That "does not include flight, hotels or food"? Yeah, that can slam each and every one of these up to four figures, even if the artist is frugal, if it's a road show.
Remember: "support" is tangible. If you love an artist and want them to keep producing work? Support them! Buy their prints, throw a buck in their ko-fi, shop at their store.
And if you're broke?
- Ask for their work as a holiday or birthday presents
- RT their commission solicitations, Kickstarter links and merch announcements
- Reblog/retweet their art on social media, don't just fave it.
- Ask for their work as a holiday or birthday presents
- RT their commission solicitations, Kickstarter links and merch announcements
- Reblog/retweet their art on social media, don't just fave it.
Also, I would be remiss if I didn't address the footnotes, here.
Yeah, established artists sometimes get their tables, hotel and travel comped. But it's not "at the expense of the nobodies." It's literally the exact opposite. They get comped because they're draws.
Yeah, established artists sometimes get their tables, hotel and travel comped. But it's not "at the expense of the nobodies." It's literally the exact opposite. They get comped because they're draws.
Ppl come to shows to meet ppl they're already fans of, but most don't leave immediately after they're done with that. Most keep walking, and hit Artist's Alley, and the main floor. And they buy your stuff. And they would have never been there in the first place without The Draw.
Lots of con attendees faux-complain on social media post-con about how they spent WAY more than they planned to. A lot of those purchases are likely stuff that just caught their eye as they browsed. Stuff by "nobodies" who they weren't necessarily there to see.
I get the salt, and I get how it can feel unfair. But try to keep in mind the comped guests were once "nobodies," too. They earned their places at guest lists. They built a fanbase over the course of years. And one day, a lot of you will probably be in their place.
In the last 10 years, I've literally gone from "We cashed your check, lost your table reservation, and now we're just shrugging at you" to "Please come to our book fair, we'll fly you in business class & have a chauffeur waiting with your name on a placard." So trust me, I know.
Some follow-up testimonial about the power of The Draw, courtesy of Discord. 
