get 30-50% of the contract price the agent makes with the purchasing company; about 4-10% of the wholesale price of the product (not retail sale price).

Conclusion: Even at a fraction of the wholesale price, the profits can be huge. If you are talented enough to play that game, my hat goes off to you. Well done!

I am sure you have noticed these selling channels are interrelated. Many Artists will participate in event booths; selling prints, handing out business cards with their web address, drumming up commissioned work and developing a good ‘word of mouth’ reputation all at the same time! And why not? The more you put your work ‘out there’ the more chances you have to sell it. Whether you just dabble in art or make it your bread and butter, there are selling opportunities for you. Some obviously require more time and effort than others. The great part is, between the Internet and local organizations you can get as little or as deeply involved as you want. Keep it fun and enjoy yourself!

About the Author:

Cathy Robertson is an Artist and writer for Fine Art Castle. Have fun, informative decorating & design articles delivered to you! Sign up for our monthly Newsletter today at
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Article Source:
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10 Ways to Sell Your Art, an Overview of Selling Options