I recently had the opportunity to sell my art at a local comic book event hosted by Elite Comics. It was the perfect size to “dip my toes” into the proverbial pool of the Artist Alley realm. It was an amazing experience and I learned useful tips which I will share in this post, so read on! 

Start Small if Possible

My first event! How exciting - and also nerve-wracking! 

If you want to break into the Artist Alley scene, but you’re hesitant about starting with a big convention, then my first tip is: start small! If possible, take part in a local event. 

My fiancé, Alan, and I (but mostly him) go to a local comic book store weekly. We are lucky because Elite Comics is well-known in our area. The owner, William Binderup, sponsors events like the one I attended called Free Comic Book Day or contributes to bigger affairs like the KC Planet Comicon. 

Starting small is helpful - it means you don’t have to spend a lot of money ordering a bunch of merchandise to sell because the crowd won’t be overwhelmingly huge. In the same regards, a small crowd helps you practice interacting with people if you’re not super social or not used to talking to people about your art (ahem, me). A smaller event usually involves other local artist like you, so networking is easier too!

Research the Supplies Needed

I’m really grateful that Alan looked into what other artists usually take for setting up their booths. Among the items suggested, I found that a tablecloth was very useful. The event didn’t supply one and being able to cover the worn table made a huge difference in how nice my booth looked. 

On that note, I would look into what the event DOES offer. They provided a long table and two chairs, but that was about it. We didn’t even have a little trashcan, so when we put prints into the plastic sleeves and peeled off the strips, we had to find somewhere to discard the strips. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it’s something to think about. 

We also saw that a wagon was an item a lot of artists use to transport their stuff to their booth location. We didn’t get one because I didn’t have a lot of merchandise to bring. But, after lugging the backdrop and the couple of totes through the vast parking lot, along the ground floor, up the escalator to the top floor and down the long hall . . .  we were wishing we had gotten one, haha. 

Network with Other Artists

Alan and I finished setting up about 30 minutes before the event started. Looking around the room and seeing other artists setting up, I could feel the energy building. I started getting nervous again. In an effort to distract myself, I started chatting to the artists sitting next to my table. 

I had fun getting their perspectives on being an artist and attending comicons. One of them told me that they usually attend the comicon in Wichita, KS, and there was going to be one in November! Another artist gave me great advice, like don’t focus on perfecting a style, just keep creating art.

Interact with the People

What do you say to a stranger?  Well, I asked people what comics they were hoping to find, or if they saw the cool Star Wars character costumes, or what anime character was on their shirt.  

I had a much more enjoyable experience with people when I stopped leading with a sales pitch. I also felt like the passerby had a more genuine interaction with me too!

Ending on a High Note

Did you find this information helpful or interesting? Let me know in the comments below! Also, if you have set up a booth before, tell me how it went and if you learned anything in addition to my takeaways!