How to Get into the Craft Show of Your Dreams was just one of the many topics we’ve featured at our seasonal Craft Rackets.  These events get area crafters together to talk about topics pertinent to starting, maintaining and expanding your craft business.

Once you’ve found a show you want to be in, you need to present yourself in such a way that you’re going to stand out and make the show organizers pick you. I hope that the following points will make it easier for you to get organized and get admitted to shows you want to join.

• Make sure you provide correct contact info. A mistyped email address or phone number may be the only thing that kept you from getting in that last show.
• Each show requires different things from its applicants so make sure to read thoroughly and provide everything you’re asked. If they ask you to email your responses or fill out an online form, don’t print it out for faxing or mailing. That’s likely to have your application land in a trash can instead. If you’re asked to email images of items you’ll be selling, don’t just send a link to your website. Make sure that you provide everything all at once, instead of trickling pieces in a little at a time. When organizers gets hundreds of applications within a short period of time, they don’t have time to email you to remind you to send in your pictures, ask for missing information, or organize what you’ve sent.
• Take good pictures. Whether you have to submit digital photographs, slides, or traditional prints you want to make sure that your pictures are the best that you can possibly take. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to get decent pictures. Make sure they’re not dark and blurry by taking your pictures in bright but not direct sunlight. Make sure that your background contrasts with your item (shiny metal on black instead of white, for example). Make sure that you’re filling as much of the frame as possible with your subject. Crop the image if you have to back up to get in focus. Don’t clutter your image with tons of extra items. Simple is better. And don’t take pictures at night with all the lights on. The pictures will still be dark, and yellow. Instead of waiting until you’re ready to apply for a show, take them now, or at least tomorrow. Be ready ahead of time.
• You’re going to be asked to describe your work. It’s hard to write about yourself, but this is just as important as taking good pictures. You need to write something that will let the reader feel like they know something about you and your work. Be as descriptive as possible and avoid calling your work original, creative, couture, high-fashion, top-notch, innovative, etc. Why? Because everyone uses these empty words to describe their work. Which means that your description doesn’t make your work stand out. And unless you only make one of each piece, don’t call your work one-of-a-kind.

–Cinnamon Cooper of Poise.cc