If you like to write about art or WordPress; even better Art and WordPress combined we want to hear from you. This is an opportunity to give back to the arts community and gain some exposure for you and your work with links back to your website.

Articles ideas could be…

• Grant proposal writing tips
• How to price your art; particulary looking for tips on how to price sculpture
• Alternate venues to show your work
• Marketing art

All articles must be original content not previously published and include a short bio and picture of yourself (picture’s optional).

Please email your ideas, articles and questions to submissions@artbiz.ca
Do not add attachements to your email, we don’t open attachments unless we know you; which we hope to do.

If we like your idea we will get back to you with timelines and further instructions.

Peter Colbert - Swift Current, 24 x 48", Acrylic on Canvas

In a recent article I wrote about why artists should blog and I jumped on the band wagon and started writing about my work on my fine art website. Then with life and work and all sorts…well I slowed down on the manic postings.

It seems to me that with everything I read about blogging it is an all or nothing scenario. That you must write a post at least 3 times a week and if you do your search engine rankings will increase and will get you all sorts of recognition. And if you don’t be warned the search engines will penalize you for not having fresh new content when you say you will. But what if you’re not that gregarious and still want to share your thoughts and ideas?

Personally I believe put out there as much or as little as you want. I know die hard bloggers will totally disagree with me but still I think that it is better to say something than nothing at all. The great thing about WordPress is that you can configure it to make it search engine friendly even if you don’t post a lot. Using plugins like Google XML Sitemaps you can tell the search engines to come back once a month and not everyday. There that takes the pressure off, whew.

What I like about the blog format is that it separates the stuff that I want to talk about from my actual portfolio. This keeps my image pages clean and crisp just like an artist wants and what galleries and collectors want to see.  And with WordPress I can have the “blog” hooked into my website which makes it really search engine friendly. It also tells visitors that this it is where they can read more in depth about my work. I can go when the mood strikes and talk about what is moving me at the moment… or not.

Allyson Glenn - Opposing Forces, The Vistula, Oil on Canvas, 2007-2010, 40 x 134”, Triptych

This is a no-nonsense article on making email submission. Well worth the read. Here’s an excerpt…(I love this part).

“And if you’re one of these artists who’s managed to delude yourself into believing that complete strangers will be so taken with you and your art that they’ll supplicate themselves, implore you to tell them more, ask your prices (because they’re not in your email), sell them something, show you in their galleries, represent you, critique your work, or otherwise allow you to control the conversation and decide whether or not they’re worthy, then I might politely suggest that it’s time to wake up and kiss the ass of reality.”

By ALAN BAMBERGER

http://www.artbusiness.com/artist_email_tips.html