Laura is available to give the following talks:
Shoot Your Books: DIY Book Art Photography
Marketing 101 for Book Artists
Pricing Principles for Book Artists

Shoot Your Artist Books: DIY Book Art Photography

Lecture Description: Join Laura Russell as she reveals the secrets to high-quality DIY photography of artist books. In this informative talk, Laura will guide you through the process, from setting up a budget-friendly photo studio using materials from a hardware store to capturing high-quality images using your smartphone camera. Learn essential editing techniques to enhance your photos and prepare them for various applications, including juried exhibitions and online platforms. This workshop is suitable for beginners, emphasizing low- or zero-cost software options—yet achieving high resolution, quality images. Leave with detailed handouts and plenty of resources. Basic computer skills and a newer smartphone are the only prerequisites to capturing beautiful images of your own artwork.

Length of Lecture: Actual slide lecture is about 45 minutes plus time for Q&A.
Handouts: An extensive 10-page resource and step-by-step PDF is available for all attendees. Venue is asked to print and distribute to attendees.
Equipment Needs: Digital projector. I can either bring my own laptop or put the presentation on a flash drive.

Marketing 101 for Book Artists

Lecture Description: So, you’ve made a few artist books, now what do you do with them? Come learn how to send them out into the world and maybe make a little income to pay for future book ideas. Laura Russell combines her 15 years of professional experience in the world of marketing; her venture as the owner of 23 Sandy Gallery; and her experience making and peddling her own limited-edition artist books to talk about the art of selling artist books. She’ll discuss marketing plans, pricing, promotional materials, internet sales, book fairs as well as how to approach dealers, galleries, institutions and collectors. You’ll go home with a list of resources and some great ideas for promoting yourself and your books.

Length of lecture: Actual slide lecture is about 45 minutes plus Q&A time.
Handouts: A two-page handout of resource listings accompanies this
lecture. Venue is asked to print and distribute to attendees.
Equipment Needs: Digital projector. I can either bring my own laptop or put the presentation on a flash drive.

Pricing Principles for Book Artists

Lecture Description: Painters have it easy. The gallery world has a standard formula based on square inches that is used to calculate the retail price of paintings. Sadly, there is no such formula in the complex world of book art. How can a book artist be compensated for the untold hundreds of hours that go into the research, design, printing, binding and other countless processes involved in crafting a unique bookwork or editioned masterpiece?

Join us to learn pricing strategies, research, the market values of artist books, pricing pitfalls and formulas, how to raise prices, pricing ethics and offering discounts. This lecture will be based on Laura’s many years of experience selling artist books both as an artist and as a dealer plus a previous career as a professional in the field of marketing and advertising.

Length of lecture: Actual slide lecture is a full 60 minutes plus time for Q&A.
Handouts: A two-page lecture outline handout is provided. Venue is asked to print and distribute to attendees.
Equipment Needs: Digital projector. I can either bring my own laptop or put the presentation on a flash drive.

Contact Laura to schedule a talk for your group. Thank you!