Instead of introducing you to all the terminology, I will assume familiarity with the basic concepts by jumping into the aspects of this process that revolve around media distribution. The assumption is that if you have come this far then you are at least generally aware of what blockchain is and the idea of a collectible token.
Another quick initial point that is contextually useful as well is that my use of the blockchain for content distribution isn’t new but gating it with a smart contract is something that has not been a primary focus.
Let’s get into it, yeah?
Putting Together a Collection
As an artist it is our role to synthesize the world and our experiences into abstraction, to make them episodic, and capture the emotional vignettes for remembrance.
“Putting together a collection will either make or break you, especially if you aren’t generating the art. It takes discipline, consistency, and grit to persevere through life’s challenges and still manage to get things done. Don’t wait until the right time to start…take immediate action and get to work! Time slows down for nobody so it’s up to you to do the work and show the world what you’ve been building. Hard work always pays off so don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself!”
Buddy, Artist
It’s likely that you have a wealth of creative output over the years, maybe some of that is suitable to be brought into the world of token and blockchain. There may also be additional way to add mechanics of gamification to the collection as well, if you think it could make sense.
Often being a creative artist is just the beginning and getting established in the Web+ community is no different. The next segment will address how to put your output in front of appreciative eyes.
Moving on to putting product on the shelves…
Picking a Marketplace
Of course, it is time consuming and expensive to be creative - the need to cover the cost or supplement the time away from gainful work requires financial restitution. So, taking your work to market is vital.
“Simple choices can have big impact on the adoption and potential exposure of any given artist. When selecting a marketplace you have to consider what type of collectors are actively trading on that platform and what their artistic taste is, (more or less) so you can place your appropriate collection on the platform with collectors who appreciate that type of work and are spending a similar amount for the artwork. Higher tier 1/1 artists seem to lean toward Makersplace, NiftyGateway, SuperRare, KnownOrigin, and Foundation.
It is also important to consider how much control you have over your minting contract. A marketplace like Open Sea most users are all minting into one giant contract which is not ideal and leaves you at the mercy of their company’s decisions. Alternatively, you can mint your own contract and then consider the appropriate marketplace to list that NFT for sale.”
+ Glassy, Founder GLASSHAUS/MoonRiser
As noted, there are benefits and trade offs that you’ll need to assess when picking a platform for your release. Take into consideration things like collection size, edition uniqueness, and other trait factors when selecting a marketplace.
Next, I’m going to address promotion.
Shilling to the End of the Earth
Of course, it’s not just good enough to put your work into a gallery and expect it to jump of the walls, though we can hope. It is critical to promote and expose the output and venue not only to our own audience but within the larger community of appreciators.
“The best promotion is believing in yourself and your work. Engagement farming seems necessary at times but is the opposite of letting your work speak for itself. Take the time to do the extra work writing on your own art rather than lean on Twitter perpetually.”
Max Jackson, Artist
Obviously, this is not a comprehensive study of how to bring your art to market with cryptocurrencies but it hits the major points. Additionally, hopefully you have been introduced to a few artists you might not have known.
Take Aways for Home and Spaces
If you have been following this series for the last month then you’re probably familiar with the format: Article followed by a Twitter Space in the afternoon then conversion to Video and finally a Podcast.
Today, is no different but with an added component - a new NFT series. It is the introductory piece based on an audiobook project I’ll be releasing as soon as it is approved for Audible.
The open edition on Manifold will be available until the day the audiobook is released. You can acquire as many as you’d like with the expectation that they will factor into a larger game based on the original short story I wrote and performed.
More to come!
Join us for discussion about NFTs in general and the Relic specifically.