Your Ultimate Guide to Selling Artwork Internationally

Gone are the days when, as an artist, the only means of selling were local galleries and shows where one could hope to be picked up by a dealer with a wider reach.

Now, many artists can have full control over their own distribution stream, reach millions of people online, discover new markets and make use of intuitive tools to improve sales. 

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Let’s uncover the secrets of building a successful online store from the ground up, discover your niche, your target audience and how to ship your art all over the world.

Step 1: The Building Blocks

Starting with a solid foundation can be a great way to hit the ground running when looking to sell your artwork internationally; you’ll need a website, portable card readers for accepting payments, and shipping tools among others, but more on that later. 

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For now, we need to figure out what you can offer people all over the world.  

Decide What to Sell

You may want to sell originals only, which, if you have a recognised name or personal brand or an existing market to sell to, can work just fine. 

Some, however, will be starting from zero and selling originals only can outprice a lot of your potential clients. 

Ask yourself whether you are willing to sell prints of your work for a lower price, in order to expand your target audience. There’s no reason you can’t sell prints right alongside originals, originals only or prints only; the choice is yours.  

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Step 2: Your Online Shop

You can’t sell anything online without an eCommerce shop, so follow these steps and the success will flow.

Choose a Platform

Choosing the right platform is incredibly important, so be sure to do your research and make sure that the platform you use to host your work ticks all of your boxes. 

For those who are starting from scratch and those with a name for themselves looking to sell online, choosing a platform that is easy to use, has a wonderful audience base, and a reputable name is incredibly important.  

Commissions and Fees

When comparing locations to sell your work, pay particular attention to the amounts that online hosts will charge to display your work. 

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Every site will do it differently, some will take a percentage of your sale that can vary between not very much and a huge portion that could eat into your profit. Others will charge a monthly fee, and some may well combine the two options. 

Pay attention to the traffic they receive, the artists that already display work there and how your pieces will fit into the overall aesthetic and style on offer.    

Step 3: Selling & Shipping 

So, you’ve sold a piece, popped the bubbly and enjoyed your very first success in the world of online art sales. Go you! But the work is not done yet. 

Package and Post

This is arguably the most important stage of the process, after completing the piece itself of course. You need a postal service that can be trusted to take care of your precious work, can ship internationally and makes your role as easy as possible.

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Ensure that all of the items you are posting are insured up to the correct amount in case of any accidents, and try to offer options like tracking and fast delivery; you may well find that customers are often happy to shoulder the extra cost for these options. 

It’s also worth paying attention to the type of packaging you use to wrap up your creations and your market research will come in handy here. If you’re appealing to a younger, more eco-conscious audience then using sustainable and recyclable options can be a great selling point, and many people are looking for an ‘unboxing experience’ that adds meaning to the piece they’ve purchased.  

Keep Selling in the Real World

Keep in contact with local studios, keep your art in local festivals and shows, and don’t lose touch with the relationships you may have already built.

Focusing on your online sales is a great thing to do, but you should always keep meeting potential clients, finding galleries and experiencing the effect your art has on the world; that’s part of the magic after all.  

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Try to Enjoy Yourself

One of the most important things to remember throughout this whole process is to enjoy yourself along the way. Following these steps on how to sell art online and creating your own online shop should be an exciting and wondrous career opportunity. 

Don’t let yourself get wrapped up in the details, enjoy yourself and it will shine through your work and in the way you present yourself to the world.   

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