| There are a few ways to get into the business. | | | | the fun. You reap the rewards of 100% of the |
| You can be completely independent; creating, | | | | profit. |
| printing, marketing and distributing your own | | | | If you decide that working with an art publisher is |
| images. This is a worthy aspiration. You can also | | | | the direction to go then it's up to you to do the |
| work with a publisher and have your work | | | | research into which publisher. You can attend |
| published by them so that the bulk of the financial | | | | tradeshows to meet them or gather information |
| responsibility rests of their shoulders and you | | | | through internet searches. Once you have a list |
| receive a royalty based on sales. Both of these | | | | review their sites to see if the work they publish |
| work, yet are vastly different. It's up to you to | | | | is similar in style to the kind of work you do. If |
| learn the difference and decide which direction to | | | | they are a publisher of very traditional western |
| go in. | | | | art and your work is urban inspired and very |
| If you decide to publish your own work then it's a | | | | digital then this is probably not a good match and |
| matter of making your images print ready as you | | | | you are wasting your time. Look for a good fit. |
| will be responsible for selling them. Preparing your | | | | Once you have found that fit you will need to find |
| art for printing means cleaning it up through | | | | out who the product development manager is and |
| Photoshop to make sure colors are working, the | | | | contact them. They will want the quickest and |
| digital files are clean and there is proper copyright | | | | easiest way to review your work. Try sending |
| notice included. Your digital files should be at least | | | | them either your web address or a photo sharing |
| 10 megabytes but not much larger than 50 or 60. | | | | site like Flickr that can be a quick way to review |
| You may want to create the digital file so that | | | | it. If they reject it, don't take it |
| the images can be printed in a variety of sizes. | | | | personally...everyone gets rejected some time or |
| Once you have cleaned your images and they are | | | | another; just keep trying till you find one that fits. |
| print ready you can upload them to user | | | | However if you have little success signing with a |
| generated on-line galleries that will feature your | | | | publisher then you may need to take an honest |
| work and sell it and you will receive a royalty. | | | | look at your art. No one wants to hear that their |
| They will be the printer - all you have to do is add | | | | art isn't good enough however a publisher is |
| your images. Imagekind and Finerworks are two | | | | making large investment in your art - they need |
| sites that offer this feature. If you decide to be | | | | to be reasonably certain that it will sell. If they |
| entirely responsible for printing it then you will | | | | don't feel good about it then they won't work |
| need to work with a printer who will give you a | | | | with you. |
| cost per print, decide with you on the paper | | | | Finally, do your research. Find out what the |
| quality and will be open to drop shipping to your | | | | hottest trends are and try new artistic directions. |
| customer. It is up to you to market your work. | | | | Be bold and understand that making money from |
| You can do this through blogs, Twitter, word of | | | | art is a good thing. You aren't compromising |
| mouth, brick and mortar galleries and Facebook. | | | | yourself if you earn money from it, you are |
| It's a tough way to go but if you enjoy social | | | | making a living and being paid for something you |
| web sites and marketing then this is all part of | | | | are good at. Rejoice in that. |