Advice for artists looking to license their artwork .

A  very interesting article has been going around the internet about art licensing written by  Jim Marcotte at Two Town Studios.    The article expresses some of the harsh realities of the art licensing business. What I like about the article is that it is realistic yet it is also written on a positive note.  It is not trying to discourage anybody from following their dreams but hopefully helping artists to see that it is not as simple as hiring an art licensing coach, walking Surtex and signing with an agent.

With permission this is the article Two Town Studios has posted :

The Art of Reality There seems to be, lately, a rapid proliferation of blogs, social contact groups, websites, coaching seminars and classes revolving around art licensing. In many ways this is wonderful – talented people of like mind sharing their work and helping each other grow and prosper. Unfortunately, more and more the message is reading something like the matchbook: Can you draw Sparky? You too can have a great career in Art Licensing! Well, maybe….or maybe not. My intention here is not to throw a wet blanket over the aspirations of artists who want to license their art. We have had great success over the years representing artists and I will be the first to say it is possible to have a long, profitable career in art licensing. Rather, I want to introduce a voice of reason, suggest a bit of caution - take off the rose colored glasses and look at some realities of the industry with me before committing your time and dollars. Lots of time and significant dollars, I may add. We read the blogs, follow the groups, and contribute when appropriate, however there are some things that need to be said - and no one is saying them - so here are a few points to consider: Your style may not lend itself to product applications, may not have a unique quality and/or your art is just not good enough - but no one has had the heart to say it. There is also the “one idea” or “one category” scenario – what will you do next? We are approached by artists every week of every month and see all of these problems (and more) repeatedly. Simply put, the majority of artists are not right for licensed product. Licensing agents make their living by representing art that can be sold (licensed) and they will usually snap up anyone they think has significant potential. You may not be a fit for a particular agency for any number of reasons, but if you have shown your work to several agents and they all have passed, it is likely time for a reality check. Not all of the “coaches” are qualified to help you and they may not have your best interests at heart (see point number one). There are some wonderful people offering coaching who can, at a reasonable cost, be of immense help to you. There are some people who are self proclaimed experts who have little or no art licensing experience (it’s different) and are happy to take your money, sometimes thousands of dollars, regardless of whether or not you can actually succeed in this business. And there are of course some in between. Tread carefully. Art licensing is a long slow road to success, in fact we joke about it being a “Get Rich Slow” scheme. Most of the successful licensed artists have been at it for many years, sometimes 20, 30 or more, and are still producing new designs most every week. It also is not unusual for them to have re-invented themselves along the way, finding it necessary to produce work that is right for the market instead of vainly searching for the market that is right for their work. The point is that you need to take the long view and be able to not only survive, but also stay focused and adaptable during the multi-year, multi-license building process. Don’t let them tell you otherwise, there are very few exceptions. Years ago I sat in a class of eager new real estate agents when the instructor walked in and told us “Look around – in one year 50 percent of you will no longer be in real estate”. I would suggest that some variation of that statement also applies to art licensing. Contrary to popular opinion, there are not an unlimited number of available licenses just waiting to be picked up. Companies are downsizing, disappearing, cutting programs and buying outright instead of licensing. Royalty rates are eroding and shelf time is now counted in weeks or months instead of years. There are dozens of new artists, some cut from those very same companies, entering the market every month (and yes, dozens give up). Licensors - from the best at the top of the industry to the newest at the bottom - are scrapping for every license they get. Trade shows are not art fairs, they are business to business events held by promoters to make a profit. (Repeat that several times). While show management companies will offer varying levels of support to the exhibitors, they are not going to be focused on promoting the individual career needs of artists. Get used to it. As an exhibitor spending thousands for a show booth, you will also be less likely to encourage non-exhibiting artists to attend and meet with your clients in the aisles and lobbies while you foot the bill for the venue. Your competitors may be friendly, and some will become your friends (and if you are as lucky as we are some will be very good friends) but you are still splitting up the same pie and everyone wants the big slice. Finally, this is an industry, a business. It may be based on art and artists but it isn’t about having shows and comparing notes and admiring each other’s talent. It is about marketable product design, customer demographics, contracts, deadlines, endless submissions and cancelled programs. If you are any good you will get knocked off regularly by overseas factories and you may or may not find out, and even if you do, you may not get paid. Royalties have to be analyzed, payments have to be pursued, and samples (if you get them at all) have to be chased down. If you can’t handle the details, or find someone who will do it for you, your licensing career will be painful and likely short lived. This may sound dire but of course it’s not all bad. We have a lot of fun in this business of art licensing and still do the happy dance whenever we make a nice deal for one of our artists. It’s an industry where clever and talented people come together to make great things happen, but in order to succeed you need to really, really want it. Most artists come into the art licensing business, land a few contracts and then after a couple years of the grind stop refreshing their portfolio and fade away from the market. It doesn’t take too many fingers and toes to count the recognizable names in art licensing – those that have hung in there, figured it out and made it work. This doesn’t scare you? Maybe you can have a career in art licensing - come on in and join the fray Jim Marcotte Two Town Studios

 I would like to add some more reality : One of the biggest things you will need to take with you on your  journey into art licensing  is  a very "strong stomach". If you are looking to earn a living from art licensing you must be willing to create a lot of artwork on spec,  enjoy a good contest,  embrace rejection, get over being ignored, be able to live with not getting any feedback as to why your artwork was rejected.  You must also have the patience of a saint and enjoy living  in the world of "hurry up and wait". You must be able to let go of controlling of what your artwork will look like when it is on a product.  If  you have extremely high expectations of how your artwork needs to look you had best manufacture it yourself.  You need to be extremely flexible in working with manufacturers.  Although the product in the end will most likely have your name on it (if they don't accidentally put someone else's ) you will not have all the say about the end result. Actually you can have all the say about the end result  if you are ok with being called a "difficult artist" and loosing clients. I love my clients and they do their best to produce a great product within their limitations.

 I  see many artists deciding to get an agent because they think by hiring an agent the artist can sit back and paint while the agent handles the business.    Agents all work very differently.  Never assume that just because an agent is  paid a substantial commission they are talented in the art of policing, you might end up having to follow up on lots of little details with your agent also.  Some agents are amazing wonderful sales people with fantastic personalities but might have a different approach to handling there business than you expected .   I often see people post in groups asking who is a "good reputable agent".  The answer is never simple.  Much of this answers lies with an artists expectations of what they need from an agent.