Postcard question?
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Hello - I'm going to send out some postcards and this has maybe been addressed before (sorry if it has) but I couldn't find anything about it - Do you actually write anything on the postcard or do you just put your personal details, website etc??? Thanks!!
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I have my personal details as part of the postcard (so one side the image, the other has my logo, name, contact details, website and socials and then a space to write. In the space I just write the name and address, I don't write any sort of personal message
Instagram and Twitter: @eriberart
Website: www.erinmcclean.com -
@eriberart perfect, thank you - it's funny how these things bring up so many little questions!
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@Rachel-Horne Yes I always second guess myself about everything!
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Hi, Rachel. I think having contact info+website printed as part of the postcard sounds smart. I have never tried sending postcards, but really looking forward to try it out.
I guess depending on how many postcards you are sending, a one-line personal message might be a nice touch, but it is certain not required.
Are people you wanto reach via postcards back to office yet? I planned to do a postcard campaign this year, but figured that I should waited a bit more since many people in the US and UK are still working from home. I am courious to hear if that is your impression as well.
I have been trying direct emailing methods, that works well for me, but it requires me a lot of time researching the editors and ADs I am going send email, and it also takes time to just find their email address.
I wonder if anyone tried with Twitter DM instead of postcards these days since we are still in the middle of Pandemic
I considered doing that, but I am a newbie on Twitter and the platform really stresses me out 
I figured I'd spend some time getting used to Twitter first. -
@xin-li I am also holding off on postcards at the minute until AD are back in offices.
I think the general consensus (correct me someone else if I am wrong!) Is that dm'ing on twitter is overstepping boundaries unless an art director specifically tweets that they are looking for illustrators and inviting them to dm them. I suppose a lot of them have personal twitter accounts so don't want to mix business with their personal social media!
Instagram and Twitter: @eriberart
Website: www.erinmcclean.com -
@eriberart thank you for sharing your thoughts. Your explaination makes a lot of sense. I will stick with direct emailing then :-).
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@xin-li Thanks, that's a really good point about people being back at work, funnily that didn't even occur to me...perhaps I'll wait a little on that, given the expense of having postcards printed etc,.
I'm curious to know how you go about sending emails. Do you just say that you're looking for representation and send a few images? It seems a bit more complicated than just sending an old postcard.
I'm not very keen on Twitter either, I opened an account a year or so ago and hardly ever use it. It stresses me out too - too many words!! Lol -
@Rachel-Horne Are you sending them to agents or publishers/art directors?
For agents I would just say a small paragraph about myself and that I was looking for representation with a few JPEGs or PDF attached to the email (depending on what their website says about submissions)Instagram and Twitter: @eriberart
Website: www.erinmcclean.com -
@eriberart Thank you
I was just going to contact agencies about representation for now. I did contact the Bright Agency in a bit of a half-hearted attempt a couple of years ago via their website but never heard back and didn't bother contacting them again, I think deep down I maybe wasn't ready. -
@Rachel-Horne
When contacting agents looking for representation:
I do not think postcards are considered a formal query (not 100 percent sure of it, that is my impression). I would think it is better to contact them by email. You need to check out the submission guidelines in each agent's website, and do exactly what they asked. Usually, it includes a paragraph or two about yourself, why you approch them for representation and your portfolio website. Some agents asked you to attach a few images, others prefer just have a link to your portfolio + social media.Mostly you hear nothing from them - a strange industry standard. You can increase your chance by doing research to find the kind of agencies who your work fits, and also your work is different enough from the artists which are already on their list.
When contacting publishers directly:
Postcards are popular with editors and ADs. Some artists still get work that way, but usually it is a long term game. You might get a project for a postcard you sent out 3 years ago (based on stories I heard).I have an agent currently, but I also do a bit of direct emailing myself to poteintail art buyers (editor, ADs). I spent way too much time researching people before contacting them. So far I only contacted a handful of people, but almost everyone wrote back to me (no project coming yet), which gives me a bit more confidence.
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@xin-li thanks so much for taking the time with your message. Yes, that makes total sense actually - not surE now why I thought sending out postcards might get me an agent?! Not hearing back is frustrating. How did you end up getting an agent finally? Was it Through sending out emails? I think it’s a good idea What you’re doing to keep taking steps to get work, I’ve heard that agents don’t always deliver although maybe having an agent helps get work from elsewhere too, if that makes sense.
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@Rachel-Horne yes, I got my current agent by emailing around :-). I was preparing my portfolio for this year's Bologna book fair. I thought I might have a chance to meet someone who might be interested in my work. Then pandemic happened, so I did a round of email and landed an agent.
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@xin-li That's great. I think I'm going to spend the next week working on this - I saw on the Illustration Dept, they've put a great mailing list together. I was thinking of Bologna for next year, it seems like THE place to go for Illustrators for all sorts of reasons.
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@Rachel-Horne Hi Rachel, here is a detailed postcard demo from Elizabeth Dulemba:
https://dulemba.blogspot.com/2007/07/illustration-friday-discovery-postcard.html -
@Mara-Price ah thank you so much, I'll check it out
