Question: Is it better to go with an art publisher or an art licensing agent?
I’ve been getting some interesting questions lately that have caused me to really think about what I would do. An artist recently emailed me with what I consider a very high class problem – they have submitted their portfolio to a few art publishers and agents and now have a few that are interested in signing the artist. The main question was
Is it better to go with an agent or a publisher/licensor?
First it is important to understand the distinction, especially if you are new to art licensing.
A publisher is a company that publishes art prints – for wall art, canvas, etc. Many publishers also act as agents for their artists because the majority of those artists have no interest in pursuing licensing themselves but are happy for the added income. It becomes a win-win with the publisher not only licensing their work but connecting them with manufacturers in other areas. You can have a relationship with a publisher and NOT have them act as your agent, but many do both for their artists.
Then there is the more traditional agent. An agent is a person or company that represents artists and works to connect the art with the manufacturers. That is all they do – they don’t have the publishing business first and agency aspect second, they are agents. Agents can connect artists with publishers as well.
Back to our artist’s conundrum -
They are each telling me they are the answer of course, and then within that I have each of them (being the various publishers & agents) saying that THEY are the best choice. Each is making a strong argument for me choosing to work with them. I don’t know what to do and I just want to give myself the best opportunity to make money. I’ve asked so many people….please help. I can’t tell if a publisher has the same opportunities an agent does….
So publishers are saying going with them as a publisher and an agent is better than just having an agent. The agents disagree. Both are quite persuasive and the artist doesn’t know what to do.
Here is the advice I gave to them and how I would handle it if I were faced with the same situation.
First, I congratulated the artist on having so many people interested in their work. Agents don’t pursue people they don’t think can be successful and make money in licensing so this is a fabulous sign.
Next I asked to artist to be clear that they want to work with an agent and don’t want to market themselves – if they weren’t sure, I thought they should read this post:
http://artlicensingblog.com/2011/11/02/faq-do-i-need-an-agent-to-succeed-in-art-licensing/
As to who will be best and are agents vs publishers better – each artist will have to make that decision – if I did if for you I might as well pick your spouse or life partner while I’m at it. I’m not an art licensing yenta! 
When making the decision, you need to look for the best fit in terms of the working relationship – who will you trust with your business and who do you believe is most aligned with what you see for it? You either go with a publisher who then promotes you elsewhere or you go with an agent who finds you a publisher and other deals.
If it were me I’d be doing a serious comparison of the contracts – what are they asking of you and what are they promising – in writing – to do for you? How long of a commitment and how can you get out of the contract if you don’t feel it’s going well? And when – after a year, 3 yrs? etc.
My advice would also be to consider the eBook How to Understand Art Licensing Contracts as well as having someone review your contracts. My co-author Maria Brophy does contract reviews (and you get $50 off if you buy the book) or you could have an attorney look at it/them. Make sure the attorney has experience in the industry tho or they won’t catch the nuances. Here is a link to some attorneys if you don’t know any that work in licensing: http://artlicensingblog.com/attorneys/
It is one thing to review and negotiate your own contract for a one-design license for a specific product or products for a period of time. If you make a mistake, it will be a lesson learned but won’t affect your entire business. When you choose an agent or publisher/agent, it can so I would definitely get a second opinion before signing.
Of course this is just my opinion – if you have other advice or ideas, please add them to the comments!
This is pretty exciting and I hope more artists are faced with this type of decision! I also hope this helps you think through your strategy for your business.
Wishing you much success -
– Tara Reed
P.S. Not sure if you want an agent or want to go it alone? Download the survey to help you figure it out…
P.P.S. If you aren’t to this point but want help getting ready to find an art licensing agent, be sure to check out How to Find an Art Licensing Agent.
4 Things to Do to Make 2012 Your Best Year Yet…
2011 is coming to an end… this time of year always makes me feel like I’m at a crossroads and I begin to take stock of things. I look back at the past year and make a list of all the things that have gone well and that I’m grateful for – both in my business and in my life.
Then I look forward and I think about what I want for the coming year – what things do I want to keep from 2011 and what things could be changed and improved? And if I want changes – what do I need to do to make them happen?
Here are four tips for making 2012 your best art business year yet…
ONE – Don’t do things the way you always have just because.
Look at how you do things and decide if they are working at an optimal level. Is there anything you can improve upon? For example, what did you do last year to let manufacturers know about your art – or to let agents know you were looking for representation if you’d rather not do your own marketing? Were you happy with the results or would you like to make them even better? What can you try differently? Make a list of ideas and then track the results on any new ideas. Trial and error is often the best way to determine what will work best for you and your business.
TWO – Look for ways to reduce your expenses.
Hopefully you act as a business and keep track of all of the expenses you incur for your art business, separate from your personal expenses. Take a look at how you spent your money in 2011 and then decide if it was worth it or if the expenses could be changed in any way. I changed from using Paychex for my payroll processing to Intuit Payroll. While I spend a little more time each month on accounting and submitting the information each month (maybe 45 minutes a month) – I’ve saved about $900. Well worth it! Where can you trim your expenses by changing the way you do things? Are you spending money on things you don’t need to anymore?
THREE – Maintain the relationships you have built.
While it is easy to always go after new business to build your business, often the best business is with your current clients. They know you, you know them, hopefully you have a good track record together. Spend as much time – if not more – fostering the relationships you have as you do trying to build new ones.
FOUR – Don’t forget what makes you unique.
What makes you and your art special in the very competitive field of art licensing? Don’t try to be a “me too” artist if you see something that seems to be working for others. Instead, always search for a way that you can bring something unique to the table – that is where you will truly find success.
Every business, like the economy, goes through ups and downs.
It is important to stay positive, stay focused and never assume that what seems to be working is the best way to get something done. By regularly looking at your business you just might find ways to make things work faster and better!
Wishing you much success!
– Tara Reed
Are you on the Early-Bird list for the Art Licensing Contract eBook?
The early bird list has flown the coop and the eBook is now available. Learn more at www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/contracts.html
Guest Post: 33 Unique Career Paths You Can Take With a Master of Arts Degree
Carolyn Perry, a writer for the brand new www.MasterOfArts.org, contacted me recently about a blog post she had written. Here she gives 33 Unique Career Paths you can Take with a Master of Arts Degree. Thankfully you don’t have to have a Master of Arts to license your art – and I’m not 100% positive you have to for all of these ideas either, but it’s a great thought provoking list. As I constantly say – there are many ways to make money with art – the key is to finding the best fit for you. Here are more ideas…
If you’re tired of your parents griping about your future as a fine artist, try adding one more year in an MA program and possibly some other resources to enhance your financial possibilities. Take business classes or law, or learn about the physics behind fireworks. Why? Because your MA can lead you into careers that go beyond the usual art directorship or museum curator position. The following 33 unique career paths you can take with an MA degree might provide you with some more ideas.
As an Employee
- Art Law: Use those MA classes to learn more about art law. You also may need a JD contract law. ARS (Artists Rights Society) has resources, and The Art Law Blog can provide information, too.
- Art Librarian: If you prefer to work more with books and artifacts than with people, you might learn more about this field through an internship with ARLIS (Art Libraries Society of North America).
- Arts Organization Consultant: These businesses, which connect organizations to their communities, are growing. One example includes Future/City (located in the UK).
- Art Program Development: Many organizations crave to have people on board who can create programs for public consumption. Take a look at some of the programs at the New York Foundation for the Arts to get some ideas.
- Book Trade: Art history background is good for this position, but a number of possibilities loom. The International League of Antiquarian Bookselling (ILAB) can explain. Or, you might check out The Center for Book Arts or Old Book Art or A fair display of books as art might provide more ideas.
- Corporate Curator: Why devote yourself to museums when corporations might contain more treasures? Employment with an agency such as Nixon Art Associates, Inc. can provide you with great experience at this level.
- Digital Art Historian: You can position yourself as an art historian for any art museum or gallery or even for a history department. Read more about how the art world has fallen behind in this endeavor while history departments move forward.
- Fireworks Display Planner: Working at a place such as Stonebraker Fireworks can unleash your creativity in what could be considered temporary installation art.
- Historic Preservation: If you lean more toward a love for architecture, this job might work for you. Go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to learn more. One job that might be obtainable in your town is that of a Main Street manager or executive director.
- Law Enforcement: Although there are only 12 seats on the FBI art theft enforcement team, you might prove that you deserve one of those seats…or start your own art detective agency. Become an ARCA (Association for Research into Crimes against Art) member to learn more about this field.
- Preservation and Conservation: If you want to take care of art in a museum or a collection, you might learn more about what that work entails. You also can join AIC (American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) and utilize their CoOL resources.
- Urban Planning: If you have a background in visual communications and wayfinding, use that MA experience to learn about urban planning methods and practice.
Freelance Careers
- Body Model: You already know how modeling works, as you’ve probably drawn from these individuals in class. Turn the tables and use your entire body (or body parts, such as hands) to make money to support your art career.
- Card and Postcard Creative: Develop an online presence with your clever cards and postcards, like Virginia Spiegel does online and in print.
- Event Planner: If you’ve handled art shows before, those events prove to be an entry into this booming career choice. You also can move into a consultation position depending upon your successes.
- Freelance Arts Collections Manager: Bring a history of experience in arts collection with you for this freelance venture. Learn more about how Freda Matassa handles this career.
- Freelance Arts Instructor: While this career may not seem unique, the places where you can establish a class can be unusual — a prisoner art program in a jail, perhaps, or an art class for a local crafts shop or toy store.
- Freelance Talent Agent: Use event-planning skills, art representative savvy and your knowledge of local music or entertainment talent to build a talent agency. Jerry Weintraub might become a role model.
- Freelance Writer: Spend time in that MA program learning honing your writing skills. It can pay off — and you don’t necessarily need to write about art. Learn more about this gig at Freelance Writing Jobs or the Association of Art Editors.
- Independent Photojournalist: Life is art, right? On the journalistic side, take a look at the guidelines published by the National Press Photographers Association to learn more about how to run this business.
- Independent Filmmaker: Film noir or documentary? If you lean towards the moving image, you can learn more about support for this career possibility at Independent Filmmakers Project (IFP) or the Independent Filmmakers Alliance (IFA).
- Self-Publishing Art: If you want to save your original pieces for a more favorable economic climate, you might think about self-publishing your prints. Try the giclee print route to see how that works for you.
- Self-Publishing Books: If you automatically thought about coffee table books, you might want to steel yourself for the expense through this article. However, you have more than one way to publish, so learn more about Kindle publishing, too.
Bricks and Mortar Enterprises
- Art Camp: Find a flailing kids’ camp or retreat and turn it into a camp for the arts. If you need ideas for this venture, try using Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp or Long Lake Arts Camp as examples.
- Art Pawnshop: In this current economic climate, pawnshops are proliferating. Why not ride the tide by opening an art pawnshop? It’s not like you’re reinventing the wheel, as Art Capital Group has paved the road.
- Art Quilt Shop: If you love textiles and art, then art quilts might appeal to you. Learn how to sew and hold classes and sell quilts at the shop and in shows.
- Art Representative: You can begin to represent other artists’ works as well as your own. Your own background and connections give you an open door to make good money in this field. Read more from How to Be an Art Dealer & Open an Art Gallery.
- Bead and Jewelry Shop: If you’re into shiny objects, this idea may appeal to you. Like The Bead Shop in New Orleans, classes, events, parties and special focuses can be your lifeblood.
- Blacksmith’s Shop: If you’re into metal work, you might try your hand at blacksmithing. Sell your work at the shop, online or at shows.
- Coffee Shop Owner: You may have lived on coffee during college…why not continue the tradition? Start a coffee shop, but modify it so that you can utilize the arts as well, like Java & Clay Cafe.
- Junk Store: A combination of camp, antique, pop and found art, a store filled with consignments and finds like those found in Junk Pirate could be fun.
- Metalsmith: Take a cue from the Metal Museum in Memphis, and create a studio where you can teach interns, produce metalwork and repair metal furniture and art.
- Rogue Art Dealer: You can ignore the previous advice and open a gallery in your apartment (make sure you’re zoned for business). Some of these underground galleries have been very successful.
Thanks Carolyn, for letting me share this information. Check out www.MasterOfArts.org for more information about Master of Arts programs and more great posts coming!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
Tips for Getting from an Art Licensing Dream to Art Licensing Dollars
Every business starts as a dream and artists making a living in art licensing are no exception.
My dream started with a phone call: “You should check out this SURTEX show – artists are showing their work to manufacturers who want to put it on products. You should do this.”
The phone call was followed with about 5 months of reasons why I wasn’t good enough… and a persistent friend who kept telling me I could. So we shared a booth at the Licensing Expo in 2004 to see what happened.
Now I work full time at licensing my art (and writing about the industry here and in eBooks).
So how did I – and how might you – turn the dream into dollars?
1. Learn about art licensing and decide if it is a fit for your art and your lifestyle. Don’t decide to do art licensing based on the dream of the huge success stories – the artists who have built multi-million dollar businesses so why can’t you too? To my way of looking at things, you should honestly consider how you will feel about the day-to-day efforts you will need to put in to get from the dream to the big bucks – and know that you might just get to getting-by bucks. If the effort to give it a shot sounds like torture, look at other options. There are many, many ways to make money with your art – find the one that sounds like the best fit for you.
Recently there was an article about the author of The Help – a novel made into a great movie recently released – and how her manuscript was rejected 61 times before she found a publisher. It’s a really inspirational story but it doesn’t mean that everyone who wants to write a best-selling novel will succeed if they send their manuscript to enough publishers. It still has to be well written, a compelling story and the author has to have a mountain of tenacity to keep on trying. Not everyone will be able to deal with the day-to-day work of writing, revising, sending things out, getting feedback, etc. And there is more day-to-day than there are success stories like this. (Read the full article here)
If you are new to the idea of art licensing, check out the FAQ page of this blog for basic information as well as the many resources for people new to the idea on the ArtLicensingInfo.com website.
2. If you get past step 1 and think this sounds like a viable option for you and that you are motivated to put in the effort, it’s time to create or organize your art for licensing. In art licensing, manufacturers usually want to see groups, or collections, of art more than stand alone pieces.
How an artist goes about creating these collections seem to fall into two categories – those who take a ‘fine art approach’ – creating painting that could be put in a frame and hung on the wall. The type of art that easily lends itself to gallery sales, for example. The other way is to start with icons and build to a scene or image digitally. Art can either be done by hand or completely digitally – there are both types of artists successfully licensing their work. Click here to read more about creating art in collections…
3. While you are creating art, it’s a good idea to be thinking about the types of products the art would be best suited for. Not many kitchen textiles feature baby art and not many school fundraising companies use wine art for products sold by children. Noticing what art is on products in stores is a great way to get your product placement juices flowing to start making a game plan of the types of companies to contact when your art is ready.
Click here to watch a video about shopping research…
4. While you are creating art, you can also be weighing the pros and cons of doing your own marketing or working with an art licensing agent. Do you enjoy both creating the art and doing the sales and follow-up or would you rather leave that to someone else? Click here to download the free questionnaire – TO USE AN AGENT OR NOT TO USE AN AGENT – this 25 question assessment will give you a better idea of what will work for you.
5. An art licensing business isn’t all about pretty pictures – it’s important to treat it like a business. Create a plan and set goals to keep you on track. Get organized. Build systems early on to organize your art (create a code system), your contacts and your follow-up.
If goal setting and staying focused is a challenge, you might want to consider my system – The Goal Wheel for Artists…
6. At some point you won’t be able to do everything yourself, so get help! When you are starting out, you can probably handle everything in order to save money. But at some point, you will be losing money by doing your book-keeping- clerical work that is taking away from your studio time when you create the art that brings in the royalties. Even before you can afford help, think about what someone else could do when you build your business to a point that can support outsourcing some of the work.
Maybe someone can help with your website, press releases, even some of the graphic design/layout work. Don’t think the artists making the big-bucks (the ones they write inspirational stories about) are doing everything themselves– they have employees helping this process along!
The best advice I can give anyone trying to turn a dream into a reality is to take some action – no matter how big or small – every day.
Here’s to your creative success – where ever you may find it!
– Tara Reed
The War of Art
No, I didn’t type that backwards and actually mean “The Art of War”… I mean The War of Art* – a fabulous book all artists should have on their nightstand. Written by Steven Pressfield, this book is an insightful, easy to read look at … The War of Art.
I bought this book about a year and a half ago when someone at a conference recommended it. It sat on a shelf in my studio, staring at me, wondering when I might actually open the pages. Then a few weeks ago I was talking with the fun and talented artist Elisabeth Bell and she asked if I’d ever read the book. I replied, “No, but it’s right here on my shelf staring at me!”
She couldn’t say enough good things about it so I finally picked up The War of Art*- you should too.
The War of Art talks all about resistance – or the inner struggle we as artists have to actually get the work done. The principles can apply to all sorts of things we are putting off or procrastinating about, but it’s written with writers and artists in mind.
The book is divided into three sections -
- Book 1: Resistance – Defining the Enemy
- Book 2: Combating Resistance – Turning Pro
- Book 3: Beyond Resistance – Higher Realm
The books are divided into short, easy to read and absorb chapters with catchy titles like “How to Be Miserable” and “Resistance Recruits Allies”. Some of the chapters are 1/2 page long – others are a whopping 3-4. I have found myself reading a few topics when I’m feeling resistance – the urge to watch tv or take a nap when I have work to be done. Or sometimes I read a bit before falling asleep – hoping to absorb the lessons in overcoming resistance.
Steven Pressfield contends that it is resistance that is keeping us from the life we want. Read it and see if you agree – I do.
I’ve been feeling a lot of resistance in different areas of my life lately – resistance to change the way I eat and exercise, resistance to stay inside and get my work done when it’s actually sunny in Portland and looks like perfect walking weather… sometimes the resistance is to go on the walk, I’d rather watch tv or talk on the phone. One of my strategies to overcome this resistance when it seems it might get the best of me is to go read a section or two of The War of Art*. It’s sometimes funny, it doesn’t sugar-coat things and it always makes sense. Most importantly, it helps me to see that I’m just experiencing a little resistance and if I don’t give in, I’ll be better off in the end.
So if you sometimes struggle to get started or make changes or stay on the right path, I highly recommend you check out this book!
Here’s to your creative – low-resistance – success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. To see more books I turn to time and again, be sure to check out the RESOURCES page on this blog.
FAQ: What kind of art works for art licensing?
I get a lot of emails from people asking me to review their art and tell them what to do. Do I think their art would work for licensing? Who would be the best agent for them to contact? What manufacturers should they work with? Is their art a fit? If so, where? Is it good enough? You get the idea.
Honestly, judging art makes me really uncomfortable.
If I worked for a manufacturer and knew what my product was, who my market was and what sells well, it would be easier. I’d have some guidelines and experience to back up my decision.
From where I sit, I’m simply uncomfortable. I create art and license it. I blog, write and teach about art licensing – the business side, how to create collections, how to figure out who to contact, things like that.
I draw the line at telling any artist that their art is or isn’t good enough.
I can tell you if you need more to really get started in licensing. I can tell you that manufacturers look for collections of art and what that means. Can I say, with certainty, that your art will or won’t work in licensing? Not always. Sometimes I see art that I love and think would be great – but then I don’t see it on products. Maybe the artist didn’t make the effort, maybe they went a different way in their desire to earn a living from their art, who knows.
Other times I will see art on products and scratch my head. I’ve been in this business long enough to know just how much amazing art is out there – why didn’t this manufacturer choose what I would consider to be “better”? The answer again is, who knows.
I believe that anyone that really wants to make a living with their art, who is willing to learn, adapt and be honest with themselves can do it. Maybe not in art licensing, but somewhere. I can assure you I’d be a big failure if I decided I wanted to make my living selling large canvas in art galleries. I’m not a fit for that market.
What I do is offer information.
I teach about how the industry works, the mindsets and skill sets you need to be in the business. Then it is up to you to decide where you fit, how you measure up, what products would be best for you, what agent might do well for you.
I know that you’d like to be able to send me, or anyone, your website link and get an email with a road map for success all drawn up for you. I’d like that too! But we each have different things we bring to the table and must chart our own course. I can help you understand the waters, but I can’t steer your ship.
I can give you a general observation about art that works well for licensing – in relation to the full spectrum of art.
If you think about art as a long line – with ultra-abstract styles of art on one end and ultra-traditional and portrait art on the other – art that will do well for licensing will fall in the middle of the spectrum. I’ve said this many times but art that will do well in licensing has to appeal to the masses. While you need one buyer for an original piece of art, a manufacturer has to believe that hundreds or thousands of people will want to buy a product with the art they choose on it. For that reason, you see less “risky” art on stuff. (That’s how I tell people what I do – “I create art for stuff you buy in the store.” )
If your art falls a bit outside the mainstream does that mean you won’t make a dime in art licensing?
Not necessarily. You might license your work for a few products but it will be harder to make licensing your art a full-time profession. It might need to be a piece of your income pie and not the whole thing. (Watch my video – How Your Art Business is Like Pie – to learn more about this concept.) The more your art is in the middle of the art style spectrum, the more success I believe you will have in licensing your art.
At the end of the day, there really is no way to know if your art is a fit until you try. I look back at the art I was creating in the beginning and don’t think it is up to par – but if I’d been told it wasn’t good enough and didn’t keep trying, I wouldn’t be here today. Far be it for me to judge!
So if you email me with links to your website, I will probably send you right back to this post.
While I chose not to make judgment calls about the quality or suitability of art, I will give you these bits of advice:
1. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you want to make a living with your art, I believe you can. I can give you information to help you decide if art licensing is that way.
2. Look at the art you see on products in stores and honestly consider how your art stacks up to the competition. Do you need to work on your technique, style or subject matter or do you simply need to learn to create in collections and start showing your work?
3. Keep reading this and other blogs about art licensing, sign up for the bi-monthly newsletter, listen to the Ask Calls, watch the videos of artists just like you talking about how they got into licensing… learn, create and see what happens!
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
FAQ: Recognizable Style or Variety of Art, Which is Better in Art Licensing?
When I was a part of the smARTist Telesummit, I got a question that I seem to answer a lot,
Is it better to have a consistent, recognizable style or can you create a variety of art and still succeed in art licensing?
I have talked with a lot of coaching clients about this decision and we’ve talked about it on Ask Calls in the past as well. While there is no right or wrong answer, I can give you my perspective and hopefully others can chime in in the comments and create a great discussion.
Personally, I believe there are many successful artists that develop and stick with a consistent style and there are those that have a bit more variety in their portfolio – where the average person wouldn’t recognize the art was created by the same person if put side by side. In the end, you have to decide what seems right for you, your business and your goals as an artist but my goal with this post, is to help artists consciously decide, and not decide by default (like I did.)
Option 1: Create a recognizable style to build your brand
If your goal is to create that name-recognized brand – like Mary Engelbreit, for example, you have to develop a strong, tight and recognizable style. People have to see it and know, “Mary Engelbreit”. Mary is known for her black and white checks, cherries, cute characters and use of quotes in her work. If she started painting landscapes, it would confuse the market. (You can see her work at www.MaryEngelbreit.com and even register for a free hour-long interview I did with Mary as part of the Art Licensing Info Ask Call Series)
Paul Brent is another great example of an artist who built his brand with consistent, recognizable art. His coastal watercolors put his art and name on the map and are the cornerstone of his brand. As his brand has evolved, he too has moved into other mediums and themes but creates new coastal art year in and year out, because that is what the market expects of Paul Brent. (Learn more about Paul Brent’s work at www.PaulBrent.com or register for a free hour-long interview I did with Paul as part of the Art Licensing Info Monthly Ask Call Series at www.AskPaulBrent.com) Paul is an advocate of artists new to the art licensing market, to create a look that is unique and makes them stand out from all the other artists in the field – hopefully he will add his insights in the comments as well.
I believe that this way of working is vital if your goal is to eventually build a strong brand that is known by consumers as well as manufacturers in the industry.
Option 2: Build your portfolio with a variety of styles
Another way to go, and the way I went by chance and not by choice, is to do a variety of themes and styles. I don’t span the entire spectrum of art from pure realism to completely abstract, but there is enough variation that not even my sister always knows my work is mine. Some of my work that is more whimsical than others and some leans a bit more traditional. It happened by chance – I would try things and see what manufacturers liked. It turns out that many of my best clients like the fact that all my art isn’t obviously from the same artist, that way they can use me more than an artist who has a tighter style.
However I believe it limits my ability to become a huge, consumer recognized brand. I enjoy the freedom to play with a variety of styles, themes and techniques and the checks cash the same so I’m happy.
I like to bring these issues up so artists can make a choice and not choose by default – as I did while “playing to see what the market liked.” My brand is becoming known within the industry – with manufacturers – but I don’t think I will ever have a Mary Engelbreit or Paul Bretn sized brand with the general public.
So it’s up to you to decide what will make you happy and keep your creative juices flowing!
I welcome your comments and opinions on this – do you agree or have anything to add?
– Tara Reed
P.S. If you want to learn more about branding, Paul Brent did an excellent teleseminar “Brand Yourself for Success in Art Licensing” – be sure to check out the replay. He knows his stuff!
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