Why is selling direct to consumer so critical for artists and photographers?

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales are absolutely essential—it’s literally DTC or die. For far too long, there have been too many middlemen in the art sales process, and when you sell through galleries or other intermediaries, you typically give up about 50% of your sales revenue and don’t get to keep your customer information. These additional costs are killing art businesses and contributing to the starving artist problem. Beyond galleries, anything that relies on third parties is inherently risky because it can be pulled out from underneath you—as we saw with art shows shutting down during various disruptions. When you market direct, own your customer list, and keep the full profit from your work, you create the foundation for consistent income. If you’ve been at this for five or ten years without consistent income, it’s likely because you’ve been reliant on indirect sources like galleries, publishers, art dealers, and art shows rather than building a direct business.

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Asked by general audience · Answered by Nick and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-08-05