I’ve been getting a lot of questions on selling prints lately. Questions like what size should my prints be, what images sell best, what size should my limited edition be? All valid questions that may have different answers depending on where you are selling and where you are placing yourself in the market. Probably the most important question you should be asking yourself is; Do I really want or need to sell my art?
Selling your art is a big decision. Once that decision is made you have committed yourself to a business. If you don’t want to run a business don’t sell your art! Running a business is only fun for those types that like to own and operate a business which for the most part leaves out artists. All artists, photographers, painters, sculptors, and other creatives, are seldom good at business. In fact they usually hate the business part of selling their art.
If you take the plunge I have two tips for you. First, treat your art like any other product that needs to be marketed and sold. Cut the umbilical cord! Remove your emotional ties! Only then will you make good business decisions on price and presentation.
Second; the most important thing you can do to be successful is to write a business plan! WRITE a business plan, don’t just have it in your head. Get out the pencil and paper and make a plan. You plan your vacation, when you leave, where you stay, how you get there, and what you will do once you arrive. You’d be surprised at how many businesses are started without a written plan. And then they can’t figure out how it failed.
So before you decide to sell your art make sure you are committed to running a business 90% of the time and making art 10% of the time.