How to Get Motivated to Work on Art Commissions
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If you're serious nigh earning an income with your art, so you accept to be serious about marketing yourself. If you lot're similar me, you hate selling… you lot don't similar rejection, it makes y'all nervous and you recollect you're no skilful at it. That's why we're artists and not salesmen. Fortunately marketing yourself is kind of an art course. 
Although I don't have all the answers, I'd similar to share a little of what I've learned about the art of marketing ourselves.
Exist Seen: Beginning, brand it piece of cake for people to find you. Create a deviation with a list of the different kinds of commissions you offering, with a sample and a price for each. Put this divergence near the summit of your contour and so that anybody knows you're open for commissions. Here'due south mine as an case:
Join commission groups where people looking for commissions can detect you. Many commission groups will await you to accept a commission sheet that's been uploaded equally a separate deviation like the one above, and so make sure you exercise that showtime.
Go on Information technology Simple: Don't put huge numbers of options on your commission info canvas… I tin't stress this enough. Even when you want to buy something, weeding through a behemothic list of options isn't helpful… actually information technology puts people off.
Imagine for a moment that y'all become into a grocery store and there's someone with a table giving out samples of jam. Let's assume for a moment that you're a relatively social person and yous like jam, so what do you do? If she's offer three flavors of jam, you lot say hullo, endeavour a jam or ii and likely buy one… or maybe y'all just buy one of each (since there are only 3) and have them dwelling to try. What if in that location are more kinds of jam? What if there are ten kinds of jam? What if there are 30? Traditional marketing theory says that the more options in that location are, the more likely a customer will notice something they like and buy information technology, so more options means more sales. It turns out this is wrong. Scientists studying this subject found that more than options hateful fewer sales. (There are some exceptions, simply an art commission isn't one of them.)
What happens when the girl is selling 30 different flavors is that your conclusion becomes much more complicated and commonly y'all'll cull non to buy any because it'southward too much work to make up one's mind. You say hi to the girl, she says "which flavor would you like to try?" You lot say "what have you got?" She says "oh lots, we've got thirty flavors!" At which point yous think to yourself "uhh… right… I don't have time for this," and yous leave… politely. (This is chosen decision fatigue. articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/… )
The same thing happens if you requite people too many options in your commission sheet. People will mostly await at information technology, decide it'southward too much work to figure out what kind of committee they want, and leave.
So the ideal commission information canvas volition have simply a handful of items the person tin buy (I call up 3 - 6 is considered ideal).
And then if you lot do lots of dissimilar kinds of art, my recommendation is to divide your commission information up into several different sheets for different kinds of fine art. For case if yous exercise illustration, 3D modeling and small ceramic works, don't put several options for each kind of art on a single canvas – you lot don't desire to brand people wade through all that if they're only interested in one kind of art. Break it up and create a split committee canvass for each kind of art: one for illustration, ane for 3D modeling and another for ceramics.
Also if yous simply do 1 kind of fine art, like analogy, don't requite people a big a-la-carte system. And especially don't make your clients practice a bunch of math to determine the price. They should at most accept to add aircraft toll and maybe one other extra for something like a groundwork.
EXAMPLE (Needs Piece of work):Sketch
- Bust - $3 per character -- (I don't recommend offer shoulder-upwards sketches, information technology'due south likewise small a job)
- Half-Body - $5 per character
- Full-Body - $8 per graphic symbol
- Elementary Background +$one
- Total Background +$3
Inked Line-Fine art
- Bust +$3 per character
- Half-Trunk +$5 per character
- Full-Body +$viii per grapheme
- Simple Groundwork +$five
- Detailed Background +$viii
Flat Colors -- (I don't recommend offering this -- it's not a large enough footstep up from line-art)
- Bust +$1 per grapheme
- One-half-Body +$2 per character
- Full-Body +$3 per character
- Simple Background +$one
- Detailed Background +$two
Detailed Color
- Bust +$3 per character
- Half-Body +$v per character
- Full-Body +$10 per character
- Unproblematic Background +$8
- Detailed Groundwork +$12
p.s. Not just have I seen this configuration recently, I've seen information technology with United states Dollars, British Pounds and Euros all on the same sheet! If y'all want to offering prices in multiple currencies, I recommend you make separate copies of your commission sail for each currency.
Sketch $5
Inked $10
Color (Copic Markers) $xx
Background +$five
All prices per-character
$five shipping
Did y'all notice how much simpler the second instance is? If you lot were purchasing, which information sail would you want to see? Which one makes it easier for you? The first instance is daunting for almost people and makes a lot of potential clients experience nickelled-and-dimed. The latter case is more inviting; it makes things easier and helps them feel confident about purchasing. Of grade, none of this is absolutely set in rock and you can get enough of commissions with an information sheet that'south somewhere between these ii examples. The point I'1000 making here is you need to wait at your sheet as though you lot were purchasing. As a potential client, how does it brand you lot feel? Your mileage may vary.
Reduce Incertitude (setting prices): What'due south the one thing we do when we're either buying a commission or selling one? We worry. If we're buying one, nosotros worry that it might not be what nosotros're hoping for in the finish. If nosotros're selling ane nosotros worry that the client won't be satisfied; that nosotros'll spend besides long working on information technology and we won't make enough money, or sometimes that the customer volition try and get more than they paid for by continually request for changes. (This terminal one was a popular trick with some clients when I was earning my living programming computers.) Since everybody has something to worry about, we should practise what we can to reduce those fears and requite us conviction on both sides of a commission. 
Nosotros can't totally resolve everyone's concerns, but we can put each other at ease a little if we know how. The all-time way I know to do this is in setting prices. So how practice you set your prices? I know this was a source of anxiety for me – and I suspect it's a source of feet for a lot of u.s.a.. In that location are two principal schools of thought.
CHARGE PER HOUR: 
On the 1 hand you'll know that you lot're making enough coin for your time.
On the other manus this makes things more complicated for your client and increases their anxiety level, because now they get to worry that the work may have besides long and they may not exist able to afford it.
This alleviates the client'due south concerns because they know how much they're paying up-front.
But now you accept to worry over again virtually not making enough money for your time. If y'all don't brand enough money for your time, then y'all might not be able to pay your bills.
There's a 3rd option that lies somewhere betwixt these two options.
Work up several samples of the kind of commission work you lot're selling. Utilise a clock or a kitchen timer to mensurate how long each slice takes. Then average out your times for that kind of work. So for example, you lot might practise 5 sketches that take between 20 and 40 minutes each to complete. When you add them up and average it out, they accept yous an average of 30 minutes to consummate.
Now that you know the average time for this kind of work, you tin can place a price for your time on that kind of slice. So if a sketch takes an average of 30 minutes, you tin do 2 of them in an hr. So to make at least minimum wage here in the US, each sketch would have to cost at least $iv. If you wanted to make more than minimum wage (which I definitely recommend), and so you should charge more.
This does mean that some of your works volition have longer and you'll earn less per hour for those commissions… information technology besides means that some of your works can stop faster and yous'll earn more per hour for those. The good news is that the clients get a stock-still charge per unit, which helps them feel better and more confident about hiring you for the commission, and at the aforementioned time you know that your rate will boilerplate out in the long run and you'll be earning enough money to pay your bills. Then this helps put both y'all and the customer a bit more at ease.
There'due south one other affair that everybody worries virtually when marketing commissions: setting your prices. I can't say that I have whatsoever magic formula to tell you how high or low your prices should exist… I definitely recall they should be above minimum wage, merely how much is up to yous. It's normal to worry most this. If you set your prices either also low or likewise loftier, y'all might non earn as much as you could.
Here's my last bit of advice on this subject – it's ameliorate for people to retrieve your prices are a piddling high rather than a niggling depression. When people see prices that are low, it gives them the signal that "information technology must not be very good", and vice versa that "people must like her piece of work" when they're higher. Then it'southward ameliorate to requite people the bespeak that your work is valued and appreciated (not to mention that yous value your ain time), rather than sell yourself short. Your own estimate of your work is probably low rather than high, and selling yourself brusque too results in people taking advantage of you lot much more often. So compare your work to some other artists you lot like, call back how much y'all think your work is really worth compared to their prices, and don't exist afraid to add on a few bucks. You're worth information technology.
Blow Your Horn: This has two parts. First, simply like when you're dating, you don't want to appear desperate. Is it bonny when yous run across someone who'due south begging for a date? "Please, delight, delight leave with me! No 1 will go out with me! You're my only promise!" No, begging isn't bonny. It sends the signal that "I'm unwanted". So if you beg for dates, at best you'll go a few pity dates. Begging for commissions volition have much the aforementioned effect. So never say annihilation similar "nobody will commission me" or "why aren't I getting more commissions" or "damn I wish someone would commission me". Those kinds of statements will bulldoze abroad potential clients. To make yourself bonny y'all desire to emphasize to other people that your art is appreciated and that others want your art. Getting your starting time commission may exist tough if you oasis't had 1 yet; hang in there!
The 2d part of this is pointing out to your watchers and others the piece of work you've washed and letting people know that y'all're available for committee. This is distinctly unlike from "begging". When you cease a piece and post information technology online, add together a fiddling note in your annotate saying for example "Did you like this? I'grand open up for commissions." If y'all've done requests in the past, you tin can use those requests every bit examples of work yous've done to encourage people to hire you for your outset commission. Whatsoever you lot do, requite people the impression that y'all've got plenty of art projects to keep you busy, and so even if they're not commissioning you, you lot'll be working on something absurd.
Lastly, if yous really do take an emergency situation similar your firm was hit past a tornado or a overflowing – or a combination earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-disaster, it's perfectly okay to tell people that you have an emergency need. This isn't "begging", it's only being honest most a trouble. Many people expect specifically for artists who are near in need when purchasing their commissions. If it's 18-carat, get alee and let people know you lot're in a bind. You don't want to do this all the time. If y'all do this every month, people will stop believing that it's genuine (like the story of the boy who cried wolf), and so make sure y'all're only request for emergency commissions when y'all've got a existent emergency. If that'southward the case, check out the group ForArtistsAid , a group designed to help artists out of these kinds of binds.
Be Friendly: Talk to as many people as you can. I don't mean hawk your wares at them, merely talk to them. Discover out what interests them and talk well-nigh that. Share your own thoughts on their interests, especially if you have common interests. The more social y'all can be, the more people yous can talk to, the better. When you lot write in your journal, remember to be optimistic. You should talk nearly your goals, things yous're looking forrad to or want to achieve. Information technology'south okay to mention problems or things that upset you, but don't dwell on them and express hope that they'll exist solved. If you audio like Debbie Downer, nobody volition desire to commission you. On the other hand, if you're optimistic that will aid describe people to yous – they'll savor your company, want to talk to you and they'll be more likely to committee you lot.
Be Dainty: This is the reddish on top of the sundae. On the surface information technology seems obvious, merely there's more to existence "nice" than saying please and thank you. Patently you should thank people when they hire you lot for a commission. If you're sending an original in the mail yous can go a step farther and jot a quick note to them on a Mail service-It to put in the envelope. You may also want to stick a couple pieces of candy in in that location as well. I similar to use Starburst for this because they're small and they're individually wrapped, so it's easy to become a couple of them in the envelope. It's a nice piddling surprise for your client and they'll take addicted memories of receiving their committee from you.
Good luck and have fun!
p.s. Hey! You lot finished the article! Did y'all relish it? Great! I'm glad I could help. At present if you have a moment, I'd appreciate a fiddling help from you. Just check out my career-change goal for 2016 here: world wide web.woohooligan.com/2016/da
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Source: https://www.deviantart.com/woohooligan/journal/Six-Ways-to-Earn-More-Commissions-214252546
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