MAKING MOVES

How to pitch your work to the press

- Vanessa Rothe

We all know the power of the press and the importance of getting covered by journalists and editors, which can be especially advantageous in the art world to get your work in front of collectors. So how do you go about letting them know about you and your work, and what do you send them? In this month's Art Industry Insider I'll be discussing how to pitch your story and your work to magazine writers and editors.

Editors are always looking for stories and content for their magazines. There are thousands of print and digital magazines out there. Some have deadlines for new content every three weeks, so we are always looking for good images and stories. An artist usually has both of those. You will need to start by making yourself a list of the right magazines or blogs that work with your style. Most important is knowing your genre and finding where your work, or your story idea, would fit best. Make sure you look through the magazine to see if your style, themes and/or story would be a good match. Yes, you will want to contact the art magazines, but you can also look beyond fine art magazines to interior design or lifestyle magazines. Many of these often have an arts and culture section where your artist story might be perfect. People are often interested in the life of an artist. Readers want to know how they got to where they are, and what they sacrificed to become an artist.

They want to hear their successes and their struggles. They also enjoy beautiful, colorful imagery and often wish they could live your interesting life!