In case you haven’t heard the global economy is not doing so well. People are getting laid off and companies are going out of business left and right. It is in the news everyday all day, which has people spending less money, even those who still have their job. This is not good news for artists.
How do you sell your art, which enables you to keep making art, when people are worried about the economy? First things first, define our own economic reality. Turn off the television, put down the newspaper, and don’t go near a radio. Don’t let the media define your reality. Then start promoting yourself like your life depends on it.
When spending is down and sales are harder to come by self promotion for the artist becomes even more important. But what are the best ways to do that? That is a tough question. Especially when many artists dread the promotion and business side of art. Which is exactly why Alyson B. Stanfield wrote I’d rather be in the studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. (Pentas Press 2008)
Alyson knows that you are an artist because you like to make art, not because you want to be a public relations person. Which is why she packed her book full of tips and ideas on how to effectively promote your art so you can spend more time in your studio. She breaks down the Table of Contents into a “Table of Excuses.” Excuses such as, “There aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all,” and “I don’t live in an art town.” Just to name a few.
The book is a great 264 page tool to help any artist find new ideas and new ways to promote their art. It is well organized and easy to read and understand. I like it because it is a book that is formatted in such a way that it is easy to pull information from it without having to read it cover to cover.
The author also has a blog with a lot of good information in relation to selling and promoting art. You can find it at http://www.artbizblog.com/.
Have you read this book? What do you think? Leave a comment please.
No related posts.
I have the book, and it’s excellent. I’m working my way through it (trying to get some freelance projects finished) before really diving into all the stuff I need to do to get my art career on the road. Alyson writes very well and puts marketing into no-nonsense terms that non-marketers can understand. I wouldn’t be surprised if a version 2 came out that got into a lot more of marketing on the web now that things like Twitter are absolutely huge.
The book looks interesting. here is a blog that also helps artists find resources to further their careers. Check it out.
http://artistsresources.blogspot.com/