If you are a regular reader, you probably think that I’m a big planner and that I have my whole life and business mapped out for me.

Not so.

I love planning! But like many creative entrepreneurs, I find planning can be confining.

At a workshop 4 years ago. Maybe the strange look on my face was one of concern because the artist was over-planning?? Photo by Kimberly Lennox.

A Time for Planning

Planning has its place in any business.

I believe in strategizing an income plan. I believe in planning my months, weeks, and days based on my income plan and big-picture ideas.

But there is no such thing as a fool-proof plan. I believe in planning a little and then taking a lot of action.

The As-Soon-As Plan

I’ve seen many of my students and clients paralyzed because they are looking for The Perfect Plan. What they end up with is an “As-Soon-As Plan,” which sounds like this:

• As soon as I find the right business plan to follow, everything will fall into place.
• As soon as I take this class, I’ll know what to do.
• As soon as my kids are old enough, I’ll have more time to work on my art.
• As soon as I add this new section to my plan, I can get started.

If they just tweak this or that, then they can start taking action.

This is just delaying. It’s excuse-making, not planning or acting.

The One-Page Business Plan

One of my favorite chapter’s in Chris Guillebeau’s The $100 Startup is “The One-Page Business Plan.” In it, Chris says:

There’s nothing wrong with planning, but you can spend a lifetime making a plan that never turns into action. In the battle between planning and action, action wins.

I agree with the action bias, but you have to take action, not just think about it. You have to act consistently and with purpose if you want to turn your art into a successful business.

You must have regular studio hours. You must market your art consistently. You must evaluate lack of sales. You must network and meet new people.

Stop over-planning and start taking action. Over-planning is killing your art business.

Free Book and Feature to the Best Artist Business Plan

I’ll give away a copy of The $100 Startup (free shipping USPS to anywhere in the world) to what I think is the best artist business plan left in a comment on this post no later than midnight ET on Friday, May 25. Here are the rules:

• Your plan must be 200 words or less.
• You must use your real name.
• Your plan could be for a specific period (e.g. the next 6-12 months) or for a special project such as an exhibition.
• Your plan should include these six areas: 1) your art or product, 2) audience, 3) promotions, 4) money, 5) how you will overcome challenges or obstacles, and 6) how you will know if you’ve succeeded.
• For a framework, you can (but aren’t required to) use Chris’s One-Page Business Plan as featured here.
• This is not a democratic process. My selection is the final word.

Notice the plan must be under 200 words. This is intentional because I don’t want you to over-plan.

The winner will also be featured in a blog post along with his or her plan. What have you got to lose? Even if you don’t win the book, you’ll have a plan in place.

Give us your thoughts about planning, and share your 200-word business plan in a comment below.

Lindsey Harnish of the Ferndale Public Library in Michigan inquires:

I just won a grant for my library, specifically to purchase art business books. While I’ve got a long list of titles on my wish list, are there particular books that you strongly recommend?

Well, Lindsey, since you used the word strongly, I pored over my titles and came up with this curated list for you.

Career Guidance

Jackie Battenfield, The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love

Battenfield’s book is quickly becoming the standard for artist career development. It’s especially good for artists on the gallery track.

Heather Darcy Bhandari & Jonathan Belber, Art/Work: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career

Another good book for artists seeking galleries.

Both of these books have a strong New York bent.

Daniel Grant, The Business of Being an Artist
Pretty much everything Grant writes is worth reading. I’m embarrassed to say that my edition of this book is from 2000. The 2010 edition (the most recent) adds 100 pages to my version.

Grant has also written Selling Art Without Galleries and How to Grow as an Artist.

Media Specific

Barney Davey, How to Profit from the Art Print Market

Davey knows the giclée market! This is the go-to book for artists who think prints are in their future.

Lynn Basa, The Artist’s Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions

Any artist interested in dipping their toes into the public art arena must have this book. Public art commissions are a whole different world than galleries and selling directly to collectors.

Legal

Tad Crawford, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist

This book should be on the shelf of every artist. When you need a legal answer, just look it up! We’ve gotten terribly lazy and expect people online to answer stuff for us. Get the book. Trust me. You need it.

Etc.

Alyson B. Stanfield, I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion

My book isn’t a career guide, but focuses instead on self-promotion. And I don’t mind saying that I still think it’s good – especially if you want to promote directly to collectors and attract attention for your art.

David Bayles & Ted Orland, Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

While this book is more about mindset than about business, it’s a must-read. After all, you can’t build an art business if your mind isn’t in the right place.

Gigi Rosenberg, The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing

Rosenberg’s book isn’t just helpful advice for writing grants. It’s also warm and personal. I read this book cover to cover and enjoyed every moment. Comb through the sections before you send that application in.

And

While neither of these books was specifically written as an artist business book, they will help anyone understand the art market economy:

1. Sarah Thornton, Seven Days in the Artworld
2. Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark

If you’d like to know what the life of a private dealer is like (and get some inside gossip), try:

1. Richard Polsky, I Bought Andy Warhol
2. Richard Polsky, I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon)

I know there are many more out there.

What would you recommend to Lindsey and why?

If you want to sell your art, show your prices.

Back in 2006, I wrote a post about when to post your prices.

Times have changed and I want to make sure that you have my current view on this topic.

If You’re Looking for Galleries

Installation at Ice Cube Gallery in Denver featuring work by Jane Guthridge. Artwork ©Jane Guthridge.

Many people will tell you not to post your prices if you’re looking for galleries to represent your art. Their reasoning is that galleries won’t want to see you trying to sell your work on your own.

I believe this is old thinking.

A good gallery shouldn’t fear artists trying to sell their work. On the contrary, they should be thrilled that artists are doing everything they can to drive sales.

In an interview for the Artist Conspiracy, a prominent Santa Fe gallerist told me  in no uncertain terms that she WANTS to see prices on a site. She says that without prices, she doesn’t know if the artists would be a good fit for her space. If there are no prices, she’s forced to take the extra step of contacting the artist. This is too much trouble!

If you are represented by galleries already, make your galleries happy by posting the phrase “Available through X gallery” underneath corresponding images. Ask your gallery whether or not they want you to post the prices along with that phrase.

Websites, Blogs, and Social Media Sites

YES! Post your prices if you’re trying to sell your art.

Some artists say that withholding prices encourages serious lookers to contact them. They think they have a better shot at a sale if they can talk to the interested party.

I believe not posting prices sends the message that either the work isn’t for sale or it’s too expensive.

Exhibitions, Open Studios, Art Fairs & Festivals

Again, yes! Post your prices if you’re trying to sell your art.

Don’t force people to ask. They usually won’t.

Make it easy for people to say, “Yes! I want it!”

In the creation of any work of art, there is some point, no matter how much training and experience is brought to bear on the work at hand, when the artist is taken with a feeling of both exhilaration and terror, the Oh shit. What the hell have I gotten myself into! moment of flailing panic, akin to the feeling of falling from a great height.

from the book Sacré Bleu by Christopher Moore

Deep Thought Thursday

In your art-making or art business, what makes you ask, “Oh shit. What the hell have I gotten myself into”?

When your work sold well in the past and is no longer selling or selling at a slower pace, it’s time to evaluate.

A single move in the wrong direction might be the reason for slow sales.

Here are some questions to help you evaluate the downturn and get back on your feet.

I came across this sign that pointed to a dark, narrow alley. I hope there was a more appealing route to this gallery! Hard-to find venues could be a reason for low sales.

The Work Itself

How has the work changed?

Are you using a different medium or style? Have you modified your palette? Have you changed the framing, matting, or finishing style?

Are the works larger or smaller?

Showing The Work

How have your venues changed?

Is the venue easy to find and approach? Is it a clean and comfortable space? Are the works well displayed and lighted?

How have the installations/displays changed?

Have you increased or decreased your prices?

Is the price visible – online and in person?

Promoting

Did you get the word out early and often? Did you change the delivery method or the time/day the messages or invitations were sent?

Did you post to your social media profiles?

Do you write about your art in a way that engages potential collectors?

Did you advertise? Which outlet, if any, was effective?

Did you put out stacks of postcards or rack cards? Did you post flyers?

Did you send out a press release?

Connecting

Do you use a combination of email and snail mail to stay in touch? Are you only in touch when you want to sell something?

Are you talking with people at the openings or in person about your work? Do you ask them what they like?

Are you meeting as many people as you can at your openings?
Are you creating special events for your VIP collectors?

Are you following up with leads?

After you have evaluated what you’ve done differently, you can implement changes one at a time until you have a winning combination.

Don’t change too many things at once or you won’t know which move made a difference.

What has made a difference in your art sales?

Poor things. They’re barely three years old and they’re already considered past their prime.

I’m not talking about the horses running the Triple Crown races this year.

I’m talking about your art.

©Lanie Frick, Dozing. Acrylic on linen panel, 16 x 20 inches. Used with permission.

Keep Older Art Images Out of . . .

• Portfolio presentations – in general. Galleries and patrons commissioning work probably want to see recent work only, but a museum curator would want to see your life’s work. ALWAYS keep out any work (old or new) that isn’t up to par or that looks like it is a student piece.
• Exhibit proposals. If you want to show your newest work, keep the old stuff out of sight. See below for retrospectives.
• Juried show entries. Most juried shows state the time frame in which the art should have been produced. Newer art is favored here.

Where You Can Show Older Art

• In the archived work on your website. As I explain in I’d Rather Be in the Studio your newest work should be front and center. Older work can be archived in deeper (not main) links.Do not call work “Older” on your website! Use the term “archived” or use dates to categorize. Like it or not, “older” doesn’t incite enthusiasm.
• Retrospective exhibitions. Retrospectives are my favorite exhibitions because an artist’s entire oeuvre can be studied at once. Why not have your own retrospective? Or dare you have a show of only older work?
• In blog posts. Don’t hesitate to feature older work in blog posts in order to tell stories and compare to newer work.
• On your Facebook Timeline. Use older work to beef up your business page Timeline and provide a virtual retrospective.

I think I’ve just hit the basics here. What else might be in question?

Here are some of my most helpful tweets from the past three weeks.

Art History

Online art history lessons free from National Gallery of Art -US http://www.nga.gov/onlinetours/index.shtm

Productivity

RT @michaelnobbs From the blog archive: If you can’t avoid distractions learn to smile and get back on track is.gd/UKmzKB

How to minimize onscreen distractions ow.ly/at6z1 via @lifehacker @adachis

Art Biz

Contract for commissioned artwork ow.ly/aEvRQ via @thepractical_aw

#Artists needing art biz office help shld look @LisaDeYoungVA lisadeyoung.com

If I don’t know you and your subject line says “Vote for me!” I 1) probably won’t and 2) will hit delete

Compensation for artists in nonprofits lacking. Why artists are poor ow.ly/asNHc via @hyperallergic<Must read!

How to talk about art – Jeff Koons. Funny! ow.ly/aFX9d via @hyperallergic

@barbaramuir I’m just saying an email subject line: “New work!” doesn’t make me excited just because of the ! Gotta have better words

When meeting other artists, ask them about their art, not about their day jobs

Fall art biz workshop in Naperville IL now open for registration ow.ly/aIbTy

Social Media

RT @markmcguinness: Pinterest for Artists: 5 Creative Ways To Share Your Work bit.ly/KvBbRo via @natasha

Interest in Pinterest Reaches a Fever Pitch [INFOGRAPHIC] zite.to/Igexxf fascinating stats!

Facebook Marketing: Why Less Is More zite.to/I3VgPC via @mashable

HootSuite users: workaround to see RTs. I had no idea I was missing so many! ow.ly/aESwD via @intersection1

Guest Blogger: Carolyn Edlund

Have you ever heard of “mana”?

An ancient concept, Wikipedia defines mana as “the stuff of which magic is formed, as well as the substance of which souls are made.”

Think of mana as a piece of the creative soul of an artist. When someone purchases your artwork, they aren’t just buying a physical product. They are obtaining a piece of your creativity, a connection to your talent and vision.

©Amadea Bailey, Looking Back, Looking Forward. Mixed media on canvas, 52 x 54 inches. Used with permission.

When you are in the position of speaking with the public about your work and presenting your art, are you creating an environment where those connections can be made? Or do you appear to be bored, distant or uncommunicative?

By interacting with your audience, you share your creative spirit and set up a memorable connection.

Tell the story of your art. Talk about what inspires you.

Engage with your prospective collectors on an authentic level that says that you respect them as people, are interested in them, and have something of great interest to them. When they make the purchase and hang your artwork in their home, give it as a gift or wear your creation, they will remember and talk about your story.

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou

Customers buy for emotional reasons. Connecting to them on an emotional level establishes your personal value in addition to the value of your work. This enhances their experience and increases the likelihood they will purchase, speak about you and refer you.

Connection works physically as well. Observe body language, tone of voice, and gestures of the people you speak with. When your body language matches theirs and your voice level matches theirs, you make unspoken connections.

How else do you forge a bond with your customers?

When a purchase is made, the buyer has something more than just the thrill of collecting art. They have made a connection. They have bought a treasure.

Collectors of your art have received some of your “mana” – your creative spirit.

I have 2 hours worth of sales tips to share with you in the Art Biz Coach Art Sales retail and wholesale teleseminars for artists and craftspeople. I hope you’ll join me for these May 9 and May 16 events. You can listen live or get the recording and transcript later. Click here for details.

About Our Guest Blogger

Carolyn Edlund is the acting director of the Arts Business Institute and spent 20 years as an artist running a successful ceramic jewelry studio. She provides business consultations to creative entrepreneurs at Artsy Shark.

Deep Thought Thursday

Which is preferred:

That titles for your art are open to interpretation?

or

That titles for your art are descriptive and give clues to viewers?

Last week I made my case for you to become an arts writer/reviewer. Judging by the comments, a number of subscribers are now on their way to starting their art-writing journeys.

Today I want to give you tips on how to write about other artists’ exhibits.

“Freshly Squeezed” exhibit at Pirate: Contemporary Art. Work by Matthew Doubek and Samuel Mobley. In foreground: Krispy Kremme Delivery Guy by Doubek.

Get The Facts

Gather as much information as possible about the exhibit you’ll see before visiting. Look for answers to the following in press releases and blog posts.

Who? Who is in the exhibit? Who organized the exhibit? Who is the curator?

What? What is the exhibit about (its curatorial thesis or purpose)? What is included in the exhibit? What is the entrance fee? What do you know about the artists and artwork you’ll be seeing?

Where? Where is the venue, including the street address? Where can you park?

When? When does the exhibit open? When does it close? When is the best time to see it?

Why? Why this exhibit? Why now? Why should your readers care?

How? How can you get a complimentary pass? How can you secure images to use in your article? How can you get in touch with the curator or artists?

Plan Your Visit

Call or email the venue to make sure they’ll be open and that you’ll be visiting at a relatively quiet time. Some smaller galleries seem to close on a whim. Likewise, you don’t want to look at the work when school tours are going on!

Venues with entrance fees will often give legitimate publication journalists a complimentary pass, but you must be established and prove you have a significant following.

Look

Make a cursory walk-through of the space. How is it arranged? Is it chronological? By artist? By subject? By media?

What’s good about the installation? What strikes you as “off”?

Look deeper. What work stands out as worthy of your attention? Select 3 or 4 pieces (depending on the space you have) and focus on those works.

Why do you like them? What makes them strong? How do they relate to one another and the exhibit as a whole?

I write almost exclusively about work that I like because (1) I’d rather spend more time with work that I like and (2) I enjoy the challenge of persuading readers to my line of thinking. Also, in all honesty, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I don’t write to be critical, but to point out strengths.

Jot Down Notes

Do not run through an exhibit with your camera and go home to write. Your digital images can neither replace the experience you have with the art itself nor can it replicate the relationship of the works to one another.

Sit your butt down and write in the gallery. Ask for a stool or chair if you need one.

Get permission to take pictures and ask the venue if they have preferred credit lines for you to use. Make sure all names are spelled correctly. Double and triple check the facts for accuracy.

Make Sense of It All

Go home and put your thoughts together. You’ll forget your brilliant ideas if you wait until tomorrow.

Write that crappy first draft immediately and revise it in 2 or 3 sessions until time runs out. If you’re working without a deadline, make one up. In my experience, nothing motivates more than a due date.

I’m planning to tackle this subject in more depth. What do you want to know that will help you with your reviews of other artists’ work?