Learn about the business of being an artist

This section focuses on highlighting books which can help artists.
Artists who succeed are those that master the BUSINESS side of the art business as well as producing good art.

Or, at the very least, they find a reliable "somebody" (who is very often a spouse or partner) who does that for them. 

However, there's not a lot of training around for the business side of being an artist - even if you go to an art school.

Which is precisely where the art business book comes in!

​It doesn't really matter if you are the artist or the partner in your artist's art business, these books are for you!

 I've split them up into different categories so you can easily find what you want - and also see what are the alternatives.

Below I've summarised what they contain, provided a very brief review, indicated who they are suitable for and how they are rated by other artists.

What's on this page?

This page has the best art business books I know of.

Once this section is finished it will cover:
  • Short Art Business Guides - for a quick read
  • Starting Out
  • How to have a career and make money as an artist
  • How to sell art online
  • Understanding Art Galleries
  • Copyright
  • Commissions - coming soon
  • The Artists' Resale Right
  • Art Legacy Planning
THIS PAGE
IS A 
WORK IN PROGRESS

NEW!

This is me being business-like!

This website costs money to run and to maintain it I need to raise income to offset the costs of running it.  Below you will find associate links to Amazon - in the USA and UK - which means I get a tiny percentage of what the book costs you every time you buy one.
Picture
Some of the Best Art Business Books - others are available as ebooks

Short Art Business Guides - for a quick read 
​

If you're starting out and you want a simple guide to the art business and the things you need to think about these books are for you. 
These major on short simple introductions - not in-depth advice. For that you want other books that specialise in the areas you are interested in.
A Pocket Business Guide for Artists and Designers
​by Alison Branagan

​RECOMMENDED FOR UK ARTISTS
Excellent advice for UK artists as it's written from a UK perspective - and generally good advice for everybody else

Rated an average of:
  • UK: 4.6 out of 5 stars by 14 customer reviews
  • USA: 3.8 out of 5 stars by 4 customer review
Every topic in the book is explained in 250 words or less - so no need to read lots of words to find out what you need to know! It covers:
  • Business (30 topics)
  • Promotion (50 topics)
  • Legal (20 topics)
  • Money (25 topics)
  • Last thoughts (5 topics)
However you will need to know more about some aspects - and other books can help you find out!

The author, Alison Branagan, lectures at Central St Martins (part of the University of the Arts in London) about the business side of being an artist and what you need to know about business start-up, self-promotion and generally being an entrepreneur as well as an artist.
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: A & C Black Publishers Ltd (8 July 2011)
Artists' Survival Guide
​by Tara Cranswick and a number of contributors
This book is a compilation of contributions, hints and tips from a number of different artists.

It's a small book but there's a lot to read as it's packed full of useful information.

The downsides are:
  • it doesn't cover everything - I noticed gaps e.g. notably  around money and tax
  • it's a little difficult to open. The publishers have tried to give it a solid binding which seems to win every time I try to open it without breaking the binding.
  • there is no index
This book has four maim sections - Making, Showing, Selling and Director.

Making covers
  • Studios
  • Making art (paint, 3D materials including metals, photography, film/audio)
Showing covers:
  • moving and transporting art
  • mounting and framing
  • fixing walls and installing an exhibition plus lighting
  • health and safety
  • galleries
  • insurance
  • marketing and promotion
  • exhibiting online
Selling covers:
  • Commissions
  • working with galleries
  • Legal issues
Directory provides very useful listings of studio providers and companies providing materials and services to artists at different locations within the UK
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Grey Tiger;
Publication date: 1st edition (28 Oct. 2013)

BUY THIS BOOK
It's excellent value given the amazing amount of tips inside!
Artists' Survival Guide from Amazon.com
Art is your Life. Make it your Living by Susan Mumford and Chris King

This is a book of bite sized stories providing an insight into the realities of the art world. 
This book is a great introduction for those who are "innocents abroad" in the world of art. It focuses on practical issues, challenges and problems and has lots of useful information and stories which make you stop and think.

Susan Mumford, the author writes Be Smart about Art (her partner takes the pics). She describes herself as a game-changer in the 21st Century art world. She’s an entrepreneur, mentor, speaker and author, born and raised in the USA and now based in London  

I found it ideal reading matter for travelling on the tube in London.
Paperback: 102 pages
Publisher: Be Smart About Art Publishing
Date: 15 April 2015

[Note It's not available on Amazon.com]

RECOMMENDED
Rated an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars by 7 customers in the UK

Starting Out - for those who aspire to an art career
​

You have to start somewhere. Whether you're an art student who's just left art school, a hobby artist looking to start selling your work or an accomplished artist who's hoping to realise the dream of becoming a full-time artist - a good book about starting out in the art business is a good place to start.

This book is written by a couple of English artists who have exhibited internationally.  It's an excellent primer for ex-art school students and those starting out.
What They Didn't Teach You in Art School: How to survive as an artist in the real world
by Rosalind Davis and Annabel Tilley
​

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rated an average of:
  • UK: 4.6 out of 5 stars by 34 customer reviews
  • USA: 3.9 out of 5 stars by 18 customer reviews
PLUS
​#1 Best Seller in professional photography!
​
Must read for artists at any stage of their career!
A ton of practical information is given, solid information without fluff or fillers.
Described as a handbook of practical tips, tools, advice and philosophies on professional development

​It also has some great quotes!
​
Features:
  • Essentially no nonsense
  • LOTS of practical information 
  • Case studies to provide different perspectives
Covers:
  • Communication
  • Representing Yourself
  • Projects & Proposals
  • The Business of Being an Artist
  • Philosophies for Surviving and Thriving as an Artist
  • Expanding your practice
Not a lot on money matters but what there is is succinct.
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Ilex Press; 1st edition
Publication Date: 3 Nov. 2016

Some might find, as I do, that the font size if perilously close to being unreadable. You might prefer the Kindle Edition - which is also cheaper

How to have a career and make money as an artist

The next two books are very focused on how to make a success of your art career
​
​These are more in-depth reads for those who are ready for a lot of detailed guidance on how to start and run an art business - and make money - and survive as an artist!
  • The first is written by an American art agent - and is a roaring success in the USA, but is less well know in the UK
  • The second is written by a very experienced teacher of art business in UK art schools
Art Money & Success: A complete and easy-to-follow system for the artist who wasn't born with a business mind. ​by Maria Brophy
​

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Probably a book which will appeal more to an American audience but the principles are sound.
​
​Rated an average of:
  • UK: 4.6 out of 5 stars by 3 customer reviews
  • USA: 4.9 out of 5 stars by 119 customer reviews​
Learn how to find buyers, get paid ... nicely, deal with copycats and sell more art.
A well organised book with a logical structure - focusing on
  • what sort of artist you want to be;
  • how to find your buyers for your kind of art;
  • what selling art involves;
  • how to present your work and sell it live - and online. I
  • working with galleries
  • self-promotion,
  • how to run an art business,
  • how to generate even more income through licensing and reproductions of your art
  • Copyright
  • contracts and paperwork
  • basic business systems that work
  • why you need to put your name on it
  • the value of testimonials
The author has been an art agent for her husband since 2001. Her approach to making money from art and having a successful art business is based on doing it for real.

​Paperback: 354 pages
Publisher: Son of the Sea, Inc.
1st edition
Publication date: May 21, 2017

BUY THIS BOOK
Art Money & Success from Amazon UK
Art Money & Success from Amazon.com
The Essential Guide to Business for Artists and Designers
by Alison Branagan

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  • 1st edition: Rated an average of 4.8 out of 5* by 20 readers in the UK
  • 2nd edition: Rated an average of 5 out of 5* by 5 readers in the UK

Probably most relevant to those living in the UK but lots of content is relevant to aspiring artists and those starting out everywhere - and probably quite a few who have been around for a longtime who could benefit from these art business basics.
An essential book for any artist/designer who is thinking of setting up their own business, this book literally covers everything you need. This is the information that should be taught in art schools and isn't!
This book covers:
  • How to make creativity pay
  • How to make a living
  • Overview of a Business Start-Up
  • Money Management
  • Business Planning
  • Building Networks
  • Self-Promotion
  • Funding and Sponsorship
  • Creative Crimes - and how to avoid them
  • Confidence & Negotiation
  • Records, Tax and Basic Bookeeping
Written by Alison Branagan, an author, business adviser and visual arts consultant who has devised and delivered courses on the art business for art students at the University of the Arts in London

Paperback: 344 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic; 2nd Revised edition edition (9 Feb. 2017)

BUY THIS BOOK

How to sell your art
​

One of the major "need to know" topics of recent times for artists has been "how to sell your art online".

The business model for selling art has changed radically in the last 10 years. While art business books 10 years ago might have focused on how to woo an art gallery, galleries are now less important than they were - not to mention much less numerous. Which is why making your fortune out of your own efforts holds so much appeal. That and the fact there are more than a few people who have done a very good job at selling their own art - by themselves.
How to Sell Your Art Online: Live a Successful Creative Life on Your Own Terms
by Cory Huff

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rated an average of:
  • UK: 4.6 out of 5 stars by 34 customer reviews
  • USA: 4.5 out of 5 stars by 78 customer reviews
​ If your goal is selling the work, read this book.
How to Sell Your Art Online covers
  • How to make a successful living from your artwork
  • Why selling direct can make more money for the artist
  • Use effective business strategies necessary to make artistic creations pay
  • Find your niche and ideal collectors
  • Build a website that sells
  • Build your mailing list
  • how to use social media and PR to market your art without selling your soul
  • how to be businesslike and focus on dedicating time to business and  focusing on the right things
Cory Huff is the man behind the popular website The Abundant Artist

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harper Design
Publication date: June 28, 2016

BUY THIS BOOK
The book below includes more conventional approaches to selling art - via art galleries and via licensing. However, the revised second edition includes consideration of more self-directed approaches using digital opportunities to sell your work online and organising and marketing your own reproduction prints of your artwork.
The Artist's Guide to Selling Work (Revised 2nd edition)
by Annabelle Ruston

This is an excellent book for contemporary ways of selling art. So many books which purport to tell artists about the art business are dated and have not caught up with the changes that the internet has made.

RECOMMENDED
This has been a best-selling book for over ten years
Rated an average of:
  • UK: 4.9 out of 5 stars by 13 customer reviews (2013 edition)
The second edition of this book helps artists to address the demands of marketing and selling work in an online world.
This book covers
  • Selecting and approaching galleries
  • Pricing and payments
  • Royalty rates and financial management
  • Sample contracts and other legal considerations
  • Creating a website and maximising hits
  • Mastering social media to increase your visibility
  • Managing sales via online stores such as Etsy, Folksy or ebay
  • Printing your own reproductions and marketing them
Author: Annabelle Ruston is an editor with the Fine Art Trade Guild, one of whose main functions is to guide its members through the potential pitfalls of selling their work

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Herbert Press
1st edition 2005
2nd edition 2013
Publication Date:
  • 5 April 2018 (UK)
  • June 5, 2018 (USA)
(Unclear whether this is a reprint or a new edition)

Understanding Art Galleries

If you want to show you work in art galleries you need to understand how they work. Both the books below are essentially written for those who manage art galleries or want to start one. However they are also a great education for artists in how art galleries work and the scope for working with them.
Read more about this topic a A Guide to Art Dealers and Art Galleries in the 'SELL ART' section of this website
RECOMMENDED: Management of Art Galleries (Second Edition)
by Magnus Resch

​Officially a BEST SELLER - it sold out fast in the English language edition

First Edition: Rated an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars by 9 customer reviews

Second Edition:
Rated an average of:
  • UK: 3.9 out of 5 stars by 34 customer reviews
  • USA: 3.6 out of 5 stars by 18 customer reviews
(The printing in pink isn't doing it any favours)
An insight into practices in top end art galleries from the man who created Larry's List - which provides a database of and an insight into top art collectors. This book SOLD OUT FAST when it was first published.

His book analyses how the art markets and art galleries operate, the phases artists go through in terms of economic production and place in the art market - plus he also analyses the new breed of art collectors. He provides case studies to explain key points relating to how to market and sell art to high net worth individuals.

​You don't have to be a gallery to benefit from the lessons he offers. See a summary of some of the key points below - plus links to articles about his work below that.
"Entertaining, necessary, in short: brilliant."
―Huffington Post
NEW BOOK in 2015 - SOLD OUT!
First Publisher: Hatje Cantz

​It's sold out and was out of print - I contacted Hatje Cantz (nice publishers!) and while they weren't planning a reprint, demand for the book indicated a reprint would happen

Second edition now published!  I ordered and waited and have been rewarded! 
However printing text in pink is beyond a joke! But if it's published again without the pink text, I'd buy it again!

SECOND EDITION 2016
Paperback: 140 pages
Publisher: Phaidon Press 
UK: 18 Oct. 2016
​USA:​ November 14, 2016

BUY THIS BOOK
How to start and run a Commercial Art Gallery 
​by Edward Winkelman (published 2009)

Rated an average of
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars by 45 customer reviews (USA)
The blog became a book!

This book is essentially written for people wanting to become gallery owners.

However, it's also very helpful for artists who want to research and understand:
  • what a contemporary commercial art gallery does
  • how it functions
  • how to approach them
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Allworth Press;
1st Edition
Publication date: July 14, 2009

BUY THIS BOOK

Copyright

It's essential to know about copyright in order to
  • avoid the pitfalls of infringing copyright through your ignorance; and 
  • dealing with those who steal or your work and try to make money from it
  • issuing copyright releases
  • licensing your artwork
You can read more about this topic in my section on Copyright for Artists
The Copyright Zone: A Legal Guide For Photographers and Artists In The Digital Age
by Edward C. Greenberg J.D and Jack Reznicki ​

​Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars by 32 customer reviews 

Targeted at photographers, illustrators, artists who need to understand why and how images need to be protected and what their rights are - within the context of digital images and the internet.
It covers:
  • what is and isn't copyrightable
  • copyright registration
  • fair use
  • model releases
  • contracts and invoices
  • pricing and negotiation
and a lot more! Plus it's accessible and easy to understand.

Greenberg is a commercial litigator based in New York. Reznicki is an experienced and commercial people and children photographer.

The authors also write a blog called The Copyright Zone - described as a survival blog for photographers, artists and the confused! 
Paperback: 352 pages
Published by Focal Press in 2015

Art in Transit

One of the things an artist has to become an expert at is packing and shipping paintings
Art in Transit: Handbook for Packing and Transporting Paintings 
Editors: Mervin Richard, Marion F. Mecklenburg and Ross M. Merrill 
​"This handbook is intended to be a reference for anyone involved in the packing and shipping of painting"
Publisher: National Gallery of Art (June 1991)
Ring-bound edition
Read my review of Art in Transit: Handbook for Packing and Transporting Paintings. This is a very large and comprehensive handbook, written for art galleries and museums, which tells you what to do when packing and transporting valuable artwork. However it's also applicable to all those moving and arranging for the transport of artwork.

It's ridiculously expensive for the ordinary artist BUT
This book is also available for free from the Smithsonian Institute (see link BELOW). Which is nice, because copies are now difficult to get hold of and astronomically expensive - however if you want your very own copy.....
​Smithsonian Digital Repository: Art in Transit: Handbook for Packing and Transporting Paintings (6.1 MB PDF FILE)
Title: Art in Transit: Handbook for Packing and Transporting Paintings
Editors: Mervin Richard, Marion F. Mecklenburg AND Ross M. Merrill 
Publisher: National Gallery of Art (1991)

The Artists Resale Right

The Artists Resale Right - in the context of the Secondary Art Market (resales) - is potentially an important factor in the income of more experienced artists whose art continues to sell well - and as part of the income to be derived from the estate of a deceased artist
For more about this topic see my section on Copyright and resale rights after death
Artist's Resale Right: A Guide to Law and Practice Paperback
by Simon Stokes
Includes reference to legal developments since 2006 when Artists Resale Right were first introduced into the UK - including
  • changes to the law brought about by the Artist's Resale Right (Amendment Regulations) 2011 and
  • the expansion of ARR to the estates of deceased artists from January 1, 2012.
Paperback: 84 pages
Publisher: Institute of Art & Law;
2nd Revised edition (29 Aug. 2012)

BUY THIS BOOK

Art Legacy Planning

Art Business for Artists does not end with the end of life.  There's a legacy to deal with....

This website includes a whole section on what's involved with planning and dealing with The Art Legacy - but if you want a book to read this is an excellent handbook whether you are an artist, an executor or one of the prospective heirs.
The Artist Estate:
A Handbook for Artists, Executors, and Heirs
by Loretta Wurtenberger

RATED:
  • 5 stars by 3 customer reviews (UK)
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars by 4 customer reviews (USA)
This handbook covers
  • options for legal frameworks
  • appropriate financing models,
  • proper handling of the market, museums, and academia.
The author explains different alternatives for managing and maintaining an artist’s estate. It includes recommendations on how to handle artwork, archives, and mementos following the death of an artist

The author has a business which has advised on the setting up and execution of artists estates for many years - with a bias towards Germany.
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
Published: August 2016