This is advice for artists that want to make a living with their art in our current society. If you just make art for you, or you're happy to work a day job until the socialist revolution, that's great, and this doesn't apply.
Learn the basics of business. Learn how to make a spreadsheet. Learn how to make a budget. Learn how your taxes work. You're not above understanding the business you're in, which is selling your art.
Learn the basics of sales, or other similar face to face professional interaction. Learn how to do small talk, and match people's energy. You don't have to become smooth, but you do have to become professional and polite.
Be prepared to spend at least as much time on the boring business side as the art side. More likely 75-85% of your time on the boring business side. It's the only way to make the fun art side pay the bills.
And most of all, recognize that it's a job, and you're not above the work. Show to your art job, the same as any other. Do the work, even when you don't feel inspired. Treat everyone else involved in your work, fans or other artists, with respect.
I think that Jeffrey and I's publisher is willing to keep buying our books only partly because they sell. It's also because we show up to meetings on time and prepared. We pay attention to and take seriously stuff like marketing and deadlines.
I've been on both sides of this equation, so I can say with some certainty: the good artist with a strong work ethic and an ability to treat people well is ten times more valuable than the flaky, shitty-to-others genius
I just realized this might read that I've been a shitty-to-others genius, which, I hope not, and I'm not a genus. I just meant I've both been an artist and a person who hires artists
