Things You'll Need:
- Press releases
- Marketing plan
- Proposals
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Step 1
Network. Join a museum or artists' group to meet other artists as well as potential customers. Ask other artists questions about how they are selling and distributing their work.
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Step 2
Develop a marketing plan to attract new business.
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Step 3
Strut your stuff: Send out press releases and propose article profiles to local newspapers and national publications to heighten awareness of you and your work. Articles that feature you and show photographs of your work garner attention and potential clients.
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Step 4
Create a Web site to introduce people to your work. (See How to Hire Someone to Design and Build Your Web Site.) Then gather addresses and send out quarterly mailings featuring new work. Or, save time and money by sending out e-mail updates with links to new work posted on your Web site. Include links to any articles or sites that have spotlighted you.
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Step 5
Enter competitions. Use any honors and awards you receive to net publicity and greater exposure for your work.
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Step 6
Ask the owners of cafes, shops and restaurants if they'd be interested in displaying your art. Offer a small commission from any resulting sales. Also consider buying a stall at local art fairs and shows (see How to Sell on the Craft Circuit).
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Step 7
Look for galleries that feature art complementary to yours. Offer diversity--a gallery that has 20 artists doing seascapes may not be on the lookout for another.
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Step 8
Sell yourself to the gallery owner. Be able to discuss your work convincingly and clearly, including how it's created and why it will appeal to clientele.
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Step 9
Be prepared to take a big financial hit for gallery visibility. Most take a 50 percent cut of the retail price.
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Step 10
Push for a public showing of your work at galleries, with an opening night reception. Send out invitations to clients, friends, family and high-profile community members.
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Step 11
List your work on eBay.com to appeal to consumers who don't have the time or inclination to pay gallery prices. Set a reserve price that assures you'll get a decent return on your time.











Comments
sager29 said
on 9/15/2009 Let EZArtTrader.com be a good start. Whether you are selling second-hand art, you are and art gallery, or you are an artist with your own art, EZArtTrader.com can help, and the best part - it's FREE
jacobabraham said
on 8/1/2009 Try www.SellYourArt.tk
joelamite said
on 6/24/2009 This is great information. I wish I had come across it earlier, but I did find a fellow artist who has an excellent step by step method for selling your art. I posted a quick review here http://sellarthowto.blogspot.com/. It is definitely worth checking out, since it can help you sell your art sooner.
peterneer said
on 6/13/2009 Thanks. You can always sell on online stores.
I use Zazzle and Supprint.
justinhampton said
on 3/21/2009 Gaining online visibility can be done by harnessing the traffic of websites that promote artwork, such as www.dailyoriginal.com, dailypainters.com, or forums that allow members to display work, such as artdc.org. Obviously this is a very short list and there are many sites out there all with their own spin on things.