Question:
How do I best promote myself and my work?
Importance of Documentation
Documentation It is essential to document your work throughout the year as the visual description of your work forms the basis of all your publicity and promotion.
Time Utilisation
Pre-planning and awareness of the time-scales of those who can help you is the cornerstone to success. If your role is to raise money for the project as well as to publicise it once set up, you may need to allow as long as a year to promote a small to medium-scale project properly. Make a schedule of who you need to contact and when, so you don't miss an important deadline. If you are using publicity to raise awareness and funds for a project, make sure you know who you need to approach and how long each organisation will take to reach decisions about giving money.• To gain national publicity, you'll need to circulate colour and black and white images and information at least six months in advance for glossy magazines, quarterly journals and specialist periodicals or if you are seeking a ‘feature' on a TV arts programme.. For regional publicity, allow at least three months in advance to gain coverage in monthly publications and What's On guides. For local newspapers and radio, make an initial contact around a month in advance to get an editorial feature or interview. Listings can be left until ten days in advance.• If you pay for advertising, you may be more likely to get editorial coverage in the press.• It may be fruitful to go out and meet some of your ‘target' audience ‘face-to-face' to encourage involvement and support for your project; this could include visits to schools, business clubs, etc.
Curriculum Vitae
A CV is a basic tool for promotion and is usually varied according to the circumstances in which it is used. You may need to accentuate some aspects of your experience or play down others. A CV, which must be typed, generally contains: name • address – including postcode. • telephone number – day and evening and, if you haven't a telephone, give a contact number for urgent messages. • date of birth – only if you want to give it. • nationality. • education – show qualifications and awards. • other professional qualifications. Experience – past projects and activities; this section can be adjusted to emphasise your eligibility for the job, commission or other opportunity • awards • commissions undertaken.• galleries where your work is on sale. • public collections. • short personal statement about your work and enthusiasms – only write this if you feel you can do it well! If possible, get your CV put onto a word processor so it can be easily updated and altered for different applications.
Finding your nich'e
If you are making ceramics professionally -- for sale or for exhibitions -- at some stage you will have to pack and send them to another town, interstate or even overseas. Proper packing will ensure the work arrives safely.
Galleries
We are all in the "business" of producing and/or selling art. Galleries need to earn enough to cover all their costs, just as the artist does. If they are to survive, income has to exceed outgoing cash - including all the overheads and a modest profit. However, galleries are going to .be (or should be) run by the bottom line and what the accountants say more than the artist, because they have absolutely no alternative. They have no extra income from friends, family, spouse, teaching, demonstrations, day job, etc. no filling gaps in income in alternative ways. Read this great Article by: Janet Kaiser The Chapel of Art WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk. Read On Selling and Galleries
Photography
Getting your work photographed by a professional photographer can be quite expensive, but you can achieve comparable quality with your own equipment in your own home with a bit of experimenting and some helpful hints. Many bad photographs of ceramic work are due to reasons easily rectified. However getting that really professional looking shot does take a bit of experience. Non-the-less, this article should shed some light on some basic rules of photographing your pottery, ceramic sculpture or any other artwork for that matter. Read On: The importance of Doccumentation: Photography Ceramics Today
Publicising events
Your events are more likely to be successful if they don't coincide with others aimed at the audience you wish to attract. If you co-operate with other organisers or groups in your area this will help to ensure that: • you are not overlapping on dates • you save money by sharing mail out and/or print costs. Events can be linked for press purposes ie three solo exhibitions could be described as a mini ‘visual arts and crafts festival' • you aren't trying to raise funds for projects from the same firms or sponsors at the same time, or anticipating using the same facilities at the same time as other groups.
Phone
When a prospective customer calls you, particularly when you're in the middle of something, how do you react? Do you get frustrated because you're interrupted, or do you say to yourself, "Ah, this could be worth hundreds (or thousands) of dollars." If you react more like the former than the latter, you're losing money every day. Read On: Marketing by Phone
Press releases
Send different press releases over a period of time, to gather momentum for a project or to emphasise different aspects of it. Don't send too much material – try opening the envelope to see how it feels to receive the publicity material. Paper-clipping the covering letter to the other items so they are read in the right order is more likely to get the recipient's attention. With a group event or exhibition, write a few sentences about each artist. End your press release with ‘Please contact..... if you need more information'. Give day-time and evening telephone numbers and say when you can be contacted – eg Monday-Thursday, 10-4, or after 6.30.
Ceramics Frequently Asked Questions
What precautions should I take in the studio?
How do I fire an electric kiln?
What are some stoneware glazes?
What Precautions when using dry ingredients?
How do I apply opaque stains ?
What should I keep in mind when designing my studio?
What tools do I need to start potting?
How do I best promote myself and my work?
What safety aspect should I keep in mind when working with glazes?
What should I remember when firing the kiln?
How do I best publicise my business?
How do I make a simple plaster mold?
How do I fire overglazes/lustres?
How do I create fine feature lines?
How and when sholuld I apply underglazes?
Are they Water or oil base stains?
Are any two kilns are exactly alike?
Can I use sand to stop glaze running onto shelves
Does greenware need to be dry before loading?
What is the history of the Potter´s Wheel?
What is The History of the Way of Tea
What is Celadon (Cheong-Ja) - the Stuff of Kings?
What is an overglaze marbleizer?
Is there a trick toThrowing Porcelain?
What are some stoneware glazes?
What are some good tools for decoration?
How do I apply texture to my piece?
Do I need kiln wash for bisque?
How do I refire a glazed piece ?
What must I remember when Raku firing?
How do I add decoration to my ceramics?
How do I care for my elements?
Does over firing produce poor colour in coloured glaze?s
What are some Black Firing Tips and Tricks?
What is the safest way to pack my ceramics?
How do I do a reduction firing?
automatic kiln sitter, should I trust it?
What are some tips for draining a mold?
What safety measures should I take with Raku Firing?
How do I attach a bat to the wheelhead?
What tools do I need for ceramics
What are suggested plate clay weights?
What do I need to get started?
What tools do I need to make a coil pot
How do I fire ceramic bisque ?
How do I recycle batches of clay quickly
What is the correct firing time?
How to I prepare and make slabs?
What materials are toxic in Ceramics?
Can Crackle glazes be used for food?
How do I avoid S cracks in wheel thrown ware
How do I get the press onside?
What are the Approx. firing times?
Ho do I avoid pitting and pinholes?
How do I decorate my ceramics?
How do I Bisque fire in an electric kiln?
How do I decorate my ceramics?
How do I apply crackle glazes ?
What effects can I achieve with a brush?
How do I Drain small pour holes?
How do I care for my new Kiln?
can I draw directly onto a piece?
How do I fire different bodies?
What is the humming in my new kiln?
What should I remember when firing a new kiln?
how do I get the best results in glazing?
How do I prevent dirt on my greenware?
How do I accomodate Clay Storage in my studio?
How do I prevent sagging during firing?
How do I load my brush for applying underglaze?
Why should I use pottery plaster?
How do I prevent glazes from settling ?
How do I create a woodtone effect?
What are some Doing well Quotes?
How do I care for my elements?
How do I store my throwing tools?
What is the history of Ceramics?
Why do I get black spots in my glaze?
How do I load my kiln for a glaze firing?
| Guru Spotlight |
| Patricia Walters-Fischer |
