Could anybody please advise on the best way to get illustration work in to a gallery/small shops?
Replies7
- @Jacqueline Colley Thank you so much for your advice and for the link, I will study religiously. Top Drawer and Pulse are such amazing shows, it would be a dream come true to be an exhibitor ! Thank you again.
- @Abigail Baldwin Thank you so much for your advice, and for taking the time to answer. I will get a plan of action together !
- Hi Briony, it's a great question! Ultimately, different organisations have different processes.For smaller shops, you can contact the founder with a compelling pitch. It's good to have a sell sheet to hand with your products, wholesale prices and RRP. Even if this is to sell artwork and prints, it's the same process. The shop owner will always be thinking commercially.For galleries and museums, they usually have a commerce team to manage their gift store. The commerce team will be headed by a "buyer", who makes the decisions. Again, it's a case of approaching them with a pitch.It's good to personally engage with these people, and explain why exactly you want to be represented in their store and gallery. Be persistent and consistent with your communication.I hope this helps! :-)
- Hi Briony, I think etsy is a great place to start, I often get approached by independent shops on there with an interest in stocking my work. I'd advise putting together a pdf wholesale catalog with the specifications of your prints as well as your wholesale and retail prices - most shops expect 100% mark up so that there is margin for them to make a profit. If that's new to you I recomend checking out https://www.thedesigntrust.co.uk/start-your-business/ there is some brilliant free blogs on this exact topic as well as how to approach shops. I'm more of the send them an email approach as in person can be quite awkward for them and you (been there) Plus when I was starting out i approached a lot of places that i personnally liked but were not at all right for my work. I then took part in some trade shows (pulse/topdrawer) which is great as the shops find and approach you - much less awkward! Good luck with this!
- @Briony Beech OK no problem. Just my experience of it all, some people might think differently!
- @Tom Pearce thank you so much, this is definitely something to take in to consideration. I’m doing this part time so perhaps Etsy would be a better first step (less chasing !). Tom, so so grateful for your response. Thank you again.
- With shops, some places are set up for this, like small independent places. Bigger shops often require you to contact head office and stuff like that. I think the important thing is to make your pitch as short and clear as possible. Have your work ready and know what you're going to say, have something to leave behind - a sample or business card. Often you have to go back as the right person isn't in there. That's been my experience. With email I think it's way easier to be ignored, so I think in person is better.I think with galleries it's a lot about going to shows there and building a relationship with the owners. Cafes can be a nice place to get experience and your work out there, but it's hard to sell stuff that way.It's often a lot of hassle travelling around to pick up any money you're earned too. I guess you have to decide if you're doing it for love or to make serious cash and do a kind of business plan.Why not see if you can do a show in an empty high street shop?Anyway, just my experience of it all!
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