To Get Started Being Indyish

So, you’ve expressed interest in being an indyish artist, and we’ve expressed interest back. Once the hugging and high fives are over (metaphorically speaking, usually) there are some concrete things you need to do and think about.

To get started being Indyish, first make sure you take a look at the Terms and Conditions page, and the How To’s.

Then prepare a bio, profile pic, and logo and send it to me. Just give me something to start with. Find a photo that represents you, and one that represents your line (ie logo) and come up with a few words on who you are and what you do. (If you want to talk about what this should say beforehand I’m available for that. I like writing, that’s my main thing, and I love using whatever powers I have to help independent artists… that’s the whole indyish thing.) Note: You can change this content at any time afterwards by uploading new images and entering their new urls in the Profile and Extended Profile areas of the backend, and by simply editing or entering new text. I just want to have something to get you started.

So: send this initial profile content to me in an email, and make sure I know what you want your Artist name to be. Then I’ll create your account, email you back with your login information, and you’ll be ready to go!

Um yeah so now I’m all ready to go over here.. um.. what happens next?

You start posting your work! Artists post their own products on Indyish. (that’s what the How To’s are for.)

If busy, you can send them to me to post. Send me .doc with product info and let me know where to find the photos online; or zip everything up in a folder and email or YouSendit to me; or come over with hand written notes and photos on a disc. I can make it all work yo. If you’re getting me to do your webposting I’ll send you a paypal invoice for 25$ Canadian, and post your work when I’ve been paid. But! There is a happy, free, grey area!!

If you can login, find the Write Post area of the backend, get your photos uploaded, and enter your price, quantities, and shipping average somewhere in the post- essentially do the best you can to get the crucial stuff in- then Save it as Draft and shoot me an email, I’ll finish it for you and not charge you. And I’ll send you an email back explaining what was missing or wrong so you can be better equipped to tackle it the next time.

Our intention is to learn from eachother, to continue to make the site better and to help you on your road to make a living as an independent artist. Why? Well that’s a question for another blog post.

When you’ve got some of your fine work up for sale, it’s time to let people know about it. Link to your indyish archive from your Myspace, or from whatever social networking tools you’re using. Email your mailing list to let them know you’ve been accepted to an artist network and that your work is now available for sale via Visa, Mastercard or Paypal. Work the web baby, online and off, it’s the best way to sink your name and ideas into public consciousness, to benefit from the tangible and intangible postive network effects that are out there, and to make sales.

Alright, those are my tidbits and hot tips for Getting Started. Let me know if I’ve missed anything. Keep well!
Risa