Submit your questions for the next Ask Call with Paul Brent by Thursday, 5/24
Really. By Thursday. Not the day before please!
I don’t mean to whine, really I don’t, but this is becoming a frustrating trend. We give lots of advance notice of these calls – they are every other month – and we tweet, and Facebook, and add reminders to the newsletter. “What do you want to know?” Yes, we get some questions – but I have to say I’m beginning to get as many in the day or two before the call as we get for the whole call. And that’s too late! We need time to review our question options, prepare good answers, etc. etc.
SO… PLEASE submit your questions by the deadline so I don’t want to pull my hair out, OK?
The next call is on Wednesday, May 30th – 5:30 pm Pacific / 8:30 pm Eastern and everything in between. Paul Brent will be doing his third annual SURTEX Show Recap / Trend Report AND answering some questions… (that’s where you come in…)
Head to www.AskPaulBrent.com and give us some great options – the whole community will be the better for it. 
Here’s to your creative success -
– Tara Reed
Can You Handle the Truth About Art Licensing?
Fair warning: there is a little tough love in this post. If you aren’t in the mood, stop reading.
Oh the movies of my youth… or early adulthood as is the case with A Few Good Men. Crazy thing happened… as I sat down to find a video to share, this scene popped in my head and seemed fitting. I found the clip on YouTube and turned the volume on on my computer (I don’t like it making noise normally – one of my quirks!). Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson start talking and my son yells in from the other room – “hey! I’m just about to turn that on – it’s coming on tv.” How’s that for synchronicity?
He asked why I was watching it and I told him it was for a blog post. So here it is…
I’ve been getting quite a few questions in my inbox lately… and I’m sorry but especially this time of year, right before SURTEX, I can’t answer them all. I wish you would put your questions into the hat for the next Ask Call – you can always see what’s coming up at www.AskAboutArtLicensing.com… but that’s a side point. Anyway, back to the questions.
There are many artists upset about the cost of trade shows. Upset that it isn’t quick and easy to connect with manufacturers and start making big money over night… I’m a little upset that there seem to be so many people who think this should be free and easy. So this video clip came to mind – Jack Nicholson thinks the military and civilians can’t handle the truth and I’m beginning to wonder if the average artist can handle the truth about what it takes to make it in art licensing.
Can you handle the truth about art licensing? You have to invest in yourself and your business to make it in this industry.
Did you know that if you want to own a McDonald’s you have to have at least $500,000 in personal assets to even be considered? Want to make donuts? You need $250,000 liquid assets and a net worth of at least $500,000 for Dunkin’ Donuts to consider you. I could go on but you get the idea… it costs money to start a business and these examples should make art licensing look dirt cheap!
Trade Shows – yup! They cost money. And they cost more than a few hundred dollars. Exhibiting at a trade show is an investment in your business – you should be ready to exhibit before writing the check but if you feel that you are, you need to invest in yourself and see what happens and not email me complaining about the costs. I have been writing my checks, I’ve been learning my lessons… just like everyone else. It’s a process – some will succeed, others won’t. It’s up to you to figure out if you can make it happen.
Software – again, yup! Costs money. Artists who are working in this industry have commercial software. I don’t know of any that are making a living with Photoshop Elements – artists in business are using the Creative Suite version. Or Illustrator – those are the two most common programs and I would say they are standards that manufacturers expect.
Website – you need to be online. Thankfully this is a smaller dollar item – register a domain, use a blog, you can usually have an online presence for $100-200 per year and you can get creative there too.
Art Supplies – whatever you use to create you need to get somehow. I don’t know of any Art Banks, like Food Banks, so you will need to spend money on your art supplies.
I think I’ve more than made my point. This is a business and you need to treat it as such. It is so discouraging to see and hear artists unwilling to invest in themselves and see if they can make it with their creativity. Instead they complain and want everything to be free. Sorry – it’s not.
A few other “truths” while I’m on a roll…
• It isn’t fast money. Even if you get a deal shortly after you look into licensing, it takes time before you see the money come in.
• It is competitive. There are a lot of artists trying to license their art. More people know and are talking about, more artists are being displaced from other jobs and giving this a shot (I know of more than a handful who previously worked for manufacturers but are now on the artist side of the business)… you have to bring your A-Game as my dad likes to say.
• Not everyone will be successful. Just because your friends like your art doesn’t mean it’s a fit for licensing. (And, by the way, NEVER say that to an agent or manufacturer – it makes a less-than-flattering first impression) Art for licensing is art for commercial purposes – will it help sell products and is it as good as or better than the rest of the choices the manufacturers have? (Go back a point if you missed it – it is competitive.)
• Only you can decide if you want to take action. You can talk about it for years. You can get tons of opinions. But in the end, until you show your art to someone who can license it and see what feedback you get, you just won’t know. No one is going to do it for you.
• This is hard work. and long work… and lonely work. Most of us work alone in our homes. The internet has made it a lot easier to connect with others and feel a sense of community but overall – you are on your own. It’s up to you to motivate and get the work done…
Now, I’m going to go back to preparing for SURTEX…
A show for which I will be flying across the country, staying in a hotel in Manhattan, bringing products and art and my iPads for my booth which I am paying for. I invest in this show every spring because it is a key component in building my business.
If you are going too – see you soon! If you are exhibiting – may you meet great companies that are a good fit for your art. If you are taking classes – I’ll be teaching The Basics of Art Licensing – Part 2 with agent Alicia Dauber of Licensing Liaison on Sunday so maybe I’ll see you there.
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
Art Licensing Ask Call replay sale price ends Saturday, March 31
Get it while it’s at its lowest price… The Art Licensing Info Ask Call replay – with me & Maria Brophy is on sale for only $20 through this Saturday, March 31st. If you don’t have a copy yet – here is what we talked about in the hour long mp3 audio replay:
What we covered on the call…
- Did you have a substantial body of work already created and ready to go before you started trying to license your work or did you create designs as you went along?
- If I sign a exclusive deal with a greeting card company for my photographs can I sell the same image to another company for a different product?
- Besides the general questions how about some of the nitty-gritty, like besides the art image, what other information do you include in your portfolio?
- Being self employed and/or working from home how do you separate work from home? How do you get things accomplished without a boss to answer to?
- Is it ever ”too early” to go after the ”big whale”? Should relatively unknown artists go after the bigger brands?
- How can a new artist best take advantage of walking a trade show like Surtex, when they are not an exhibitor?
- Is it necessary to go to the trade shows to get started, or is contacting licensees on your own a viable way of working?
- Where do you get contracts from when you are starting and how/when are changes made, if any?
- I am not interested in licensing my designs to products that will be produced in China. This is a big moral dilemma for me. How much will I be ”shooting myself in the foot” if I stay true to that?
Remember – the replay is on sale for $20 thru Saturday, March 31st so grab your copy at the discounted price now!
Resources we mentioned on the call…
I recommended a book – Strengths Finder 2.0 – more about it on the blog next week. Click here* if you want to check it out now… http://amzn.to/GGtDuN
Maria mentioned a blog post she wrote, Our Biggest Mistake Ever – As an Artist, and why she doesn’t think it’s the best idea for artists to become manufacturers. Read it here >> http://mariabrophy.com/business-of-art/our-biggest-mistake-ever-as-an-artist.html
We also talked a lot about contracts and mentioned the eBook Maria & I co-authored – How to Understand Art Licensing Contracts. We are both very proud of this book and have received great feedback – check it out >> ArtLicensingInfo.com/contracts.html
What’s Up Next…
The next call is with Paul Brent on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 and will be his third SURTEX Recap and question call. He does an amazing job summing up his impressions of the show, the industry and trends the week after the SURTEX show – be sure to join us! He will also answer some questions so submit them at www.AskPaulBrent.com when you are ready!
The Art Licensing Ask Call is tomorrow – will you join us?
Maria Brophy and I will be doing our third Ask Call together tomorrow night – the feedback from past calls where we both give our unique perspectives on questions submitted by artists like you has been great. We love doing the calls together so we sure hope you join us!
If you have signed up for an Ask Call before, you should receive or have received an email reminding you of all the dial-in details. If not, head to www.AskTaraReed.com to get signed up and get the numbers. We start promptly at 5:30 pm Pacific / 7:30 pm Central / 8:30 pm Eastern.
We hope you can join us tomorrow! If you can’t, the audio replay will be available for purchase – watch your email or the blog to see when it is ready.
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
Go ahead… ask us anything!
It’s that time again… we are collecting your questions for the next Art Licensing Info Ask Call, so what do you want to know?
The next call is Wednesday, March 21, 2012 with Maria Brophy and myself. Head to www.AskTaraReed.com when you are ready to throw your question in the pot.
If you are new to this concept, we do live teleseminars every other month where an expert in the art licensing industry answers questions submitted by artists like you. The calls are always free if you listen live (you just call in and soak up the knowledge!). Some audio replays are free (the first call with any expert is always available for free) and others are available for a fee. (The minimal fee for the hour long replay helps offset the time and expenses involved in coordinating these calls as well as compensate the experts in a small way for their willingness to share.)
Go to www.AskAboutArtLicensing.com to stay up to date on upcoming calls and get access to the hours of free replays. To see all the calls (free or otherwise) head to www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/audio-archives.html
We hope you join us and we hope you submit a question – without your input these calls won’t be possible.
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
What a great Art Licensing Ask Call with Attorney Kyle-Beth Hilfer!
It’s been a while since we had a legal expert on the line – I hope you were able to dial in and learn lots! Attorney Kyle-Beth Hilfer has lots of experience in art licensing and general intellectual property law – of course her answers are not to be construed as legal counsel just food for thought. (Disclaimers are very important! If you have a specific issue, contact her or the attorney of your choice!)
What we covered on the call…
• How to find and how to handle copyright infringements online
• Do manufacturers shy away from artists with an attorney and contracts?
• From a legal standpoint, how close is too close to another person’s work?
• Can I use purchased products in art and then license it? (rubber stamps, doilies, papers, etc)
• Which is more important trademark or copyright?
• How much should you allow licensees to manipulate your artwork and who should own the new versions of the work?
• What are your thoughts on exclusive license agreements?
• What can artist do to provide the most protection to his/her art?
Since this is Ms. Hilfer’s first call – the MP3 Audio replay is available for free! If you have signed up for a call before, you should have received an email with the direct link to the audio. If you haven’t, simply fill out the form below to get your copy –
Learn more about Ms. Hilfer at:
www.kbhilferlaw.com,
or follow her on Twitter @kbhilferlaw
or Linkedin at http://www.linkedin.com/in/kylebethhilfer
Learn more from Kyle-Beth Hilfer at SURTEX!
She will be teaching “Understanding Legal Basics-Contracts and Copyrights” as part of the SURTEX conference series on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 2pm. If you are exhibiting you get 2 free conference passes – maybe this should be one of them. Learn more about the classes at http://www.surtex.com/TheShow/2012ConferenceProgram/tabid/103/Default.aspx
What’s Up Next…
Maria Brophy and I (Tara Reed) will be co-hosting the next Art Licensing Info Ask Call on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. You can submit your questions at any time at www.AskTaraReed.com
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. If you are new to these calls did you know there are more than a dozen replays you can get for free? Go to http://askaboutartlicensing.com/get-free-call-replays/ and see all the experts who have shared their art licensing wisdom.
The Ask Call with Attorney Kyle-Beth Hilfer is tomorrow – will you be joining us?
We sure hope so! I’m really excited for you to get to know AttorneyKyle-Beth Hilfer. She first came on my radar in a discussion on the Art of Licensing group on LinkedIn. She also blogs occasionally about licensing. I decided it was time to bring in a new legal expert for a new perspective and we have a great call planned – we hope you take the opportunity to listen and learn!
So… if you have signed up for an Ask Call before, you should receive or have received an email reminding you of all the dial-in details. If not, head to www.AskAboutArtLicensing.com to get signed up and get the numbers. We start promptly at 5:30 pm Pacific / 7:30 pm Central / 8:30 pm Eastern.
We hope you can join us tomorrow! If you can’t, the audio replay will be available for free since this is Kyle-Beth’s first call – watch your email or the blog to see when it is ready.
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
What legal questions do you have related to your art licensing business?
The next Art Licensing Ask Call is with attorney Kyle-Beth Hilfer on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. It sounds so far away but I promise you – it is going to sneak up on us! I was talking with Kyle-Beth today and we were discussing the types of topics we’d love to cover… but as you know, it is YOUR questions that determine the content.
Here are two broad topics we thought would be relevant and interesting.
Social Media – any questions about best practices, what to do if someone is using your art or info without permission, what is considered “fair use”, etc?
How about contracts? What do you want to know about art licensing contracts – any terms have you confused, things you want to know about including or if it’s safe to exclude?
Of course if you have questions about copyright law, registration procedures, trademarks, etc. send those our way too!
When you have a great topic for the next legal Art Licensing Info Ask Call – head to www.AskAboutArtLicensing.com and send it our way!
Here’s to your creative – and legally protected – success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. Don’t forget we have a new book with LOTS of info about contracts, check out How to Understand Art Licensing Contracts
Last day to get the Ask Paul and Lana Jane Brent call at the discounted price!
I know it’s been busy since this amazing call – what with the holidays and all… so maybe you forgot to get your copy of the replay. This is a friendly reminder that today is the last day to grab your copy of the hour long mp3 audio full of great advice from two industry experts who have certainly “been there, done that” and continue to do, do, do! For $20, how can you go wrong? ORDER YOUR MP3 REPLAY NOW…
Here is what we covered on the call:
- We got to know more about how Paul Brent and his wife and business partner, Lana Jane, came to work together and how they work together effectively.
- What happens after you and your wife agree to disagree?
- Which came first – the highly successful artist or the staff? To build a lucrative business, how and when do you go beyond doing everything yourself?
- What signs let you know it was the right time to pay for hired help?
- If we don’t have a spouse to help us with our business, where can we go to find a reliable staff person?
- My biggest question is really how to get started. How do I find those clients and start getting the work?
- Where do you see the future of art licensing shows such as Surtex and Licensing Show? Do you feel that the costs justify the results in the last year or two?
- What is Paul’s process for creating a collection (from deciding on a theme, gathering reference materials and creating art with final production on mind?
- As far as branding is concerned, is it better to use your own name as your logo/business name e.g. Kit Newlin Designs, or a name that describes your design style?
- What top 3 marketing tactics have been the most successful for you?
- Have you ever had a licensing deal go sour? What are some red flags to watch for before entering into an agreement?
- When would it be wise to ask for a flat fee rather than an advance on a royalty.
- How do you adjust to losing a business partner?
ORDER YOUR MP3 REPLAY NOW…
Mark your calendar – The next Art Licensing Ask Call will be on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 with new expert Attorney Kyle-Beth Hilfer.
Kyle-Beth Hilfer has over twenty years’ experience as an intellectual property attorney, advising companies and artists on how to transform their ideas into legally protectable copyrights and trademarks. Ms. Hilfer assists in the development, use, maintenance, licensing and protection of copyrights and trademarks, and she offers strategies for exploiting intellectual property in a global marketplace. Ms. Hilfer is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School.
Ms. Hilfer is skilled at negotiating clearly drafted and effective art licensing agreements. In addition, she represents artists looking to establish a social media presence and manufacturers and retailers who wish to promote licensed art via social media.
As an arbitrator on the Intellectual Property panel for the American Arbitration Association, Ms. Hilfer is well versed in presiding over intellectual property disputes. She harnesses this expertise for her transactional clients and proactively anticipates potential business issues in developing intellectual property to help avoid litigation down the road.
Ms. Hilfer will be conducting a conference seminar at SURTEX, contributed to the new eBook – How to Understand Art Licensing Contracts – and is listed on the Attorneys page of this blog.
When you are ready with your legal questions, head to AskAboutArtLicensing.com and click the link for her call. Bookmark the page so you stay up to date on the upcoming call schedule.
Last night’s art licensing ask call was full of insights from Paul and Lana Jane Brent – replay is now available
I was very excited to help more artists learn from an art licensing power couple last night – were you on the line? Paul and Lana Jane Brent are an amazing duo – great business minds, a happily married couple and just all around great people. I have really enjoyed getting to know them over the past few years and am so glad you were able to hear their shared insights about this business. I have found their advice to be invaluable and I’m sure you will too!
* NOTE * There were some issues with Paul’s voice being a bit faint and hard to hear – whenever there are multiple people on these calls the volume tends to be an issue for at least one person. I leveled the volumes on the replay so you can hear him much better!
Here is what we covered on the call:
- We got to know more about how Paul Brent and his wife and business partner, Lana Jane, came to work together and how they work together effectively.
- What happens after you and your wife agree to disagree?
- Which came first – the highly successful artist or the staff? To build a lucrative business, how and when do you go beyond doing everything yourself?
- What signs let you know it was the right time to pay for hired help?
- If we don’t have a spouse to help us with our business, where can we go to find a reliable staff person?
- My biggest question is really how to get started. How do I find those clients and start getting the work?
- Where do you see the future of art licensing shows such as Surtex and Licensing Show? Do you feel that the costs justify the results in the last year or two?
- What is Paul’s process for creating a collection (from deciding on a theme, gathering reference materials and creating art with final production on mind?
- As far as branding is concerned, is it better to use your own name as your logo/business name e.g. Kit Newlin Designs, or a name that describes your design style?
- What top 3 marketing tactics have been the most successful for you?
- Have you ever had a licensing deal go sour? What are some red flags to watch for before entering into an agreement?
- When would it be wise to ask for a flat fee rather than an advance on a royalty.
- How do you adjust to losing a business partner?
The Audio Replay is now available for purchase. Today through 11/30, the hour long mp3 is priced at a mere $20 – compare that to the price of any live class at a trade show and you will realize what a steal it is! ORDER YOUR MP3 REPLAY NOW…
During the call Paul mentioned the Branding Teleseminar he did that is available as an audio replay. Learn all about it at www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/branding.html
Thank you for your participation, feedback and purchase of these invaluable calls. All of them help to entice experts to return for multiple calls and new experts to agree to participate.
Mark your calendar – The next Art Licensing Ask Call will be on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 with new expert Attorney Kyle-Beth Hilfer.
Kyle-Beth Hilfer has over twenty years’ experience as an intellectual property attorney, advising companies and artists on how to transform their ideas into legally protectable copyrights and trademarks. Ms. Hilfer assists in the development, use, maintenance, licensing and protection of copyrights and trademarks, and she offers strategies for exploiting intellectual property in a global marketplace. Ms. Hilfer is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School.
Ms. Hilfer is skilled at negotiating clearly drafted and effective art licensing agreements. In addition, she represents artists looking to establish a social media presence and manufacturers and retailers who wish to promote licensed art via social media.
As an arbitrator on the Intellectual Property panel for the American Arbitration Association, Ms. Hilfer is well versed in presiding over intellectual property disputes. She harnesses this expertise for her transactional clients and proactively anticipates potential business issues in developing intellectual property to help avoid litigation down the road.
Ms. Hilfer will be conducting a conference seminar at SURTEX, contributed to the new eBook – How to Understand Art Licensing Contracts – and is listed on the Attorneys page of this blog.
When you are ready with your legal questions, head to AskAboutArtLicensing.com and click the link for her call. Bookmark the page so you stay up to date on the upcoming call schedule.
Connect
Business Resources*
