Art Licensing For The Unlicensed Artist
Getting people to fall in love with your work and in return, grow your brand to generate consistent income proves a tougher challenge than most for aspiring entrepreneurial artists. It can be difficult to put the time, effort, and energy into creating impactful pieces of work while also reserving time to market online in a world that seemingly demands your attention 24/7.
You’re not a content creator. You’re an artist.
That’s exactly why I’m such a staunch believer in creating multiple streams of income as an artist. You shouldn’t be reliant on one sale here and there to pay your bills every month, and you shouldn’t have to take yourself away from your work in order to sell it.
You should be able to pour your heart, creativity, and energy into your work and be confident in knowing you’re consistently generating income.
Enter art licensing.
If you’re new to the world of art licensing, you’re not alone. It’s simply not spoken about often enough. But art licensing opens the door for artists like you by maximizing what you have and developing streams of income from the artwork you’ve already made barring only a few tweaks.
One of the best parts is that there are many different mediums that can be licensed. So no matter what type of artist you are, art licensing is a route available to you. And with many artists reporting earning as little as $1k to six figures and more per month, this option is worth looking into if you’re looking for multiple streams of income.
If I’ve piqued your interest, read on to get the full rundown on what it is, if it’s a good fit for you, and how you can get started asap.
I’ve also got a fantastic ZERO risk, ZERO cost resource for you to test the waters, see if art licensing is for you, and what you need to get started. Want to skip to that part now? I got you, friend. Just click here.
How does art licensing work?
If you ever walked into a Target and stumbled upon a beautiful print of a painting or a gorgeous design on a pillow, then you’ve already come into contact with an artist who has embraced art licensing. (I promise you there isn’t a Target employee in the backroom killing their paint brush stroke!)
Art licensing is nothing more than an artist coming to an agreement to rent out their work to a manufacturer. This manufacturer could have the intentions of selling the artwork as is (albeit with their logo), or putting it on a backpack, coffee mug, journal, puzzle—you name it! The agreement you enter allows that manufacturer to use your work while providing you with a payment for it in exchange.
When it comes to payment, you can expect to receive an advance against royalties, a commission-based fee, or a flat fee.
However, the main difference you’ll find in this business is that finding brands or manufacturers to purchase a license to your work is a bit different than perhaps showcasing your collection in a gallery or selling your work to buyers. You’ll have to do a bit more research (which we will touch on a bit later!)
Another thing you may not expect when it comes to art licensing is the process your work will go through before it finally gets approved and rolls out into stores. Unlike displaying your work and getting paid for it as is, manufacturers may ask for some changes. Whether it’s a color change, angle switch, or something completely out of leftfield, working with manufacturers will open the door for requests that may change the original creative direction of your work. If you’re someone who isn’t keen on making changes, then art licensing may not be the ideal route for you.
How to get started with art licensing
If you are happy to work with manufacturers to enact their vision, and you’re sold on the idea of art licensing as a whole, there are a few technicalities you should address before diving in so that it’s smooth sailing for you moving forward.
Know what to negotiate.
While many companies familiar with art licensing will typically already have a standard contract in place, it’s good practice to know ahead of time what you can expect, what may be considered unfair expectations, and what terms you should push for should it not be reflected in existing agreements.
Some common things artists like to include are:
Make sure that contracts do not bind you to work with only one manufacturer. Give yourself the opportunity to use your artwork in multiple deals across manufacturers without having to start from scratch every time, which will subsequently aid you in growing your revenue.
Clarify whose in charge of taxes and shipping. If you’re interested in licensing your art out to dropshipping companies, some of them may charge you for sales tax on any of your art that is purchased. However, more traditional manufacturers (and non-dropshipping companies) such as CafeMarket or Art.com typically cover those costs.
Get clarity on payment terms. You’re doing this to increase your revenue so it’s only right that you have absolute clarity on the terms of your payment. If you’re being paid royalties, ensure that you’re being paid the industry standard or better. If you’re being paid via commission, have the rate outlined in addition to the frequency of payment.
Copyright your work.
Legalities can be a scary subject - we all know this. As artists, we’re more focused on the uninhibited nature of just being true to ourselves and putting that out into the world and not necessarily speaking with lawyers and negotiating online.
But when you begin to license your art, copyrighting (or trademarking) your work is something to seriously consider. There are one too many horror stories floating about that involve an artist having their work unknowingly stolen, only for them to stumble upon it on a rack in a store where the culprit is busy making a pretty penny off of it.
And if copyrighting or trademarking is still something you’re not ready to commit to just yet, make sure to begin getting your name AND your work out there so that your eyes are not the only ones on the hunt for anyone stealing your work.
Put together your gallery.
Before you start submitting one or two pieces of work to manufacturers you’re interested in, start putting together a full gallery so you can show that you have multiple pieces to offer should interested parties inquire. A gallery also helps manufacturers get a better understanding of the range of work you can do and it increases your chances of landing a bigger contract.
You can also make this task easier on yourself by scanning all of your artwork and filing it into categories so that the experience for manufacturers is a streamlined process.
An important thing to note is that when putting your gallery together, pieces that make strong statements pertaining to politics or religion are less likely to be popular unless you’re speaking to manufacturers within that niche.
How to Find Manufacturers
Now that you’ve gotten a good hold on understanding art licensing and the tips to implement as you get started, your final burning question is most likely how to find these magical manufacturers willing to license your work and there are a few options:
Do your research.
Doing your own research is the most cost-effective way to go about finding manufacturers to license your artwork. You can start off by doing an in-depth Google search or you can get more hands-on and head into stores!
If we revisit the Target scenario (because who doesn’t love Target), the next time you see a piece of artwork you enjoy, do a closer inspection to find out the manufacturer name which is typically listed on the back of the art piece or the tag.
Give them a call to find out how to submit your own work for consideration or visit their website! Many manufacturers working in this sphere typically have “art submission” tabs ready and waiting to see what it is you have to offer!
Hire an agent.
Hiring an agent is not as cost-effective as doing your own research, but it can help speed up the process and increase your chances of having your work accepted by manufacturers. By hiring an agent, you’re outsourcing the sometimes tedious task of doing your own research. Your agent will also be able to focus their time and energy on finding you the best deals and negotiating fair contracts.
Network!
Last but not least is networking. Start building relationships with manufacturers or people who have contacts in manufacturing. Ask close contacts to put you in touch with others who may be licensing their own work so that you can ask questions and get your name out there.
Art licensing is certainly not for everyone and not something you should depend on as the only cash flow in your business (especially in the beginning). But by laying a good groundwork, art licensing can become a key income stream in your business. By having this additional income stream, you can ease some of the pressure of making a consistent income while allowing you to have more time to focus on other areas of growing your brand and selling your work.
