Every so often I get this question about how to get into the wonderful world of selling your artwork.

Well, here it is in a nut shell.

First off you have to think of your works as a product. Just 'cause you draw doesn't mean you're gonna make high end sales like the next Joe Blow. Your product is everything and if you have good merchandise then most likely you'll have good sales and clients that will wanna come back for more.

But just having a good looking product isn't enough. Oh no no no... you also have to be a good business person to make sure clients do want to come back. So treat everyone with respect and make sure you package those items well when sending items via mail.

Now let me touch upon a few subject areas here:


How To Price Your Artwork

Well, that all depends on your demand and how much of a nice person you are in willing to let certain pieces go for very low amounts of cash.

If you're an upstart and have a half way decent style/art then start your pieces at a low rate. Build that clientele and trust and then you can up those rates later down the line. A good starting rate is about $10 - $15 dollars (On simple artworks, nothing too crazy)

When selling more detailed or multiple character pieces it's okay to have a higher rate. Price them to what you think they're worth. It's okay to haggle over price at times.

Build on it. If you see you're getting a lot of bites then you can slowly raise those rates. But don't raise them too fast. You don't wanna scare away those customers.


Commissions

Commissions are fun if you don't mind some of the consumers driving you nuts with certain demands. It's not always like that but you'll get those every so often. Remember, you're the artist and you pretty much make the rules. They're after you, not the other way around.

Begin with a good commission rate and work from there. Keep it simple. Like, single character, minimal background. Then give a rate for that. You can add additional characters for an extra sum of cash as well. It's your personal business so you make the rules.

Time is critical, yeah, I suck myself on that aspect of doing commissions, so don't do what I do, make sure you have a good time frame involved and try to meet that deadline! I've had many customers complain about how I really suck on deadlines and I don't argue with them but when you're overworked that kind of becomes a factor. So don't take on more than you can chew!

Another important thing to keep in mind which is usually the FIRST mistake many NOOBS go through. The customer at times will tell the artist not to have the image posted anywhere after they complete it.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of that part of the agreement. It's a common mistake but one that can easily be avoided when you read this. You're the artist. You bust your ass on a piece so what? So you can hide it for life. NO WAY! Let alone not being able to print it! Sorry but you have to make sure you let the client know right off the bat that you reserve your rights to have the image posted and so on.

Now that's for non commercial commissions, usually commercial commissions are different and since you get paid a good amount I think you can live with the fact that they're right on their views
But normally they have a very good reason to keep things under wraps.


Conventions

First timers, here are a few tips that might help ya. Get that table early for Artist Alley! Then have a good set up. Prints, Books, other merchandise etc... Create an inviting setup that feels good to buyers. Also greet passing folks walking by your table, don't just sit there like a MoMo with a sour puss. Make those sales! I see too many talented artists at shows just buried with their heads in a sketchbook at times while potential buyers just pass them by. Don't let that be you.

Price your items at a reasonable rate and greet the folks. Tell them to feel free to view your works then let them know if they're interested that you do have items you're selling. Then shaddap and let them decide, but feel free to strike up conversations as well.

Having a front-man helps. You know, that friend that's good at talking to people while you work in the background until they introduce you as the artist. A team effort goes a long way!


OnLine Selling

Well, you see it a lot here on DeviantArt. Many artists open their commission slots online and offer it to you the public. That's another way to get more attention for your works. Having an online art gallery showcasing your works for more potential buyers to nip at you. Remember, open just a few small slots then wrap those pieces up then if you feel you can tackle more open more slots. Use it all to your advantage guys!

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Hope this helps many of you, if there's anything I've missed, let me know and I'll add more to it, but for now, I hope you guys do well and pass the info along to those who need it. Feel free to ask questions!

-Sanchez