“Art Should Sell Itself!”

That would be nice. But it doesn’t and it won’t happen. Not in your lifetime.  And curiously enough, artists actually know this.  But somewhere back in their mind is some group, book or individual whispering that phrase to them and early education is very powerful…..even if it is utterly wrong!

Artists who feel that their Art needs to only be displayed and the buying public will flock to their studio or booth at an art show and push money eagerly into their hands can be seen everywhere. and are easily identifiable by both their attitudes and how they dress.

The “Art Should Sell Itself” artists are especially prevelant at Art and Craft Shows where they can be seen reading a book, or instant messaging on their cell phones, or lounging sleepily in their chairs. They ignore possible collectors completely, or stand in front of their booths blocking the entrance and engaging in conversations with friends and relatives. Or they are gathering in groups with other vendors to complain about the show.  They are wearing their “official artist clothes”…..cut off shorts and flip flops and many unconsciously spend a lot of time trying to perfect their perception of what an artist is supposed to look like and do. Sometimes the green hair helps…..

Read the rest here: http://www.jerrysartarama.com/blog/post/2011/06/09/If-Art-Should-Sell-Itself-then-why-am-I-so-broke.aspx

All of Penny’s contact info is at the bottom of the article-just substitute “art” for “book” and you see that it’s all the same!

Theresa

Fifty Things Under $50 Bucks To Promote Your Book

These days it seems like everyone’s book marketing budget is a little tighter. If you’re feeling the pinch, or if you’re just looking for some great free stuff to do on your own, here are some tips that could help keep you on track.

1. Buy your domain name as soon as you have a title for your book. You can get domain names for as little as $8.95. Tip: When buying a domain always try to get a .com and stay away from hyphens, i.e. penny-sansevieri.com – surfers rarely remember to insert hyphens.
2. Head on over to Blogger.com or WordPress.com and start your very own blog (you can add it to your Web site later).
3. Set up an event at your neighborhood bookstore. Do an event and not a signing, book signings are boring!
4. Write a few articles on your topic and submit them onto the Internet for syndication. You can submit them to sites like ezinearticles.com and articlecity.com.
5. Check out your competition online and see if you can do some networking.
6. Do some radio research and pitch yourself to at least five new stations this week.
7. Ready to get some business cards? Head on over to Vistaprint.com. The cards are free if you let them put their logo on the back, if you don’t they’re still really inexpensive.
8. Put together your marketing plan. Seriously, do this. If you don’t know where you’re going, any destination will do.
9. Plan a contest or giveaway. Contests are a great way to promote your book.
10. Google some topic-related online groups to see if you can network with them.
11. Send thank you notes to people who have been helpful to you.
12. Send your book out to at least ten book reviewers this week.
13. Do a quick Internet search for local writers’ conferences or book festivals you can attend.
14. Create an email signature for every email you send; email signatures are a great way to promote your book and message.
15. Put the contents of your Web site: book description, bio, Q&A, and interviews on CD to have on hand when the media comes calling!
16. Submit your Web site to the top five directories: Google, MSN, Alexa, Yahoo, and DMOZ.
17. Write a great press release and submit it to free online press release sites like: PR4 – http://www.prlog.org/ , http://www.1888pressrelease.com/, http://i-newswire.com/, http://www.prfocus.com/
18. Write your bio and have someone who can be objective critique it; you’ll need it when you start pitching yourself to the media.
19. Schedule your first book event!
20. Start your own email newsletter; it’s a great way to keep readers, friends and family updated and informed on your success.
21. Start a Twitter account and begin tweeting. If you don’t think Twitter is significant, think again; it’s been a major part of our marketing strategy for over 2 years now (before anyone even knew what Twitter was).
22. Develop a set of questions or discussion topics that book clubs can use for your book, and post them on your Web site for handy downloads.
23. Add your book info or URL to your answering machine message.
24. Start a Facebook Fan page. Fan Pages are much better than groups because they’re searchable in Google.
25. See if you can get your friends to host a “book party” in their home. You come in and discuss your book and voila, a captive audience!
26. Find some catalogs you think your book would be perfect for and then submit your packet to them for consideration. If you’re unsure of what catalogs might work for you, head on over to http://www.catalogs.com/ and peruse their list.
27. Go around to your local retailers and see if they’ll carry your book; even if it’s on consignment, it might be worth it!
28. Add your book to Google Book Search.
29. Research some authors with similar subjects and then offer to exchange links with them.
30. Start a Squidoo page and make sure it’s linked to your Twitter Account and Facebook Fan page.
31. Make sure your blog is connected to Amazon via their Amazon connect program (yes, it’s free).
32. Ask friends and family to email five people they know and tell them about your book.
33. Leave your business card, bookmark, or book flyer wherever you go.
34. Subscribe to Google Alerts and make sure that you are getting alerts under your name as well as your book title(s), brand, and keywords.
35. Pitch yourself to your local television stations.
36. Pitch yourself to your local print media.
37. Work on the Q&A for your press kit. You’ll need it when you start booking media interviews!
38. Pitch Oprah. Go ahead, you know you want to.
39. Is the topic of your book in the news? Check your local paper, and write a letter to the editor to share your expertise (and promote your book!).
40. Stop by your local library and see if you can set up an event. They love local authors.
41. Do you want to get your book into your local library system? Try dropping off a copy to your main library; if they stock it chances are the other branches will too.
42. Go to Chase’s Calendar of Events (www.Chases.com.) and find out how to create your own holiday!
43. Going on vacation? Use your away-from-home time to schedule a book event or two.
44. If your book is appropriate, go to local schools to see if you can do a reading.
45. Got a book that could be sold in bulk? Start with your local companies first and see if they’re interested in buying some promotional copies to give away at company events.
46. Don’t forget to add reviews to your Web site. Remember that what someone else has to say is one thousand times more effective than anything you could say!
47. Trying to meet the press? Search the Net for Press Clubs in your area, they meet once a month and are a great place to meet the media.
48. Want a celebrity endorsement? Find celebs in your market with an interest in your topic and then go for it. Remember all they can say is no. Check out the Actors Guild for a list of celeb representatives.
49. Ready to get some magazine exposure? Why not pitch some regional and national magazines with your topic or submit a freelance article for reprint consideration?
50. Work on your next book. Sometimes the best way to sell your first book is by promoting your second.

How would you like a free marketing evaluation of your book? Find out how by emailing me! penny@amarketingexpert.com

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny & Everyone at AME

Well sure it takes time to think about your career but that’s part of real life and any profession. Planning a course of action is not such an unknown that you don’t know what to do.

This challenge is one of those procrastination events that frequent our lives. We all know, that the  “thinking about doing it”  is always worse than the “doing it!”

I am staff columnist for a writer’s group and the link below will take you to the last 3 articles that I have written for them (as will , ahem, OUR Art Career Experts newsletters!)  The title articles are conveniently labeled below that! Now see how simple it is?

http://1stturningpoint.com/?cat=2056

Artist Business Cards—Four Tips for a Powerful Marketing Tool

Artists: Learn to Sell the Sizzle First, Not the Steak!

5 Ways to Get More People Reading Your Email Newsletters

Need to copy and paste?

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/blog/post/2011/01/12/A-Tale-of-Two-Vacuums-by-M-Theresa-Brown.aspx

The good news with the results of our art marketing from the trenches (so to speak) is that we were slammed this Christmas with orders for our art! As entrepreneurs, we are used to the ups and downs of self employment and so are not as quick to blame “the economy” for everything that  is “not” happening.  We just work harder. Still it was nice to see clients loosening their purse strings and enjoying spending some of it with us!

Keep in mind too that none of our success this quarter was by accident. We did not stumble upon clients, burn incense or randomly hope they would show up at our studio….we continued to promote our art via our usual tried and true channels: in person, on Facebook, our monthly newsletters, phone, postcards, email…the point is that we persevered. We earned tens of thousands of dollars these past few months because we “kept at it.”  We were prepared whe it hapened.  We were successful not because we are the greatest artists around. Not because we have secret weapons for marketing art. Not because we lucked out. We earned what we earned through sheer hard work and the constant promotion of what we create.

It all goes back to the”rule of seven”-that the average client needs to see you, your message, your art, etc approximately 7 times before committing to investing in your product. Sometimes it is 4 times. Sometimes it is 9. But 7 is the average. So what does that tell you?  Did you go to one show and quit?  Did you offer one art class and quit? Did you send out newsletters twice and then quit? Did you email that prospect once and then quit? If you gave up after only one or two tries, you will never be able to realize your dream!

So look at 2011 as a new beginning! Layout, Study, Complete and Implement your business plan! Have a destination in mind before you start that journey! Then you will see that “making money with your art” is NOT random. It is because you stuck with it

Happy New Year!

With a business to run, and other communication tools such as a website to update, many Facebook pages unfortunately become inactive. How can a business owner make use of a Facebook page without devoting too much time to its upkeep?

http://blogs.constantcontact.com/commentary/so-you-have-a-facebook-page-now-what/

Author John Jantsch says,  “Creating a partnership with a non-profit agency can have a dramatically positive marketing impact if handled correctly. I’ve worked with countless non-profit agencies over the years, and while they they’ll take contributions from businesses all day long, what they really want is something much more valuable.”

To enjoy the benefit of the complete article written for the American Express forum, click HERE! or copy and paste below:

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/how-to-create-a-win-with-a-non-profit-partner-john-jantsch?sorttype=newest&sourcepage=1&pagenumber=1

Who dreams this stuff up?

For the full low down, make sure you are subscribing to our free newsletter. If you are not, sign up is easy-just fill out the newsletter form on our home page of Art Career Experts.
In the newsletter, I will examine why no other profession is “emerging!” LOL-they have more sense!

Meanwhile I am trying to reschedule my teen art class  to avoid a conflict this week…..and heading to the Gallery that I partner with this morning to meet two clients, stopping at the bank, the post office …..oh yeah, the early Thanksgiving on Sunday for a son flying out Tuesday to Job Corp……wonder if they’ll actually get the turkey into the oven?……LOL and I HAVE to start on that large family  oil painting, finish the smaller orders…….we even managed to get our custom Xmas cards printed and ready to mail out early this year (as in before Xmas)  but we need to hand address them all……did I mention getting out the newsletters to all of our clients and friends….oh, and I have to trim the hair off the Cockapoo…meet with the guys to finish the “we’re in the middle” bathroom makeover of 3 months…….I think I started to say something about an overwhelming  week but in fact it’s sort of typical (with the exception maybe of the workshops) of the real life that all artists cope with !

That’s why so many of the art marketing sites on the Internet are so….unreal . From what we have seen, very few, if any,  are written or presented by artists who are creating art as well as selling it….they fill their sites with tidbits from here and there, advice from many artists (none who make a living at it), all of which often makes it seem as though one artist cannot accomplish all the necessary tasks!   Most seem to have missed that essential element of real life as we all know it….living the day to day life that we all know it, with all the expected and unexpected events and yet create  art within that same context. THAT is what the “real” artist’s life is all about!

So regardless of where you are in your own world of art, stick with it! Embrace it and enjoy it. As overwhelming as some days or weeks may be, how you handle the challenges of real life as a working artist is what separates the artists who want to market their art from those who simply think about it! Even if selling your art isn’t your goal, simply exchanging the words “market” to “creating” is also what separates those who think about creating art from those who actually do!

Hey don’t you LOVE the time change?   Now I feel like I’m not starting in the middle of the night!

So on another rainy morning..which, despite the stunning amount of rain and has now turned into an amazingly gorgeous fall day, I went about trying to edit the collage…no such luck. How to change the writing? Replace just 1 photo? I finally started over…then decided what the heck, I’ll post our newest upcoming workshop on Craigslist as it is!

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ats/1983950629.html

Oh well, I’ll tackle it some other rainy morning.  Time to go to the studio and get ready for tomorrow’s Studio Tour!