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.

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.

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.

It was down to hours before to decide if we’d be able to go, since I had had an injury just days prior. On crutches and less than comfortable tucked onto a folding chair you made it worth the trip. Thank you to everyone that came by, and for all the well wishes.

Thanks to Brian as always for his understanding, help, and inspiration!

NEXT!

Our next convention will be GarasuNoShiCon in Perrysburg, OH from July 17 to 18th. Admission is free and I hear they have a FULL artist’s alley. All the tables are claimed, so if you’re in the area come on by and there should be lots of good stuff to see.

Not long after we came back from our honeymoon, it was time to get everything together for Youmacon. It was a great weekend, lots of our fan/customers coming by to see the new designs, and a few new people too. I got to draw a squirrel, a goat with a monocle, a wolf, and will forever be haunted by the epic man nipples. (You had to be there…)

We had an even greater response to the current release of the game, which made me float with happiness. Thank you to everyone who tried, commented, and (yay!) bought a copy!

As Chris mentioned, the next release will be Linux, and shortly after that we will start putting out some of the expanded rewards and tiles.

I am also oh so excited to announce that I have been accepted on staff for ACEN. I will be assisting with both the website and Artist’s Alley. This delights me to no end; as many of you know, I am a people pleaser, and to be part of the workings the make ACEN what it is for so many just really makes me smile.

Of course, this doesn’t give me any slack on keeping you guys entertained with more humorous buttons each year, and fret not, as I am hard at work with quite a few new designs.

Please look for us next at Animarathon in Ohio.

After poking around and signing up, I found I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a very well made site, and shock of shocks, it works as advertised! You can find me at: http://raptr.com/disjointedimages

One of the downsides to developing a game, is that actually getting to play any is difficult. I’ve got quite a few recent and/or soon to be released games that I’d love to sit down with. Hopefully you’ll see my status update as I get that chance, along with further reviews here. Here’s my short lineup:

Tales of Monkey Island – C’mon! A new Monkey Island game?! I love it right there, at the title. Seriously, though. It looks like a great setup, and nice to see developers from the previous games on board. Even better…

The Secret of Monkey Island – Special Edition – A revamp and release of the original “started it all” Monkey Island game.

The Beatles: Rock Band (9-9-09) – This just goes without saying. First, it’s the Beatles. An amazing selection too from the Abbey Road album. By far, Rock Band has been the best return for my money hands down. I have the ION drum kit, and a lot of DLC music too, and even with that extra investment, I still find it worth every penny. So I have no qualms picking up a standalone game to be able to have that kind of fun with some of my favorite music.

Forza 3 (10-27-09) – A really nice looking game, and it’s been a while since I’ve had a new racing title. I look forward to this one.

As you can guess based on the list that’s there, I’ve got some wide ranging tastes. One of my favorite radio stations is CBC Radio 2. Though, with the format change, I don’t get to listen to enough of it when I’m on my way to work these days.

It’s a station based in Canada, and covers every possible genre over the course of the day. Tom Allen delights me with his personal chatter in the morning. Tonic has some great jazz (responsible for the Oh My My on that list), and Nightstream is like your subconscious playing DJ. Some of my favorite songs started with me staring at my radio wondering what the heck was playing!

Got a favorite song that I have to hear? Post it in the comments.