ThinkSlash
The Journal
The Order to Run the Numbers In
The six calculators on this site connect: each one's output is the next one's input, and running them in the right order turns a set of guesses into a…
Do Print Runs Actually Make Money?
Prints are usually pitched as the accessible tier below original work, and whether they make money depends on numbers that are easy to get wrong in both…
Comparing Sales Channels Honestly
Selling the same work through several channels is normal, and each channel takes a different cut in a different way. Comparing them properly is a matter of…
The Hours Nobody Pays You For
The three-quarters of a creative practice that is not making things gets very little attention and determines most of whether the practice survives.
Pricing by Time or by Size — and Why It Matters
There are two defensible ways to price a finished piece, they produce different answers, and knowing which you are using is most of the discipline.
The Material Cost Artists Consistently Understate
Materials are the cost artists most consistently understate, because most of them are bought in bulk and used in fractions.
How to Quote a Commission From the Brief
Quoting a commission by feel produces two failure modes: the quote that loses the job and the quote that wins it and then costs you money. A structured…
Why You Cannot Make It Up on Volume
"We'll make it up on volume" is the oldest bad idea in selling things, and the break-even calculation is the fastest way to see why it fails.
Gallery Commissions Divide, They Don't Add
Gallery commissions are quoted as a percentage of the retail price, and the arithmetic for setting a price around one is the single most misunderstood…
Work Out Your Hourly Rate Backwards
Most artists set an hourly rate by looking at what other people charge. The better method runs the other way: start from the income you need and work…