Pricing Digital Art
CRITERIA:
- Your work is uniquely yours, no doubt about it. At
a glance, people can tell it’s your work. (Often
called “style” ;) )
- Your work is professional in quality (No unintended
pixelation, not “obviously [insert program name]) (I
feel another story coming up, but I’ll spare you.)
Price just over what your direct competitors are asking until
you begin to become popular. Remember, digital art covers
every style and genre plus has an endless variety of its own
unique ones. Now, work to get the exposure you need to sell
your art by putting yourself out in front of buyers:
- on the Internet…but NOT in “low market zones”
and certainly not *shudder* on ebay. (NO NOT NEVER.)
- by donating your work to charity auction fund raisers
- doing one-sheet and brochure mailings to shops you would
like to handle your work (professional-looking one-sheets
and brochures, that is, which shouldn’t have to be
mentioned, but I will anyway.)
That’s a start and will take you a good six months to ice
that much.
Next, once you start selling well, start raising your prices
so that your prices reflect the increasing value of your work.
And, I will say it ONE MORE TIME HERE: NEVER SELL ALL
RIGHTS, or even any of your copyright yourself. If you’ve
got a potential “sweet” deal, get an agent or
intellectual properties lawyer to handle the negotiations and
contract. Do NOT do it yourself.
But what are you selling? Anything that your work looks
good on or in. Don’t put it on anything that doesn’t
show it off to its best advantage.
There’s a solid start for you…but it isn’t
anything new. Everybody is doing it. You just have to
be persistent, and you have to have a “look” that
people are drawn to. That’s YOUR job. The sales
will follow.
BTW, if you already have collectors of your work, then you
also have a good “in” to their circle of influence…which
nets you a bigger circle of influence once you start mining it.
It works like ripples in water, especially when the drops keep
getting faster and bigger.
BEWARE: The “biz” end can wind up eating the art
right out of you. It did me. I’m just now
getting a bit of control back. I warn you ahead of time.
The “biz” will run you ragged and into the grave if you
aren’t careful.
by DLKeur, article originally posted on art-blog on March 11, 2007
Copyright 2007 D.L.Keur &/or F.W.Lineberry, http://www.zentao.com . All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted ONLY if linked and credited.
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