FAQ About the Web
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I've noticed that there are several concerns that many artists share regarding the web and internet technology. I've addressed the questions I've heard most frequently below. How Much of My Work Can I Expect to Sell On the Web? How Much of My Work Can I Expect to Sell On the Web? This is the question I have heard the most often... Bottom line: Expect NO sales.
Harsh? No, simply the truth, especially if you offer one-of-a-kind pieces. Although I have not heard from many artists and/or webmasters who sell prints or other types of reproductions on their sites, indications are that they, too, don't sell that well. BUT, and this is a big BUT...that does not mean that your web presence isn't valuable. First, there is the exposure to a wider audience, so that more people become aware of, and can therefore appreciate, your work. Second, there are sales that you can make because the person saw your work on the web and became interested in a piece or in your style. These are considered indirect sales since they are only indirectly related to your web presence. Third, there are the invitations you can receive to exhibit your work. Now, I have a word of caution about that. See the question below regarding offers to artists over the web for details. Fourth and last, but not least, by being able to see your work in this new environment, virtual though it may be, and having the chance to stand back from it, both visually and emotionally, you have the chance to more objectively evaluate your work and portfolio. All in all, having a web presence is a valuable tool. It may not make us rich...but, *shrug* I suppose we can't have everything, eh? Can I Protect My Images From Theft On the Web? TOPFrom those who know their way around, no. You cannot keep people from obtaining the images you put on the web. Oh sure, if you know how to code javascript, you can do right-click re-directs or disable the right-click entirely, but...bottom line is that even if you take out the right-click, even if you take out the browser's toolbars, someone who knows what they're doing can retrieve the image from their internet temp files. 'Is there a way to stop that?', you may ask. Well, no. In order to be seen, everything that is on a website must be downloaded to your computer. Soooo. If you want images online and able to be viewed, they WILL become part of those temp files. But really, folks, that's not that big a deal.....Why not? Ah, read on below. What if Someone Steals Images of My Work Off the Web? TOPWell, as you've seen by the above, there is no way to keep a knowledgable and determined person from keeping your image on their computer. But the question you should ask yourself is, 'now that they have it, what can they really do with it?' The answer is, not much. Most images on the web simply don't have the resolution to be useful for any pirating activities. Even the largest enlargements are too fuzzy to be useful to a pirate. Oh, sure. Someone can download your image and perhaps....if the image is good enough quaility....be able to use it as wallpaper. But I've yet to see any image on the web that is of high enough quality that you could make reproductions of it for commercial sale. Heck, most 35mm photos of work aren't reproduction-quality, either, and they are usually a whole lot clearer than .jpg's, .gif's, or even bitmaps. I'm Getting a Lot of Offers For Artists Through My Email...Are These Legitimate? TOPMany of these inviations and offers must be weighed very carefully. You must remember that if someone is contacting you with a business offer of one form or another, the offer is made for their own benefit, not necessarily yours. Email is just another advertising avenue to many businesses. With that in mind, you'll find that many offers won't be of any value to you; one invitation I got recently was to participate in a trade show for international gallery owners. Many of the other offers (advertisements) I have received are for web services that I, and most of you, won't need. Some are for online exhibition space for a fee....ever hear of free servers?....Some are for online gallery representation for a fee and a commission from all sales....look for the online directories and galleries that will list you for free, there are a lot of them on the web....Some are for acting as your artist's agent....usually for a commission fee higher than you would have if you had a traditional agent. There's another type of offer I get also. Those are the invitations to exhibit in some real-world gallery. Now, these can be VERY flattering. They can also be rather costly! If you are approached by a gallery or exhibition, use caution as you look over their offer. For example, there are the outright bogus or unscrupulous people preporting to be a gallery or exhibition. (Unfortunately, poor though artists may be, we are easy enough targets for con men.) But, even the upright galleries and shows can be more costly than you are really ready for. For example, my father was approached by a gallery in Greece, asking if he would like to take part in an exhibition there. Of course he would! But....rather than signing the contract right off the bat, we took a good long look at all the logistics involved. Costs for shipping, insurance while in transit, plus the fees the gallery was asking for came to well over the amount he could possibly gross even if all his work sold. In fact, once commissions would be paid, he'd be back in the hole...even with every single painting getting it's full asking price!...Well, he decided that it just simply wasn't worth it to him. So, remember that email is an advertising medium for a lot of businesses. Certainly look them over, but use a critical eye as you evaluate each offer. Most of these offers, as I said before, won't be worth the investment of your money, time or effort. Read every offer and invitation with a critical eye before committing yourself. |