SURTEX

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

Advice from an art licensing agent for walking a trade show

SURTEX is nearly here – I’m busy with final preparations and packing and lots of questions are flying around about etiquette for walking the show and in particular, for talking to agents.

Art licensing agent Alicia Dauber of Licensing Liaison and I are teaching the Basics of Art Licensing – Part 2 together on Sunday so I asked her for some quick tips that I could share. Here is what she had to say -

Although most agents are interested in seeing new work and meeting new artists, please keep in mind that the trade show floor is not the place to review your portfolios! Trade show expenses including the cost of a booth are extremely high and the agent has spent thousands of dollars to be there. They have to make it pay for themselves and the artist partners they represent by following up on as many appointments as they can for the artists that are currently in their stable.

It is absolutely acceptable to unobtrusively leave a business card or flyer on their table while making a note of the agent’s name for future follow up after the show. If the agent is not busy speaking to a client when you walk by, a quick hello and that you would like to email him or her about your work after the show is completed is fine.

Have fun!! Wear comfortable shoes, enjoy the show and the education about the industry that it brings you while being appropriate and considerate of those who have paid to be there to work. And BEST wishes to you in your search for an agent!

This advice is great in regards to artists as well. I love meeting people who read this blog, listen to the Ask Calls and more but it can be overwhelming to try and juggle meeting artists with the main reason I’m there – to meet manufacturers. So if you are there and I’m busy – be sure to wave and if I’m not – say hi!

Alicia and I would love to see you on Sunday in our class – click here to get all the details. You can register in advance or in New York – your choice!

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara Reed

Check out the Trend Theater at SURTEX – free to exhibitors and attendees!

It’s new, it’s trends and it’s free! (Yes, you read that right – free!) Paul Brent wanted to make sure everyone knew about this program and when he says “you should blog about this” – I blog about it!

From the SURTEX website – here are the details:

What is it? It’s a unique theatre where you can gain insight and inspiration from world-renowned trend forecasting companies! Daily presentations will focus on the latest trends impacting industries as diverse as home and accessories, textiles, tabletop, fashion, paper, stationery, packaging and gifts, through fabulous imagery and insider commentary.

When? Thirty-minute presentations are scheduled throughout every single Show day – starting at 9:30am and ending at 5:30 (Tuesday sessions will end at 4:00pm). See schedule.

Who? A total of nine companies will be represented, and share their perspectives of what’s ahead in color, design, styles, attitudes and lifestyles. See and hear the visions of Edelkoort, Inc., Trendease International, Milou Ket, Stylesight, Trend House, Inc., Carlin International, LA Colors from Amsterdam, Mudpie, and Jo-An Jenkin’s TrendPulse.

So, if you will be at the show, be sure to check it out.

Won’t be attending or want more about trends after SURTEX?

Paul Brent will be doing his third annual SURTEX Show Recap / trend report on the Art Licensing Info Ask Call on Wednesday, May 30th. Get all the details and submit your questions at www.AskPaulBrent.com

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara Reed

I feel a nap coming on…

With SURTEX starting less than 2 weeks away, I’m in a little bit of a panic. It happens every year – I feel like it’s crunch time… what else can I get done? Can I do one more collection? Two? Will my last minute creations be the one that is the big hit at the show? Should I work a few more hours and sleep less?

I was very happy to find this short TED talk that tells me no – my desire and habit of getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night is the key to my success. Sleep is good – sleep deprivation and all nighters shouldn’t be a badge of honor. (I’ve always thought this and feel quite validated today!)

Go here and take a look – it’s only 3 minutes – then join me in my efforts to “sleep my way to the top”.

Here’s to your creative – and well rested – 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

SURTEX – how some artists get their booth together

The SURTEX art licensing trade show is right around the corner and I’ve been getting questions about how artists decide what to do with their booth and how the process works. I thought I’d share a few videos so you can see first hand…

Cathy Heck and her daughters did a cute video of their set-up process from 2011 – what a gorgeous display they created! There was shipping of materials involved and some waiting around for crates to pack up at the end, but again, a great booth that really captured the feel of her art and brand.

You can read more about their show experience on her blog at http://www.cathyhecknurseryart.com/blog/2011/05/surtex-scrapbook-2011-part-1-sunshine-on-3-rainy-days/

My process is a little different because I try to keep shipping to a minimum and bring my booth with me. I sometimes ship a few things ahead to my hotel but it all rolls into the building with me and I don’t have to wait to tear down and head out at the end of the show. Here’s my blank canvas to finished booth from 2010.

Finally – check out this 11 minute video that talks about the show and gives a trend tease that was created last year by the SURTEX show itself.

Hopefully that gives you a little more of a feel for the show and the process. If you will be in New York in May and want to learn more, SURTEX has a great conference program where you can learn from a variety of industry experts over the 3 day period. I’ll be teach the Basics of Art Licensing part 2 on Sunday with agent Alicia Dauber of Licensing Liason – maybe I’ll see you there! Check out the class options…

Back to getting my booth and art ready – it will be here before I know it!

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara Reed

Another great Art Licensing Info Ask Call last night…

We had over 100 artists on the line last night – hope you were able to join us! We covered lots of great information, tweeted, Facebooked and had a great time! Thanks to artists like you who submit questions and the experts who join me – this is a valuable resource for learning about art licensing. The replay is now available for purchase – $20 thru March 31st – a great deal for an hour of education and your purchase helps offset the cost and time involved and helps me pay Maria for her time to help. (Thank you again Maria!)

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!

Five Key Ingredients for an Effective Press Kit

There are lots of reasons to create a press kit – I’m working on what I plan to take to SURTEX in May. You might be trying to get the attention of a magazine (or three) that you feel would be great publicity to help you reach your WHO. (Your WHO being the consumers that will buy your products or the manufacturers who will license you art, etc.)

Press kits can be very stressful for many people because they aren’t sure what to include. Are their standard formats for these things? Yes to some pieces – like a press release, not as much to the overall presentation.

Here are 5 things to include in a press kit:

Contact information! Don’t overlook putting your business card in the press kit. You want them to find you if they decide they want to do a cover story about you and your art, right?
Press Releases. If you have done any press releases that would be relevant to the press at the trade show, be sure to include them. Speaking of Press Releases, make sure you are giving good information for a reader and not just talking about yourself. You are more likely to be included in an article, etc. if you give tips that people can use (like “5 things to include in a press kit”) vs. tooting your own horn (like “I’m really great at making pretty press kits”) — see the difference?
Company Fact Sheet. Now that I told you not to toot your own horn, that doesn’t mean you don’t include some basics. Who are you? What is your story? What do you do? Are you an award winning artist? Put it here. Supporting charity? Write it down. New in business or going at it for 20 years? This is the place.
Promotional Materials. Do you have postcards, brochures or flyers that show / describe your art or products? That should be in there! Like everyone, press people are busy people. And they have a LOT of press kit choices to look at… I had the pleasure of getting in the press room when I worked with Simple Scrapbooks™ magazine, trust me, it can be overwhelming. The person needs to “get” who you are and what you do at a glance… what can you include that will catch their attention and make them want to learn more? That is the key to a successful press kit!
Presentation. How you present your press kit is as important as what is in it. As I said in #4, I’ve been the press person and walked the press room. Usually they have racks and racks of press kits, some are in folders, some are tied with bows, some are really ornate. (How creative the kits are depends a lot on the industry.) So you need SOMETHING on the outside to make someone stop and say, “Cool! What is this about?” Maybe it’s a catchy headline, or a captivating image. I’ve seen press kits in pocket folders, envelopes, even pizza boxes. I caution you against doing something too big (they may not find a spot for it) or too small (people may not notice it).

Here are some other resources for more nitty-gritty information about Press Kits and Press Releases:

http://www.glmshows.com/press/guidetopr.htm

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/constructing-a-press-kit.html

http://advertising.about.com/od/publicrelationsresources/a/fivepresskits.htm

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneursstartupsmagazine/2001/december/46660.html

And don’t forget about my new eBook – How to Be a Press Friendly Artist – that includes not only press kits but press releases, website additions and more. Check it out at www.PressFriendlyArtist.com

May the press be with you!

– Tara Reed

Trade Show Printing Tips

With SURTEX and the Licensing Expo coming up, many artists are wondering and comparing notes about how to set up a booth, what to print and where to print. Here are a few suggestions – if you have others to share, by all means, leave them in the comments!

Option: Print your art at home.

The first few trade shows I did I printed all of my art at home on a large format printer (largest paper size: 13″ x 19″) I then hung many images in my booth to create the look I wanted.

Option: Have larger banners printed.

About 3 or 4 years ago (can’t remember!) I changed to the banner method. It is much faster to hang 8 banners than print & trim lots of smaller images at home and then get them all lined up and hung in my booth.

So where do you get banners printed? There are many, many options – simply head to Google and type in “trade show banners” and you will have more choices than you will want to investigate.

Personally, I’ve used UPrinting.com for vinyl banners in the past. Other artists have recommended HalfPriceBanners.com.

Last year I changed to Office Depot – I have my banners printed on glossy paper and the color comes out great. I do go in sounding a bit high-maintenance asking them not to use rubber bands (they did that last year and it ripped the bottom of 2 of the banners) and this year I had to add, “please don’t use paper clips” as it scratched the color. I ask them to roll up the banners and wrap recycled paper around them and tape it – that way the sides and ends don’t get messed up. As you can probably guess, these paper banners are more delicate than vinyl but they also weigh less for transport or shipping and show the colors more vibrantly.

For more ideas and information about booth design, check out these resources:

Post by John Chester of Wild Apple on the SURTEX blog

Photo Gallery from the 2011 SURTEX show

Look around the Licensing Expo website at pictures

Find even more trade show prep resources at www.ArtLicensingInfo.com/shows.html

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara Reed

SURTEX to-do’s for exhibiting artists

It’s that time of year again… my checklist of art I want to get done “before SURTEX”, the marketing materials to create and distribute “before SURTEX”, what I want to have prepared “for my booth at SURTEX”… so, so much to do!

The most immediate thing to do if you are exhibiting at SURTEX is to make sure you send the payment for your booth that is due on 2/28. (Friendly reminder – it will sneak up on you – I promise!)

Be sure to look at and act on the many free publicity opportunities offered by the show – don’t delete those “Up to the minute Exhibitor Bulletins”.

If you haven’t booked your hotel, head to the website and check out the deals they have negotiated for us.

Take advantage of the exhibitor webinars – if you are a first-time exhibitor the next one is “How to Get Started in Art Licensing” (by moi) on Wednesday, February 22 at 9 am Pacific / noon Eastern (and everything in between) Look at the website for additional dates and topics. (for registered exhibitors only)

If you need help getting your ducks in a row to exhibit, be sure to check out the variety of resources available at ArtLicensingInfo.com/shows.html – learn from my experience and that of Khristian Howell so you can get the best bang for your SURTEX buck! (This will help you if you are going to exhibit at the Licensing Expo too of course!)

Here’s to your creative success – off to mail my check – see you in May!

– Tara Reed

P.S. 2012 will be the 8th year I’ve exhibited at the SURTEX show and the 2nd year they have been a sponsor of the Art Licensing Blog. If you are ready to try exhibiting at a trade show – check it out and see if it’s for you!