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35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Terribly Enlightening, June 13, 2008
This review is from: Selling Art Without Galleries: Toward Making a Living from Your Art (Paperback)
Although there may be some good information in this book for others, there wasn't much in it that I can make use of.
The author touches on various subjects, giving no real insight or information on any of them. For example, he mentions things like web marketing, signature letters, the artist's statement, etc., but then includes quotes from art professionals (critics, gallery owners, etc.,) some saying they consider them important, good or positive & some saying the exact opposite. So what did I learn? It's all a crap shoot with potentially huge financial risk. I already knew that.
Most of the various marketing opportunities discussed I was either already aware of or I'd already thought of.
In addition, although this book was published only 2 years ago, a fair number of the internet links provided are either defunct or just wrong.
There are also quite a few typos throughout, resulting in sentences that make little or no sense. Proofreading appears to have been done by Word spell check rather than a living human being.
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to Sell Your Masterpieces, June 19, 2007
This review is from: Selling Art Without Galleries: Toward Making a Living from Your Art (Paperback)
The same personality traits that make someone a great artist are often the same ones that make him a one-man sales-prevention team. Solitary and obsessive, the artist yearns for a big gallery to "discover" him and make him a star, letting him stay home and do nothing but paint. The reality is that it's not going to happen without a lot of work behind you, and as artists, we have to learn business skills and learn as much as we can about marketing our work. Daniel Grant has provided us with a superb volume that is easy reading and takes us step by step through every angle of the art world, which has in the last decade or so become a complex jungle, as more and more well known artists are making a substantial living with their work, and those struggling to get seen are sinking to the bottom.
Mr. Grant explains the basics of marketing, from finding just the right venue for the type of work you do, to how to write the most concise and descriptive Artist Statement. As an artist always on the lookout for places to display and sell, I found Chapter 4, "Exhibiting in Non-Art Places" an eye-opener, and also the ideas presented in Chapter 7, "Specialized Markets." Part 2, "Starting an Art Business," has a treasure trove of advice for the artist just starting out, and will also have kernels of wisdom for the seasoned professional. I also appreciate that the author added listings at the end of many chapters, as some of them are useful additions to an artist's mailing list.
Well written, "Selling Art Without Galleries" has an excellent layout with nice readable print (artists usually have tired eyes after a day in front of the easel!). Mr. Grant gives us fresh ideas along with the facts of the art business, as well as a healthy dose of realism. "Selling Art Without Galleries" is a must have for every artist's bookshelf.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Recycled basic information, December 14, 2008
This review is from: Selling Art Without Galleries: Toward Making a Living from Your Art (Paperback)
If you've ever read a book by Daniel Grant, you've read this exact information in almost the exact words. If you've read two books by Daniel Grant, you've read it twice.
I am extremely disappointed in this book. I dared hope it might not contain just the exact same information, in the exact same words, as his previous "two" books that were one book with one title.
Daniel Grant has only ever written one book, which wasn't really all that informative or helpful. Then he rearranges paragraphs, puts on new chapter titles, calls it something else, and sells it again.
This is a good topic. It is a terrible book. However, if you're going to read a version of Daniel Grant's book anyway, this one is no worse than any of the others.
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