Self Promotion for Illustrators

Things are pretty hectic right now, but I’m committed to keeping this blog going. So I’ll just take a moment and mention a few websites that have been really helpful to me in promoting my work and getting clients. Maybe they’ll be helpful to someone else who reads this.

First, two websites where you can showcase your work to art buyers: The I-Spot and Portfolios.com. Of the two I’ve had a great deal more success at The I-Spot, but both have provided me enough income to make them worth the cost.

Second, if you want to promote your work you’ll need a good mailing list. Adbase.com maintains data on thousands of companies and agencies that hire freelancers, including e-mail addresses. In my experience, some art directors despise spam (who doesn’t?) but many others actually want to receive “art spam” from freelancers. It actually makes their job easier when the artists send samples to them rather than them having to go look for artists. Just don’t send so often that you become a nuissance (an e-mail every 1-3 months is sufficient), and be sure to include a statement at the bottom of your message letting the recipient know how they can be removed from your mailing list.

There you go. Now get out there and toot your horn!