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How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling Your Soul
“Michels explodes the romantic notion of the starving artist.” — The New York Times
Written for fine artists ready to launch their careers as well as experienced artists who wish to relaunch their careers, How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist, Seventh Edition , an acclaimed guide, empowers artists to take control of their careers to create a fulfilling life and earn a decent income. In this newly revised edition, Caroll Michels continues to demystify the inner workings of the art world and challenge the status quo. New chapters discuss such topics
Using her own experiences as an artist as well as the experiences of her clients, Michels crafts a must-read guidebook for anyone interested in embarking upon a successful career as an artist.
Written for fine artists ready to launch their careers as well as experienced artists who wish to relaunch their careers, How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist, Seventh Edition , an acclaimed guide, empowers artists to take control of their careers to create a fulfilling life and earn a decent income. In this newly revised edition, Caroll Michels continues to demystify the inner workings of the art world and challenge the status quo. New chapters discuss such topics
Using her own experiences as an artist as well as the experiences of her clients, Michels crafts a must-read guidebook for anyone interested in embarking upon a successful career as an artist.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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688 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 28, 2009
Half useful advice, half woefully outdated advice (being originally published in 1983) this book does have some useful information on grant proposals, but their advice for marketing includes no information about online marketing (but it does say put together a press kit with a 8x10 glossy headshot). I believe most of the glossary in the back can be found online.
Some of the assumptions (entire chapter on how to psych out art dealers) are a little strange, and it contains none of the middle ground that the internet has opened up to several not-quite-starving artists. Perhaps a good book to have in your arsenal, not to read for fun, but to find certain paths into older institutions.
Some of the assumptions (entire chapter on how to psych out art dealers) are a little strange, and it contains none of the middle ground that the internet has opened up to several not-quite-starving artists. Perhaps a good book to have in your arsenal, not to read for fun, but to find certain paths into older institutions.
February 19, 2015
I am still reading this book and plan to use it as a guide for furthering my career as a visual artist. After rereading several sections, I will now get to the end of the book. However, I will most probably be working with it for a long time to come. It has answered questions that I have had for years about the practical how-to ways to get my work out into the world and move forward as a successful visual artist. The section on writing a resume is PRICELESS!
November 15, 2018
Take control of your career and live a fulfilling life. Great tips for artists.
February 24, 2017
I forgot I had read this book a few years ago; some helpful suggestions/ideas.
March 2, 2011
I read the new version of this book and - wow!
This is a fantastic, hands-on, straight-forward look at business for the artist. It doesn't minimize the importance of connecting to others and selling your work and yourself as an artist to the right people. It also emphasizes the importance of not limiting yourself by location or others' perceived value of your work. I especially liked the real-world advice about hard work being a basic element of success, and how the starving artist is just a myth - unless you WANT to be a starving artist. Which is easy to do. I recommend this to any artists out there who feel they just don't know enough about the business side of things - and want specifics. This book goes into pricing, markups, margins, dealing with art dealers, and all the little things people are too "polite" to fill you in on. Yes - worry your pretty head about these things. And read this book so you'll know what exactly you should be worrying about.
This is a fantastic, hands-on, straight-forward look at business for the artist. It doesn't minimize the importance of connecting to others and selling your work and yourself as an artist to the right people. It also emphasizes the importance of not limiting yourself by location or others' perceived value of your work. I especially liked the real-world advice about hard work being a basic element of success, and how the starving artist is just a myth - unless you WANT to be a starving artist. Which is easy to do. I recommend this to any artists out there who feel they just don't know enough about the business side of things - and want specifics. This book goes into pricing, markups, margins, dealing with art dealers, and all the little things people are too "polite" to fill you in on. Yes - worry your pretty head about these things. And read this book so you'll know what exactly you should be worrying about.
August 3, 2016
Brilliant, inspiring, scary, overwhelming and full of great advice. Can't wait to put it into practice!
I think this should be a must-read for every Arts graduate wondering how they are going to 'make it' after school. I wish my University had provided any kind of course or workshop on the art business subject! This book is full of valuable information and creative people in all fields of art can find something for themselves, even if it is just reference toward further resources - which there is a lot of.
Even though it is mainly American-centered (most of the resources are US based) Michels does include some international names and really it's more about getting the general idea of where to turn and how to go about it which is invaluable!
I think this should be a must-read for every Arts graduate wondering how they are going to 'make it' after school. I wish my University had provided any kind of course or workshop on the art business subject! This book is full of valuable information and creative people in all fields of art can find something for themselves, even if it is just reference toward further resources - which there is a lot of.
Even though it is mainly American-centered (most of the resources are US based) Michels does include some international names and really it's more about getting the general idea of where to turn and how to go about it which is invaluable!
March 15, 2013
The author brings up a lot of excellent points and arguments. I don't agree with all of the actions recommended, however it is an important book to begin grasping how the art world works and getting a good business sense for your art career. Just pause before doing all that is advised and see how your own career is developing, particularly in light of changing global economics and internet sales.
February 13, 2012
This book addresses many elements of having a career as an artist. I liked that, aside from the practical advise of applying for galleries, grants, etc. it addressed the psychological conflicts one might encounter: conflicting feeling about monetizing on your artwork, feelings of self-doubt, competition, etc. A very useful read... just make sure you get the most current edition!
February 23, 2013
This book is straightforward and organized well. Most of the information is common sense, but it's really helpful for beginning to sell art. I liked the tips on finding appropriate galleries, pricing, etc because it's nice to have an idea of what to expect.
I didn't rate it 5 stars because it was kind of a dry book.
I didn't rate it 5 stars because it was kind of a dry book.
July 17, 2012
Everyone in the arts should read this, including writers. There is a huge appendix in the back with a ton of resources, and she lays out the business aspect of art in a non-anxiety producing way.
February 24, 2008
Great art reference
September 9, 2008
Great information, good resources, and very realistic. Geared towards visual artists.
December 31, 2008
Extremly useful as a resource guide. I could not be without this book. No artist should be without this in their library.
May 8, 2010
Enjoyed the clear concise and precise info. Little weak on the cyber and internet info but a book full of good solid advice for any artist
July 7, 2010
Packed full of info on how to make it as an artist. My new bible.
May 15, 2010
The 80% of the information that wasn't outdated in this book was very helpful.
Read
July 30, 2011Invaluable reference source. I read sections of it and will keep if for review as I build my art business
Read
June 22, 2018I'm not rating this book because I only skimmed it, and because it is very dated. Despite those two facts, this book helped me by inspiring hope for me as a writer, an aspiring novelist, to be precise. Chapter 4 was probably the most relevant for today and for non visual artists.
Read, Write, Dream, Walk !
Read, Write, Dream, Walk !
#PublicDomainInfrastructure
ShiraDest
June 22nd, 12018 HE
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews