Addy's posts

1. How do you know how much to charge for your art?
Trial and error, largely. People really tend to undercharge for their own art - myself included - which sucks. But, if you're not really a known artist yet, it's tougher to reach a broader audience (who would then be more likely to spend more, etc). It's a vicious cycle because you feel like you're charging too much even though you're likely working for less than minimum wage (if you break it down for time spent, materials, etc).
Ask friends to help you with pricing! I've been struggling for years and have finally settled on some numbers, and friends tell me it's still a liiittle too low but I'm comfortable with it since I work pretty fast, and lower prices do sometimes mean you can squeak out a few more orders.

2. I imagine for online commissions you'd use Paypal or something?
PayPal is by and large the biggest, but.. not necessarily the best. Some people take Square, some people even work directly through a store front such as Etsy or something. I .. don't really like to use Etsy since they take a 10% cut and it's kind of janky to contact through Etsy itself, but the option is there.

3. Does the customer pay you up front, after the art is received, or a half now half after sort of deal?
Typically it's half before, half after, but you can be flexible as long as you're up front with your clients. For sketches, I usually just do it and then request payment (and then fix up any mistakes/issues after that, if necessary).
...Come to think of it, I usually request payment just before wrapping up either one. They don't get the full resolution/best quality until it's complete and paid for, though.

Also, make sure to read PayPal's ToS and stuff, since there are specific ways you should be requesting money. If they catch you trying to skirt around fees they could lock your account.

4. How long is too long for the customer to wait for the product?
Honestly, as long as you work it out with the client and inform them of any delays, it can take as long as they're willing to wait. I feel TERRIBLE about it, but I had a commissioner wait almost a year for a piece. I was struggling with some stuff but also told them like, each time I had the energy to try to sit down and do it, something came up and ruined everything, lmao.

Typically, though, people seem to like faster turnaround since people love instant gratification, haha. I take 1-2 weeks for most stuff fancier than a sketch, which is 2-3 days.

5. If you provide prints, where do you print the art? FedEx? At home?
Currently, the only prints I have were done at Walmart. :') FedEx isn't bad quality, though, and I was doing some of my zine printing through UPS, though I'm going to Staples for my next batch since their paper quality is a little better. This requires some trial and error since it's kind of about what you like and prefer too, y'know?
Usually, quality matches price; cheap isn't always going to be AWFUL but if you pay a little more for a fancier service, you'll likely end up liking the end result a lot more, haha. Some buddies use CatPrint.com, for example. I've never used VistaPrint's actual poster/art printing services, but they do kick ass at my business cards.

6. If you sell your art in the form of buttons, stickers, posters, con material, etc, do you use some kind of service that makes those for you in bulk and then you mail them out to buyers?
I haven't done buttons yet (but I have a tab open from PureButtons.com right now, haha!), but buying in bulk is almost always the way to go since it's a lot cheaper per unit. I go to StickerApp.com for my sticker printing and you can get ROUGHLY 50 2" stickers for $20. That's incredibly cheap and if you sell them for $1-2 each, you've made your money back before getting through even half.
They are not the best quality, but again, like printing, there's quality vs price. If I had more funds, I'd likely go through StickerMule.com instead, but so far StickerApp has treated me well.
That said, if you're just starting out - don't buy TOO much at once!! Start with the smaller bulk purchases (25-50) and see how they sell. You're likely to end up with a bunch of leftovers at first, but if you keep putting out new designs, you'll learn what people like the most.

7. Where do you get most of your business? deviantART? Tumblr? Twitter? Instagram? All of the above and more?
Twitter and Tumblr are where I post exclusively now, and honestly nearly every commissions I've gotten this year has been from Twitter despite advertising all over Tumblr. I even had a pretty big blog reblog my commission post. D: It just kinda depends on the circles and timing, too.

8. Full time, American artists: how do you report your earnings on your tax returns? Do you keep invoices for tax season and pay it all at once? Is there sales tax on your art? I have no idea how any of that works.
If you're just starting out and making under roughly $1k a year (THOUGH THIS WAS IN MICHIGAN, it likely varies a lot), you don't have to claim taxes on them. However, that's not really sustainable ... as for the specifics, I'm not terribly certain, but typically you do pay out your owed taxes at the end of the year once you file your returns. You can include a little extra in your pricing to accommodate sales/income taxes, as well. The client doesn't need to know your breakdown of why - they just have to agree that they'll spend that amount.

9. Convention/Artist Alley artists: How do you know how many prints to make beforehand?
This varies on the subject material, the convention you're at, and again - how much reach you have. If you're starting out, I wouldn't recommend more than 10 each. .... actually I'm just repeating stuff I've read before (though I've followed nearly all of this advice!), so maybe it's best just to read it from teh source lmao
http://jojostory.net/post/110452410527/how-to-prepare-for-your-first-artist-alley
Really though, this is good advice.

-What do you do if you run out too soon?
Most conventions take place in or near hotels, and they frequently have a FedEx or something right inside the building. If not, you may be able to make a run to a nearby print store before the Alley opens again the next day.

-Do you do commissions at the convention?
I do! That's where I make most of my convention funds, tbh. Usually just on-site sketches.

-Do you have a slot list that can be maxed out?
What works for me is that I take them until I feel like I can't complete them in a week. During the Alley, I'm doing nothing but greeting people and drawing. Use that time to complete the commissions you've received already and you'll be basically printing money.

-Do you finish them all at your table at the con before it ends, or take them all home and do them at once, or do you draw them at your hotel room at night between events?
Some people do ONLY take-homes, I prefer to get them done while I'm there. Being surrounded by the creative energy at a convention is so much more motivating than looking at a big ol' to-do list while sitting alone in my bedroom, haha. But, everybody has their own preferences. You gotta play it by ear!