Steps to Publishing Your Art

Artists who are driven to make art generally do it because they are driven by passion and creativity. It’s no secret that it’s difficult to make money in the art world, and most artists create on the side as a hobby. That said, if your work rises to a certain level, and you understand how the art business works, it is possible to generate profit. In fact, it can be quite lucrative if you make the proper connections and have realistic expectations. Your first pieces won’t be displayed in the Louvre, but you may be able to publish or license them with some knowledge and perseverance.

 Self-Publishing

For some artists, publishing is a fine end-goal for their work. Others see it as a launchpad to bigger things. Whatever your goal, it is important to understand the publishing business model to evaluate whether it is a good fit for your work. There are two typical approaches to publishing: self-publishing and licensing.

The first step towards publishing is to protect yourself against intellectual property litigation. This will safeguard your work if it is stolen and presented by another person as their work, or if you are accused of stealing it from someone else. To do this, you should register for a copyright with the U.S. Library of Congress.

Self-Publishing is a trade-off. You will maintain all control of your work, and be able to keep any profits you net. On the other hand, you will also have to assume all up-front printing expenses and rely on your own connections and networking to get it in front of buyers.

 Licensing

For many artists, licensing is a better publishing option than self-publishing. Licensing can be done for either trade magazines featuring visual art, or as “work for hire,” where items derived from your work can be created. License arrangements are designed so the licensor assumes the upfront costs of any printing or distribution of visual pieces, and the commissioning and shipping of physical works. Because they take this on, they retain most of the profit, and the artist receives a royalty of up to 10-15% of prints. Royalties on derivative products may be somewhat higher.

 Legal Protection

Many publishers will only deal with agents, meaning that they are often the gatekeepers to the publishing world. While you may find some places that will work directly with you as the artist, you will likely find that most are hesitant to do so. There are two major reasons. First, art publishers don’t want to waste time meeting with artists about unsolicited works, and must reject the bulk of what comes in. Agents insulate them from this process because only artists at a certain level of talent have agents that are willing to represent them. Secondly, working with agents and standard contracts makes the legal process of licensing and publishing simpler. This is also understandable from a networking standpoint. A publisher who has a good relationship with a handful of art agents will always have work coming through the door. Those handful of agents may represent hundreds of people!

In terms of an artist assembling a “team,” it is always smart to have a good lawyer. You don’t need to have them on retainer, you just need to have someone you know and have built trust with who is available to be hired on a case-by-case basis. It is probably best to seek legal representation before seeking an agent, as they will be able to guide you through the copyright registration process.

Self-Promotion

While you should be able to find and hire any experienced lawyer in your area and price range, agents will need to be convinced that representing you will be a good investment of their time and resources. After all, an agent works of a strict percentage of your earnings. This means that if you don’t get paid, neither do they! Fortunately, artists today have avenues to promote themselves that would barely have been imaginable a generation ago.

While gallery shows are still a terrific standby to get the right people to see your work and learn about you, they may not be incredibly practical for your specific situation. If you don’t have a physical space to use as a studio or gallery, the cost of renting a venue can be a problem, even if you team up with other artists. Also, although there are art loving communities all over the country, if you are far from a major city, a gallery show may help you sell prints but do very little to get you noticed.

The good news is, you have many free tools at your disposal to showcase your work for very little (if any) money. You can start with social media. Create Facebook pages and Instagram accounts to feature your work. Invite your friends to like and follow them, and ask them to share your pages and help spread the word. Interact with other artists you appreciate (at all levels) and follow agencies. You may be surprised how much notice you receive. You should also be sure to have an easy-to-find website, that looks sharp and includes relevant biographical and contact information. Art agents will be interested in your formal training and accomplishments as well as your gallery.

Art is subjective, and the art business can be brutal. But if you focus on honing your skills, assemble a team, and make the right contacts, you may at least build an audience that appreciates your work!