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Thread for general tips on how to provide a better commission experience as artist.
This is not about “use invoices” but more nuanced emotional/social stuff that might be hard to understand if one hasn't been on both sides.
This is not about “use invoices” but more nuanced emotional/social stuff that might be hard to understand if one hasn't been on both sides.
I know this is subjective/everyone handles things differently but I think it still might be helpful for some. I based this on nearly 10 years of my experience of taking commissions & commissioning stuff and observing my customers/listening to other hobbyists and their stories.
1) Give generous deadlines when asked. You think you'll be done in 1 week, say 1 month. This not only gives you more time in case of an emergency/lack of motivation but when you are done sooner the customer will be very happy that they got their commission earlier than expected!
2) Avoid giving a fixed date you can probably not meet. If you say “tomorrow” the customer will look forward to this the whole time. They will get happy/twitchy and then confused/disappointed why nothing is in their inbox.
3) To non-artists the “hating your own work after finishing it” thing is hard to get. It will just appear like you didn't put in all you could/makes the customer feel bad if you tell them you are unhappy with the work you did for them. Keep it to yourself, even if it's hard.
4) In general, keep in mind that many of your customers are probably not artists themselves. They might not understand certain things/struggles/etc. (see 3). Artists usually tend to surround themselves with other artists which makes this easy to forget.
5) Major changes after showing a WIP should be discussed! Your customer will regularly go back to the WIP, show it to friends etc.; they like the work the way it is and look forward to seeing it done. Even if the change is for the better ask them first.
6) Keep the amount of WIPs low enough your customer still has something to look forward to. Unless it's one of those customers you need to show every small step in order to avoid needless discussions later it's a good idea to keep them to a safe minimum.
6b) Else the finished piece has nothing to offer anymore and it might seem like the customer isn't as thrilled as you hoped them to be. Send enough to avoid unpleasant surprises (for both of you) but don't overdo it.
7) Timely communication is important. Answer messages soon after you got them, else the customer might worry their message got eaten or worse. Try to be the first to message when a deadline has passed or can't be made too.
7b) You might feel ashamed but staying silent and hoping the customer didn't realize it won't work. Even if they are patient/don't say anything they are well aware of the missed deadline, believe me. They are usually not even angry but just really eager to see their commission.
7c) Also make sure to end communication properly. Don't just fall silent after the customer told you they're satisfied with your work. Thank them for the business/tell them you are glad they like it. Don't make them think you never received their thank you.
8) No open trash talking. I know this should be obvious, but as a bilingual person I've seen it happen often enough that artists switch to their native language to tattle in local communities their customer (who probably doesn't speak the language) won't go.
8b) It's rude/unprofessional and they sooner or later tend to find out. Yes, sometimes you need to vent, some customers are just hard to handle (often just because they are clueless). Do so in private or in some cases better don't even accept the commission in the first place.
9) For many commissioning an artist whose work they like is a total highlight. Sometimes they save or wait long for this privilege. They look forward to the work you do for them. Some are young and look up to you. Always try to keep this in mind when working.
10) Don't assume, always ask. It's better to ask before you try out something new/divert from a formerly agreed on path/guess a detail. Spare yourself and the customer a bad surprise or additional work hours for nothing.
11) Less of a tip, more a grim reality: customers might not complain, even when unsatisfied. This is especially true for younger ones or people who are artists themselves. They don't want to bother you or are afraid of the backlash, especially when one has a big, rabid fanbase.
11b) The only thing you can do to avoid this is to do your best, to closely follow their wish and give them the feeling you are open for suggestions. If they asked for blue eyes and you made them brown the customer shouldn't be afraid to ask for it to be changed.
11c) If they rudely complain show some class. I know it might be hard sometimes but learning to handle this is important, even if it seems unfair or could have been avoided if the customer would have spoken up earlier. Keep in mind that a future customer could read your posts.
12) Properly read & re-read what you are given as reference/instruction. Too often mistakes happen because one just skims the text/has been working so long at a piece they simply forgot about a detail. Even if you didn’t mean to it often comes across as careless.
13) If a commission isn’t up your alley just refuse it! Learning to say no is important and you better hurt them with a “no” instead of taking their money and delivering a lackluster product.
14) tl;dr: most of the things here boil down to “avoid things from happening by staying professional, planning for the worst and proper communication”. Try to imagine yourself in the situation of the customer too.
Thanks for reading, I hope it helps some peeps who are just starting out or already in it for a while :> Link to the customer edition will be added below as soon as it's posted.
Here's the tips list for customers:
