HOW TO NAVIGATE PAYMENT IN EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITIES
The offer to work for exposure runs rampant in the art world. Being an artist or a small creative business is a career, but artists are constantly asked to work for free. This is called “payment in exposure” or PIE. As a creative, you have probably been lured by opportunities for free exposure, networking, or some other marketing-based benefit.
Navigating these types of opportunities can be challenging as many are enticing, some are beneficial, and others exploit artists. It's time to consider all the reasons why artists should avoid PIE, common grey areas where PIE occurs, and when to accept a PIE opportunity.
Why You Should Avoid PIE Opportunities
Saying no to payment in exposure means saying yes to getting paid to do what you love. Regardless of where an artist is in their career, emerging, established, or somewhere in between, an artist deserves to get paid. These are four reasons why artists should avoid PIE.
PIE Doesn’t Pay the Bills
Art supplies, studios, insurance, and marketing all cost money. Accepting a PIE opportunity will cost you both time and money as you will be working for free,
If you’re still not convinced, it’s time to look at your budget. Price out the PIE in real dollars. Determine all of the expenses including supplies, gas, time, and other costs associated with the opportunity. Now compare the likelihood of generating enough interest or exposure to generate future sales income. If the opportunity puts you at a loss, then the opportunity isn’t right for your business.
Perpetuating the Starving Artist Myth
Emerging artists often get lured into making free artwork because others suggest that this will lead to exposure, fame, or future sales. These pitches often come from people who disregard the financial ramifications of these requests and actually perpetuate the myth of the starving artist.
Be careful, when you work for free or undermine your prices. Free work, donations, or heavy discounts can actually impact the perception of value and overall selling price for your artwork. Frequent engagement with PIE opportunities can undermine your future creative business and hurts other artists who demand fair prices.
Other Artists Asking for PIE
PIE requests come from both inside and outside the art world. Believe it or not, sometimes other artists will try to solicit you with these types of opportunities. It can be hard to say no if this is a well-known artist or someone who has made a name for themselves. It can be even harder as an emerging artist if it’s someone you look up to.
Never ask other artists to make free art, or work for free, unless there’s a mutual agreement where both artists are donating and mutually collaborating. Collaboration and payment in exposure are two different opportunities.
Varying Audiences
It’s important to consider who is asking you to make free work, and who will the art be exposed to. Usually, the audience who will see your work isn’t the same audience who would be a prospective art buyer or collector. This difference in audiences often means the exposure doesn’t yield results or sales that are beneficial to the artist.
For example, a popular request that has emerged in the past few years are influencers asking for free product or free artwork from makers on Instagram in exchange for a share or online exposure. Influencer audiences don’t always care about the product or the business the influencer is promoting.
Grey Areas of PIE
There are some areas where payment in exposure gets a bit unclear. However, some guidelines will navigate you so you feel good about your participation and you don’t feel exploited.
Internships & Volunteering
Although art internships and volunteering in arts organizations are often unpaid positions (but internships are best when paid), you should be receiving some sort of benefit, skill-building, network expansion, or experience regardless of the lack of monetary compensation. Volunteer because you are passionate about the position or opportunity and want to give back. Intern to learn additional new skills or to complete a school program
Internships and volunteer work differ from making and giving away free artwork, but they can fall under a similar umbrella where lack of fair compensation hurts the artist. Once an organization or company is dependent on your role, you can easily be overworked.
It may be time to leave the volunteer position or internship if:
Your volunteer work is the equivalent of a part or full-time job
The school requirement is completed for the internship
You no longer reap any benefit from interning or volunteering
The organization or company relies on you completely for your role, work, and tasks
You don’t enjoy the position
Donations or Charity Work
Oftentimes, artists are solicited to donate artwork for charities, auctions, and other fundraising events. When you make a donation, do your research. You may not be offered a cut of the sale. Sometimes the artist is lured into the donation saying that the donation is tax-deductible but don’t be fooled by this. This is a common mistake advertised as a benefit. You may not be able to write off the full value of the work donated and many times you can only deduct the cost of materials and supplies. It’s best to consult an accountant before claiming a deduction for an art donation.
Like volunteering and internships, if you are passionate about donating your work or supporting the organization, consider donating work and supporting a good cause.
When to Accept PIE
After all of these considerations, you still may be interested in participating in a PIE opportunity. Here are some important questions to ask yourself. The more information you have before saying yes to the opportunity, the more power you have in decision-making.
What does the exposure look like? (Online, in-person, printed on marketing materials, etc.)
How will you be credited for your work, and where will that credit line exist?
Who is the audience? How many people are involved or interacting with this opportunity?
What is the length of time of this exposure? Is it indefinite?
What other benefits will there be besides “exposure?”
Are there any agreements and stipulations?
Is a contract necessary or helpful?
Accept PIE opportunities after getting clear answers to your questions and you feel good about the exchange of artwork for exposure.
Do you have an experience or lesson learned regarding payment in exposure? Comment below with your story to help other artists navigate this area of creative business.
