Want To Sell Your Art Online? So Many Options!

I've been selling my original art and prints online for about five years, maybe a bit longer. In that time, I've tried a LOT of different art and social networking sites. Here's a quick run-down on what I've tried, what's worked, what hasn't.

My Space -Yes, I gave it a go on MySpace for a few years. I closed my account earlier this year because it wasn't worth the time. It seems like MySpace is appropriately titled because it's definitely a 'me first' site. I found that users are super quick to make announcements about themselves but don't take time to comment on your posts, blogs, or pictures, etc... Unlike Twitter where that attitude will get you un-followed, it seems to be the norm there. Which is fine, just not very helpful in terms of selling your own art. Now there's also a site called My Art Space, and maybe artists are having better luck in that community. I haven't tried it and don't plan to.

Artwanted - This was one of the first art communities I ever signed up with years ago. It wasn't very user-friendly when I used back then. But it looks like the site has undergone a lot of improvements recently. It's a gigantic community and you can keep yourself pre-occupied there all day. There's monthly themed art contests which can be fun if you have the time or interest. They also have a print on demand service. As well, you can offer the sale of your originals in your gallery. Users can rate your art and comment on it, which can be a bit useless since everyone seems to opt for the "Great work!" method of commenting. Nice if you need a boost, but not very helpful for honing your skills. Overall not a bad site though. I never quite warmed up to Artwanted.com though but I may give it another shot in the future.

Deviant Art- If you want to get lost in a maze of seemingly zillions of artists posting anything and everything from quick doodles to poetry to photography to fine art and EVERYTHING in between, go to DA. Amateurs and professionals alike use this site, and I would say the majority of users are students. DA as it is known has a print-on-demand service. You can upload your images, then click on whether you want to offer them as a print or not. If so, you decide the prices, but since Deviant Art provides the prints, there's a huge mark up of course. There's a forum with job listings but I noticed that most clients tend to lowball artists there. DA works nicely when you take the time to network with other artists and collectors/fans, but it does take a LOT of time. After having a premium account with them for a couple years, I decided to close up shop. I found it annoying in general, and somewhat unprofessional. I know some artists who sell a lot of work there though and who are doing quite well developing a following there. It just takes time and effort to develop your fanbase or if you have an existing fanbase, you can try to connect them to you there.

ETSY - It took me a long time to warm up to Etsy because it's considered a site for crafters. Nothing wrong with that, I'm just not a crafter necessarily. I finally decided to upload some original and prints over the summer and get my account up and running. It's not a print on demand service. You have to provide the stuff you sell, whether its greeting cards or post cards or fine art prints. There's a lot of interaction between sellers there and everyone is very friendly and supportive. It's definitely got a community feel. I even sold a few prints which was great. But then I realized I was losing buyers because to you have to create an account there to purchase, and some people just don't want to bother. I can't say I blame them. Overall I recommend Etsy as a great place to direct buyers to your art. It's great if you already have a following and can convince them to create an account. It's easy to upload images, and there's lots of freedom to brand your store however you like. Again though, it just takes a lot of time.

Artfire- Artfire is brand new, and I immediately signed up for one reason: buyers do NOT have to create an account to purchase. They just use the shopping card to buy your stuff, and they're outta there. Honestly, I'm in love with Artfire! You can start with a free account to try it out if you don't want to jump into the premium ($12 monthly). You can brand your store any way you like. It has quick and easy image uploading and item description areas. The design of the web site has an intuitive feel, and it just grabbed me visually. It's not a print on demand site, so you just like Etsy, you provide the stuff you're selling. I suspect I will be sticking with Artfire for a long time. And did I mention users don't have to create an account to purchase?:) THANK YOU, ARTFIRE!!! THANK YOU!

I also came across a great article this morning on Twitter via @creativeams about some other new art social networking sites not mentioned here. I'm going to check them out and see which ones I like, then maybe do a follow up post about that.

More Art Social Networking Sites- Click Here

If you've tried any of the sites I mentioned, or any of the sites in the aforementioned article, please share your opinions and comments! Now, go sell your stuff!

-Cyn