Self promotion and finding the right market

I have been reading all my back issues of Artists and Graphic Designer's Market this week (while waiting for my 2010 issue to come in at the library). There is one thing that has really struck me...when you're preparing to self promote it is very important to know one thing:


Your market. Do the footwork. Read AGDM and find out what kinds of art companies are looking for. Don't limit yourself to one genre though, and check out greeting cards, book covers, magazines. You might be surprised what area of the market you will break into first! However, to keep your first self promotion successful, you must know your market. In AGDM the art buyers will tell you basically what kinds of art they are looking for. Some listings will even tell you what they are NOT looking for. However, even after you go from cover to cover, make a list of applicable markets, THEN visit their websites. See what kind of art they buy...does it match your art? Do they have artist guidelines on their website? Is there an updated mailing address to send your promotional materials to? Also, is there an Art Director that you can put the attention to? These are all important things that may separate your promo card from all others and keep you out of the slush pile (or even worse, the trash can). What is the slush pile? A pile of promo pieces that artists have sent in that don't really capture the director's eye yet at the same time they aren't sure if they will ever use it. Artists can remain in the slush pile for YEARS. Marketing to the right places can stop that from happening! Also, send repeat promo pieces that highlight your recent work. This will jog the director's memory and show that you are on top of current trends.

This will be the end of my "research" week with AGDM. Next week, I am going to start on my "new" portfolio with ten new pieces, each showing consistency in style and a range of related subjects. Then I plan to pick my best pieces, put them on a postcard, and start my mailings. For the first time, I'm going to apply my knowledge and just go for it. It's time to do more than learn...and DO what I've learned.

I'm excited!!