This episode is part of a nine-part series on commissions. How to prepare for them, respond to them, deliver them, and, crucially, how to stop them burning you out. If you haven't followed the podcast yet, hit follow so you don't miss an episode.
Today, episode 5 of 9 - If you only listen to one, I would ask that it be this one.
Because I am going to tell you about the single biggest shift most artists can make in how they run commissions. It changes the economics. It changes the relationship. It changes how the client sees you. And it is still, astonishingly, the thing nearly every artist is not yet doing.
It is called paid concept development.
So, last week's episode. The enquiry filter told you this client was serious. The chemistry call confirmed they were a good fit. The alignment document came back confirmed, with minor amendments. The client is now saying, brilliant, love it, let's go.
This is where most artists collapse. They work for free.
Sometimes 5 hours. Sometimes 10. Sometimes, on larger commissions, 30 or 40 hours of unpaid concept work before a single £ is on the table.
This is the shape of how artists lose weeks of unpaid labour every year. And most do not realise it is happening, because the work feels like normal commission behaviour. But it isn't. It is something an industry has normalised that is quietly killing its own practitioners.
There is another way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Every industry where bespoke work is produced charges for concept work -architects, designers etc. It simply means the client is paying upfront for your thinking: visuals, materials, research, concept rationale, scale considerations. They keep that work whether or not they proceed.
Paid concept development filters out the clients who were never going to commission anyway - before you've spent hours working for them.
Once your proposal is accepted, move to a second, separate production agreement: final fee, a 50% deposit with a 30/20% payment schedule, named dates, fabrication details, and written responsibilities. No ambiguity, no loose ends.
BEST MOMENTS
"It's something an industry has normalised that is quietly killing its own practitioners."
"You're not asking for something unusual, you're matching professional standards."
"The 50% deposit is not optional. If a client pushes back on the deposit, that's information.”
HOST BIO
With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals.
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This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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