Blog

Artists don't like marketing. 

Let's face it — it's just not as fun as painting.

But unless you hire someone else, you've got to engage in self-promotion. You can't just sit back and expect the world to beat a path to your website.

There are many ways to market your work. One method that should be considered is to issue press releases.

It's not as hard as you might think. And it's an effective way to get your name and your work out in front of public without too much effort. If you can write a decent sentence (or know someone who can help you turn your ideas into a well written article), issuing press releases can pay dividends.

Why should I issue a press release?

Let's say you're entering an art competition at a local center, or you're hosting a booth at an arts and crafts festival in your town. You want locals from your area to attend and see your work. Just as importantly, you want to get your name out there to your target audience — even if they don't attend. You want people in your area to get to know your name and associate you with the arts in your town. Even if they don't go to the show or fair, they will see your name and perhaps your picture, and when they think of local arts, your name will come to mind.

Of course, you certainly do want people to attend the events you're participating in, because maybe some of them will buy your work, and maybe some will tell their friends about this great artist they met.

What should a press release cover?

If you're teaching classes or workshops, a press release is a great way to reach prospective students.

If you'll be showing your work in an area exhibit or fair, let people in the area know.

If you're participating in a regional or national event, or you received a major award or were invited to join a prestigious art society, you might want to publicize that more broadly beyond local venues. 

Let's say you won a contest or were awarded a commission to create a painting or sculpture, paint a mural or provide a demo for a local landmark, let people know.

Being known locally or on a national level can bring you more collectors, more invitations to participate in limited events, and more opportunities in the art world — and more sales.

The more your face and name appear in print, the more likely the local media will think of you as a sort of art celebrity. They may even turn to you for commentary as an expert in the field.

How do I decide where to send my press releases?

Where you send them will depend on the type of news you want to promote. If you're entering shows at your local art center, hosting a booth in a regional arts and craft fair, or teaching a workshop designed mainly for local participants, you want to target local news outlets. That would include your home town newspaper, regional magazines, organizations that promote the arts (such as a county arts council), and targeted newspapers that serve certain neighborhoods  (such as newsletters that go to a gated community). Also target area TV and radio stations. Don't just stick to your own hometown — reach out to adjacent towns, counties, or go statewide. Include national publications when your news has appeal to a broader audience.

Do you know of anyone who has a local podcast or YouTube channel that covers local doings or focuses on the arts? Let them know what you're up to. 

In sending out your press packet, you want to target the person or department in charge of covering arts, if possible. In a smaller newspaper office, your material will probably find its way to the right desk if you send it to the editor; but for bigger news outlets, try to find out the right person to receive your material. It will save you, and them, time and help you establish a connection with an influential contact. The next time that person needs a quote or an expert on art, you want them to turn to you.

What should be included in a press packet? 

First and foremost should be your name and a brief headline of what you are promoting. Next, include your phone number, your email address and your website IRL.

If there is a date on which an event is occurring (or start and end dates for a limited-time event such as a gallery exhibit), include those up front as well. 

Then, draft an article describing the event or news you want to publicize. 

Keep it short! Keep your wording simple and straightforward — don't turn to your Thesaurus to embellish your prose or make your readers look things up in a dictionary. They'll lose interest in a hurry.

Put the key points up front, because if editors have limited space, they may cut your submission from the bottom up.