Animarathon was – as always – great fun. Our new Artist’s Alley room was perfect in size and location (thanks Amanda) and we got lots of traffic this year.
It was great seeing all the new faces, and getting great ideas for buttons for next year.
Can’t wait for 2012!
This will be part of an ongoing talk about selling in an AA. I have a unique perspective in that I don’t sell traditional art. For those of you new to the blog – I create and sell buttons primarily with text or doodles on them – and I’m known more for my wit and humor than my art skills.
Despite (or because of) that, there are many tips and tricks that I’ve learned that I think hold true no matter what you’re selling. I’ve also got over 5 years behind me, and have made friends with a variety of artists along the way, and gotten feedback and tips from them as well. Hopefully some of it will be useful to you!
The absolute first rule is VISIT AN AA! This is the best way to get a good idea of what you’re getting into. Don’t hesitate to ask artists questions about selling – while they might not tell you financial details, most will talk about expenses, hours worked (both before and at the convention), tips for success and how long they’ve been selling. If you’ve never seriously considered everything that goes into SELLING while actually in an AA, then you’ll see it with new eyes. Just thinking “I bet I could make money too” and not doing the research will bite you hard.
Remember – the rules for an Artist Alley differ from place to place. Always check first with the organizer to see what restrictions there are before getting a pile of items made. Some locations also require a seller’s permit – which is a free form available from that state’s government site which outlines the rules and tax regulations for selling. Remember – even if the convention itself does not require one – income you get from convention sales should be reported each year on your taxes. Consult a professional for details. 
Now then, I’m going to jump in and presume that you’ve done the above, and already have an idea of WHAT you want to sell. Be it prints, commissions, bookmarks, stickers, tchotchkes, whatever – you already have it ready to go at least in your head.
Research – As I said above – research how an artists’ alley works in general and specifically at the convention you want to attend. Get to know what is typically desired (showing up at a sci-fi convention with nothing sci-fi will have you and your customers confused!) both in subject matter and type of product.
List out a rough estimate of costs. Hotel, gas, food, badge/table, and your merchandise for example, all need to be considered. Most conventions have a no refund policy on both the table and the badges – so don’t get caught short and have to cancel at the last minute and lose your investment.
Prep – There’s a lot that goes into just getting READY for a convention. Being unprepared is the most common downfall of any new artist. I suggest creating a checklist – both for prep work and packing – and revising it as needed every time you go.
Merch Prep: Don’t underestimate how much time it takes to get things done. Whatever you’re selling, it takes time to get it all together and ready for sale. If you’re doing prints – leave time to have them printed and make sure every one looks good. If you’re hand making an item – how long does it take per item? How many do you think you’ll need?
Money Prep: You’ll need to bring some for change – and it’s hard to bring too much change! I’ve had customers come up with a $50 for a $1 item. Don’t get caught short. Go to the bank, they can give you set bundles of cash ($50 in ones for example) easily. Write down how much you have with you, so you can figure out how much you made at the end of the day. Make sure you have a secure place to put your money too. A locking money box is best, and keep it out of sight.
Inventory - Always keep an accurate inventory of your product(s). This will be especially important if you plan on selling more than once a year. It helps you gauge your sales without having to keep a detailed receipt book at the table, and quickly lets you see what was most or least popular. Do a full inventory before you leave, and after you come home.
Don’t be afraid to sell out! By that, I mean don’t print/draw/make so many of each item that you put yourself short on cash your first convention. It’s hard for even veterans to know what will sell the best, and a first timer can easily go overboard and bring way more than they need. If you completely sell out of something – be happy!
That said, try not to take so little that you’ve got nothing to sell after the first hour. Get an idea of how many people attend the convention you’re going to, and plan accordingly. If possible, bring materials to make more over the weekend, or take note of local print shops.
Pricing - Make sure you come prepared with an idea of what you want to price your items, but be flexible. Have some kind of sign available (and extra paper to make a new one) clearly showing your pricing for each type of item, and you may even want to put prices right on the items when possible. If after arriving you find that you’re priced too high or low, make a new sign. Don’t cross out and write in a new price, as this makes it look like you’re not confident in your art.
Showmanship - Half of the challenge is just getting people to stop and LOOK at your art. Having a nicely laid out table goes a long way in this.
Bring a tablecloth of some sort, so that your booth has a splash of color against everyone else. Sometimes the tables don’t even have a covering, so this can be a requirement more than a nicety.
Display your artwork as much as possible. A single binder on the table to flip through is nice, but if you can have multiple examples out in the open it increases the odds that someone will see a character that appeals to them. Most places are ok with having some sort of upward structure for holding prints / objects, something I’ll discuss in my next post.
It’s also a good idea to do a “test run” – mark out a similar sized space and decide how you want everything to fit / be laid out. Ask for opinions from friends and family.
Up next: Setting up! Getting your stuff there, and displayed.
It’s springtime and that means we’re gearing up for the start of our convention season.
Our first stop is Animarathon. It’s a one day con located on campus of Bowling Green State University.
Don’t let the short timeline fool you – they have a lot to offer in that one day:
Animarathon features multiple anime screening rooms, informational panels, video game competitions, dealers, artists,cosplay, and more! Admission is free and is open to the public.
You should stop by if you’re in the area.
Look no further than Lenshero.com!
One of the biggest questions I see on the camera boards I frequent is “What lens should I buy?”. Of course there are a ton of follow up questions that are needed to figure that out – and you end up with a 5 page thread with all kinds of answers and invariably 5 more people jumping in to ask the same thing.
So Snapsort (a very nice site for comparing cameras if you’re shopping around for one of those) decided to create an easy to use website that would help you answer that question AND give you all the tools you need to decide the right answer for YOU.
You start out by typing in your camera model – which automatically starts showing you matching results so you’re assured you’re getting the right one.
Next you select your budget via a nifty sliding scale (and no, there’s no Free option).
Finally you choose what type of lens you’re going for – do you need something for low light? - are you looking to shoot landscapes? – do you have a certain length of zoom lens in mind? – it’s all there. Even an option to just show you everything for your camera in your budget.
Once at your list of suggestions – you can easily adjust your search options and select the lens that looks right for you. You’re then given a one page list of information about that lens – including reviews, an ad-listed price (but the site is comfortably devoid of ads otherwise), comparisons, specifications, and pretty much anything you would need to make an informed decision before buying.
All in all, I would happily direct anyone here (especially those new to the DSLR world) when mulling over a new piece of glass, and quickly added it to my own bookmarks for the next time my wallet needs emptying.
The rave photos are now available for viewing and purchase on my site:
http://photos.disjointedimages.com/Events/Youmacon-2010/
If you got your photo taken for a cosplay button, and would like to reorder, those will be up soon.
Youmacon has come and gone – and as always we had a great time. This was the first year it was in Detroit – being at the RenCen/Marriott and also the first year we decided to stay in the hotel. Normally we just commute, being a local con for us, but Detroit was far enough that we felt it would be more beneficial to stay.
While overall we had a great time – lots of new customers, cosplay buttons, a great rave, and good sales – I do have some serious concerns / comments / suggestions that I hope will be seriously considered by staff for next year.
Let me preface everything by saying that I currently staff for one of the largest conventions and Artist Alley’s in North America. While there are definite differences in how a convention is run depending on its size, I want it known, that I am coming from the perspective of not only an attendee and artist, but someone who knows firsthand the logistics of registration and AA DH needs for a large scale convention.
That said – below are my observations and comments on this year’s convention.
Registration - WHY was there a 3+ hour line for Pre-Reg badge pickup? Because there was a SINGLE staffer handing out the badges. Furthermore, WHY did the check-in desk for AA not have the artist’s badges separated to hand out. I declined to even bother getting my badge until Saturday because of this.
AA - I felt that the interior 2 rows of tables would have been better suited going along the wall along the second half of the alley down past the Ballroom. Having four rows of tables in the small first half of the space was far too cramped given that the alley was also a major thoroughfare to get around the circle to the other events. This led to a lot of problems of getting clogged when someone was stopped at both sides and someone else needed to get through. Just not enough space to have both.
Additionally, when events for the main ballroom on that level lined up, it backed up around into the alley, blocking an entire line of tables. Again, moving the center 2 rows would have allowed for somewhere for the line to be without interfering.
The lighting was very bad. Once the sun had gone past the skylight, my table was in near darkness. All they have are enough pot lights and underlights to keep you from tripping when walking through the hotel. It obviously was not designed with the intention of having someone set up in those areas. If we are there next year, I will have to invest in some standing studio lights (which I noticed one table luckily had brought and even needed DURING daylight hours).
Food - AWFUL handling of the food situation. There WAS a food court, yes, but half of them closed at FOUR on both Friday and Saturday and did NOT EVEN OPEN on Sundays. Did the hotel notify those vendors of the LARGE convention that would be there and suggest later hours? Did staff suggest it? Beyond the food court, a google search (thanks to entirely NO information in the programming guide of where to eat) showed that there were NO places to order delivery from. The closest locations it came up with were for Canada….
The website explained there would be no con-suite based on hotel restrictions, but it did not have any listing of what WAS available either. Not even a link to the RenCen website with a food directory.
Even staff was at a loss of where to eat, at one point I had security members come over and ask where I’d gotten my pizza from. I kindly offered them the menu (it was a Pizzapapalis – and on a side note, that was a pain to deal with as the driver didn’t seem to deliver to the hotel often. They also refused to bring it IN, as there is no where for them to park, so you have to meet them in the valet/motor lobby, which was so hard to find that the driver had left and had to be called back.) for which they were grateful.
Maps - Badly designed, unclear, and in no way could you figure out where you were and how to get where you were going. That goes for both the guide and the maps the hotel had up. There was never a “you are here” icon so you could sort out a direction. Everything was poorly labeled in the guide, and there was constant confusion over what had or hadn’t been moved. The alley itself was only shown in the first quarter of the circle, and not the second section, and whether that was because that was added after printing I’m not sure, but I felt some sort of insert could have been included then to assist with changes.
Layout - In general, the layout was very difficult to deal with. There were no good open spaces for photos for more than a single cosplayer in the general hotel space. There seemed to be no one in charge / available to make sure that traffic kept moving where it should. I frequently had to put on my “staff voice” and tell people to please keep to the walls/outside area. Sometime around 9 in the evening, hotel staff started trying to prevent you from accessing the lower levels, further constricting the space people could be in, and making the effective room we had (and part of the reason to be at this hotel) null.
The elevators (an admittedly difficult thing at ALL conventions) were nearly impossible to navigate. For an artist with several boxes/carts of items that need to be taken up to the room, we couldn’t just cram on to the first elevator with an opening. We had to wait for one at least half full – and that was a minimum of 30 minutes every time. For a hotel with 70 some floors, it’s ridiculous that 12 elevators should be tied up so long.
Beyond that, for those that could have taken the stairs, there WEREN’T any. The escalators only served the first few levels, and those were far too narrow for more than a street-clothed person. The stairwells were locked fire exits only, and the hotel enforced that by kicking out anyone who used them. Now, I am not suggesting that any fire codes be violated, merely pointing out the lack of options the facility had for moving people from one location to another.
Trash - I’ve touched on this in previous posts – and again, a failing at this convention was a lack of suitable trash receptacles. AA didn’t have a single trash can. Folks had to wait for hotel staff to come through with one (which wasn’t frequent enough) or try and cram it in the bathroom garbage (which isn’t suited for smell inducing foodstuff to begin with). In general I didn’t see any public garbage cans set out for the congoers to be able to dispose of their trash. It’s amazing the hotel wasn’t more destroyed than it was by Sunday with litter.
That said – AA people, you really need to clean up after yourselves more. There were signs still taped to the tablecloths and trash left underneath the tables. You really couldn’t have taken a few minutes to dispose of it? Or at least compact it and leave it on top to make it easier on staff to toss? “It’s their job to clean” should be a benefit, not an excuse.
Deep breath… ok. I think that covers everything. Now, please don’t think that I’m saying Youma is doomed, and should just quit. Or even that we HAVE to find another hotel for next year. It can be made to work, I think.
I also fully intend to be one of the first to sign up and come back next year. I love Youmacon, and want it to succeed, which is all the more reason to write this post, and send it to staff. If these things aren’t shared, and corrected each year, then Youma WILL have problems eventually. I’ve watched enough conventions fold for lesser reasons.
I have the benefit of sitting rather invisibly at my table in AA and overhearing all the passing conversations. It is human nature that one will complain before praise, and I certainly overheard plenty of griping. It is also a fact that many won’t actually complain to the people that could fix it, for whatever reason, but will gladly tell all of their friends. I don’t want that. I don’t want assumptions and one-time problems to become what’s considered “standard operation” for Youmacon. I also don’t want everyone thinking Youma was perfect this year, and have everything glossed over, only for next year to see the problems compounded by an ever expanding attendee base. Fix the things that come up right away, or else they only get worse.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who makes the convention happen every year. It is HARD work, long hours, and all ENTIRELY VOLUNTEER, for those who don’t know better. Staff – I will happily discuss anything in detail privately, if you’d like to email me. I’m always willing to share the things I’ve learned, and know that I could not run a perfect convention, but if everyone can pool their knowledge, we can get damned close. 
Anime Detroit has come and gone – and all in all it was a good weekend. I saw a lot of new faces which is good. It means there’s more support for a convention in the area as long as the word is getting out well enough. If I don’t see anyone new in an AA it doesn’t bode well for the next year (and that goes for places with one or multiple conventions.)
While attendance was low – and Friday was skewed due to the free admission – I think with the right nurturing it could become a good alternate convention. I’d like to see them branch out a bit more to stand out against Youmacon, rather than being two of the same. Perhaps what Reactor was supposed to be? I really enjoyed the first 2 years at Reactor (before it became frat-con) and was disappointed it didn’t continue as it was conceived.
I was particularly pleased with how much the staff wanted input from the Artist’s on how to change/improve for next year. They recognized and admitted faults and were genuinely open to criticism and comments.
I do believe we’ll be keeping an eye out for next year’s dates and making plans to attend again.
Still with me after the mini rant in Part 1? Good! 
For part 2 I’d like to go over some of the things that AA staff can do (or has done in the past that stuck with me) to really make the experience that much greater for the artists.
Registration and check-in – Let me register everything together – badge(s) and table(s). Preferably there should be a package deal so I am not forced to register early for badges before knowing if I have a table. Unfortunately I cannot go to nearly as many conventions if I’m not selling, and having to get locked into a badge ahead of time is a turnoff.
Check-in should be the day before if at all possible. Otherwise, at least an hour or two before opening so I have time to settle and set up before it opens to the public. I actually prefer assigned seating to first come. There’s nothing worse than having to elbow someone out of the way, or make someone move after they’re set up because of an electrical outlet placement. Get your tables laid out, and make sure everyone’s needs are accommodated. Very few alley’s do not assign anymore, as it is more trouble to deal with fallout. Be firm! A layout has more benefit to everyone.
Layout, layout, layout – No matter how long or short the convention, eventually your butt starts to go numb and you start feeling claustrophobic. Artists are there to be AT our table to sell our art, and if you make sure there is enough space between the table and the wall and a gap between every 2-3 tables for someone to get out for the occasional potty/water/food break it makes life so much better. Believe it or not, this has been overlooked at some cons.
Speaking of…
Water/Food – Not all conventions have the luxury of staff to do so but man do I appreciate when someone is able to come by and offer to do a “food run”. Bottles of water, the generic cheese pizza (ie a bunch were ordered and someone brings some by the AA). At the very least – making it well known where the drinking fountains/closest food or snacks/restrooms are in relation to the Alley is awesome.
Advertising – Many folks have some sort of website these days, whether it’s a deviant art account, a full website setup, or just facebook/flickr/twitter. Listing prominently on the convention site who is coming and how to find out about them before hand (or get in touch after) makes a really big difference. It increases the odds for commissions (and allows for the potential of more commissions than you could do at the con), generally gets people interested in the AA, and gives an easy way to follow up if there’s any problems/praise afterwords.
Trash – No, don’t give me trash, give me a place to put it. Easily accessible, frequently monitored/emptied, and enough to accommodate the number of people in AA and attendees passing through.
Attention – Come acknowledge me! Please take a minute to come by and introduce yourself – odds are I’ve only talked to you online and sometimes not even that (most cons have just a form and never need to talk one on one with the DH) and I’d love if you stopped by, said hello, and made sure things are going well. It shows you’re paying attention to the Alley, the people in it, and are truly open to feedback…
Feedback! - Paper survey, online forum post, anonymous form – give me some way to give all my criticism and happy thoughts.
10 days!
Come see us at Anime Detroit from Aug 13-15 at The MET of Troy hotel in Troy, MI.
We’ll be in the Artist’s Alley all weekend selling our unique and custom made buttons, along with a running display of Mahjong House.
If you would like to preorder any buttons – please contact me.
Since I’ve been doing AA’s for, goodness, 7+ years now, I thought I’d share a few observations -
These are some of the things that I, as an artist and “business person”, have … wait. I need to cover something first. I frequently hear that if you’re in AA you shouldn’t be running a business because that’s what the Dealer’s Room is for. This is a lame argument from people who aren’t getting enough traffic/revenue/positive feedback at their table. That’s my opinion. Deal.
Artist’s Alley exists to PROMOTE and ELEVATE the artist and their work. Presumably, most artists would eventually like to get somewhere with that – be it independently published or tapped to do artwork for a major studio. To get to that point (and notice I said “most” artists – it’s fine if you’re doing this just because you like to draw and have no greater goals) you need to set up a serious business model.
Your art needs to be presented well. You need to have a good solid pricing structure. You need business cards, a web presence for your portfolio, proper tracking of profit and overhead, a name and preferably a good logo. You need to BE professional to BECOME a professional.
Dirk Tiede is a great example of this (plus he’s just a nice guy with a very cool web comic) – his table is very nicely put together – he’s got a clear, easy to navigate website – and he’s on book 3 in his storyline. His books are not through a major retailer – he generates the money needed for a printing by presales. If he were forced into a dealer’s booth, even at the lowest tier, I don’t think he’d manage nearly so many appearances – budget just would not permit.
Sadly, that would mean I wouldn’t have met him, and likely wouldn’t have found his comic let alone own all three books. (I’m a fan, but in no way getting compensated for this little promotion. In fact, I doubt he knows I HAVE a blog. )
He is first and foremost an ARTIST. An artist that is doing well, and rightly so. However, his stuff would be largely overlooked and overwhelmed by the dealer’s booths with their 10 foot tall mobile store fronts. He is and should be in AA when he goes to conventions.
Now, someone who is employed and represented by a company like VIZ, would most likely have their booth costs absorbed by the company as promotional budget. They are often in the Dealer’s Room (if they personally have a booth at all) because they are working on a larger scale than your standard (even well established) artist.
I will grant you this distinction is grey, and often changing, and even subject to variation just between conventions. Something like Comic Con where no matter what booth you have or where you’re at you are fighting for attention – it’s almost a moot point. Artist’s and Dealer’s are almost indistinguishably blurred.
So what about me? Some don’t even think I’m an artist. I don’t draw… okay, I do a mean squirrel, and a pretty good goat head in top hat and monocle (no, really, it was a commission), but I don’t do any traditional drawing. I don’t sell prints. I sell buttons at my table. AWESOME buttons, but to some they’re just buttons.
Personally I think I’m different (and I won’t get into art vs crafts) because there is still unique art/design going into all my buttons. I spend hours tweaking and perfecting each one to get the look I want. Not to mention, each one is made on site. I don’t bring anything pre-assembled. Secondly, I offer custom buttons. In the dealer’s room, I don’t think I could offer that at all. The personal commissions that require lengthy interaction and quiet conversation. Like most artists – if pressed I’d have to stop attending conventions before I could afford a Dealer’s booth.
That would make me sad – and I’d like to think it would upset my customers too. The people who come up year after year, pointing out which one’s they’ve bought before that are pinned to their bag/hat/jacket. The stories of how a friend nearly stole one because it was so cool, or started a conversation between strangers. My art is always on display – and I like that aspect.
To keep going to all the conventions I do – some several hours drive, some several nights stay in hotels – requires a tight monitoring of my finances. I have to at least break even if I’m going to keep doing what I do. My way isn’t the only way, and I do have FUN at the convention. I certainly didn’t break even my first, second, or even third year. It’s been a long time developing my business. Expanding my designs, constantly rotating new ones in, offering new options, doing wholesale products on my website and to other artists. It’s work! But I love it.
So, you could come away from this post as just a lengthy way of justifying my existence in AA – but truly I hope if you thought otherwise, that you’ve reconsidered just what AA is and the great mix of “artists” of all mediums that exist there.
