20 Steps to Getting Started in Art Licensing
Guest Post by Greeting Card Designer Kate Harper
Guest Post by Greeting Card Designer Kate Harper
I get emails from many people who want to learn how to license their art, and sell their designs to card and gift manufacturers.
While this topic is vast and every artist has a completely different experience, I've put together a list of my personal recommendations of what you might want to do, and in what order you might want to do them. These are based only on my personal experience, and what I would do differently if I could do it all over again.
Make a plan to spend half your time doing research to determine what companies your art style fits with.
- Take an art licensing class. I recommend Cheryl Phelps, but you can also check out Joan Beiriger's Blog on a list of Licensing Teachers. Bring your art to the class for feedback. If you are serious about this career, then fly to wherever the teacher is for a workshop and make it into a vacation.
- Read the following Books: Licensing Art 101, Third Edition: Publishing and Licensing Your Artwork for Profit and Licensing Art and Design: A Professional's Guide to Licensing and Royalty Agreements
- Learn Photoshop. Take a class at a local adult school or community college.
- Read the articles about Art Licensing.
- Subscribe to or familiarize yourself with gift trade magazines. Review what product "collections" look like.
- Subscribe to Joan Beiriger's Art Licensing Blog.
- Sign up for the following news groups: Yahoo Art of Licensing and Linkedin Art of Licensing.
- Spend 3-6 months compiling your own art style and collections.
- Visit Surtex show in New York as a guest. If you can't go there, try to visit another show in the gift industry. Take notes and collect names of companies and agents.
- Take classes at the tradeshows. The two best shows for classes are the Surtex show conference program and Licensing Show conference program. Many of the licensing consultants attend these and you can make appointments with them to evaluate your work.
- Make 6-12 tear sheets of your collections. A tear sheet is an 8 1/2 x 11 printout of samples of your work. For example, one sheet might be a series of Christmas designs made into products such as magnets, coasters or greeting cards. Another sheet might be spring tabletop items such as paper plates, napkins and paper cups. Here are some examples of a variety of kinds of tearsheets by other artists. Try to show your art on an actual product.
- Research you local community and find a lawyer who specializes in artist contracts. They can help you evaluate and edit licensing contracts and tell you how to register your copyright correctly. I currently work with MJ Bogatin in Oakland, CA. I've worked with him for 20 years and now we do almost everything by email, which saves me time.
- Get a website and post your art with contact information. I recommend GoDaddy.com because they are cheap and they always answer the phone when you need help.
- One you've finished your collections, or while you are doing them, consult with a licensing Coach for professional feedback of what to drop or what to expand. But always remember, no matter what anyone says, keep the designs that you would buy if you walked into a store today and saw them on a shelf.
- Decide if you want to work with an agent. If so, do research on the subject and collect their names. You can even do a google search of "Art Licensing" agent and learn where to find them.
- If you don't plan on working with an agent, research what companies already do licensing and explore which ones match your style.
- Visit local stores and find products that your art style fits with. Find the label on the product and see who manufacturers it. Get that company's contact info and find out if they do art licensing. Look at aprons, tableware, shower curtains, potholders, greeting cards, magnets, stamps, bedding, paper plates, giftbags, rugs and coasters.
- Submit your designs to companies. Here are the things you might send them, but always check their submission guidelines.
- Learn how to write your own press releases.
- Most Important: Get a planning buddy if you really want to accomplish all these goals. To learn how to start planning buddy meetings, download Chapter 10 of a book called "Wishcraft." Instructions start at page 224.
Actually all this is really fun.
Posted by Kate Harper at 8/19/2009
