Title: Art Money & Success: A complete and easy-to-follow system for the artist who wasn’t born with a business mind.
Author: Maria Brophy.
Year: 2017.
Back cover text:
FINALLY MAKE A LIVING DOING WHAT YOU LOVE Why is it that some artists are wildly successful, while others just barely squeak by? It may seem like an unfathomable mystery, how some are earning six figures while other, more talented artists, are struggling. Maria Brophy has dedicated 20 years of her life to researching the specific strategies that successful artists follow. After applying these strategies to her husband Drew Brophy’s career, Maria grew his art sales to multiple six-figures yearly.
In ART MONEY SUCCESS, Maria tells personal stories of her own business deals, successes and failures, while sharing non-conventional wisdom that will explode your art sales. With the exercises and worksheets included, you can apply the insights to your own business for immediate results. The tools inside will help you:
- Connect with your right buyers
- Increase your $$$ income today
- Sell art easily and negotiate nicely
- License your art and get paid multiple times
- Implement powerful money and business practices
- Trust your own creative intuition
If you are interested in generating more money and success from your art, then this book is for you! “A lot of people tell me that I should sell my work, but Maria Brophy is the first person who has been able to tell me how, in a viable way.” –Joe Mahoney
My Review
Stars (1/5):
Writing:
I had a bit of difficulty getting into the book. Especially the first chapters with all the worksheets. Maybe the first part of the book is more for the beginning artist? And the later chapters for the already seasoned artist? Also, I would say it is more useful for painters.—Which I am not. But I guess that is with most of these books.
I like the forty-seven clear chapters. She exposes a lot of hands-on experience and scripts that are helpful to fine-tune your art business.
I love that the book is stacked with expertise and knowledge and that she focusses on good communication. A lot of the advice that Maria Brophy shared is intended to help you connect better with your buyers and people in general. (Get to know your buyers. Make them feel important. Ask questions, listen more, and talk less. Learn to love people. Make people feel good in your presence. Make the conversation about them).—My art is about connection and the experience, so this is extra inspiring for me.
Does the book deliver (it's title)?:
Yes.
Biggest take away:
- Daily ask yourself “What can I do to reach my right buyers? Who can I team up with? Who can I call? Where should I go?”
- Some people are going to love your art, some are going to hate it. Your job is to find the people who love it.
- Laser focus on your target market to reach and attract your target niche market.
- Doors will be opened for those bold enough to knock.
- Ask for what you want.
- Keep offering more until they say “no, this is enough.”
- Keep a list of all your buyers.
- It is your responsibility to keep in touch with qualified buyers. Create a reminder system to follow up with every client.
- People have to see a message at least seven times before they buy it.
- Artists have and should retain ownership of the copyrights of their art. “Work for Hire” or buy-out” or “transfer of rights” is (contract) code language where the client is taking ownership of your copyrights. Never do this. But you can instead grant temporary rights (licensing your art).
Point of discussion:
Excellent advice in itself: Call and visit a minimum of five potential buyers every day. But is it realistic?
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