Free Art Business Books & Publications Downloads

Information maybe free, but education is priceless!

If any of the books stands out as a most helpful resource it would be the publications "What's My Plan?" from the Australia Council for the Arts and "The Code of Practice" from NAVA. ​

​If you run out of marketing ideas get the 130 Tips To Kickstart Your Marketing.  If you are not sure if you fall under the category hobby or business, ​take the quiz!

MARTINA'S ARTOPSIES

Any artist aspiring to live off their skills could certainly use some art business tips to help them make a success of their art business. The purpose of this book is not only to provide some informative tips and guidelines for succeeding in business as an artist but also to share some useful tools that you can leverage in your art business.
WHAT'S MY PLAN?
Australia Council for the Arts

Reviewing the WHO, What, When and Why of marketing. Learn to understand the world around you, the buyers, your own situation, directions and decision making.
AN ARTIST'S GUIDE TO PRICING CONSISTENTLY & FOR PROFIT
Artwork Archive
Take the guesswork out of pricing.
HOW TO PRICE ART
Barney Davey

A great source to get a professional inside into the world of pricing an artwork. 
ARTS MARKETING POCKET GUIDE
By Sharron Dickman

Discusses the role of Arts Marketing, Planning Marketing Programs, determining consumer needs and identifying markets, writing an effective Marketing plan, analysing and pricing your core product or services.  
CREATIVE BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA
Learning from the Creative Industries Innovation Centre 2009 - 2015

This book provides case studies of leading Australian creative Businesses and is a great contribution, written by experts of the industry to help with relevant information every creative person can use.
TIME MANAGEMENT FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE
Mark McGuinness

Manage the mundane and create the extraordinary is the motto of this publication. It teaches to priorities, ring-fence, what to avoid and what to get done.
SHORT GUIDE TO COPYRIGHT
Australian Government Attorney-General Department

A sweet short guide to copyright covering copyright, intellectual property, patents, trade marks, designs, regulations. Responsibilities and rights of artists. 
T-SHIRTS AND SUITS
David Parrish

A highly acclaimed guide to the business of creativity to help people to combine their passion with business from marketing, intellectual property and business strategy.
ON BOARD
Australia Council for the Arts

Covers elements of serving on the board of an arts organisation. Its legal compliance's, financial responsibilities, strategic planning, effective meetings and monitoring information.
STARTING A BUSINESS
Tim Berry

This is an excerpt from the book "Hurdle, the Book on Business Planning".  It includes how to identify your customers, assess the real risks when starting your own business, choosing a name, choosing a legal structure, licenses, permits, funding, estimate start-up costs.
BUSINESS MODEL PLANNING
Strategyzer

A short sweet Business Plan Model providing you with a quick overview how to plan an art business. It breaks from the traditional way of business planning to a modern way of approaching a business plan.
THE CODE OF PRACTICE
NAVA - National Association for the Arts

I highly recommend this publications for every professional. It covers most important areas of an artist relationship with galleries, buyers, agents, dealers, sponsors and commissioners. This is not to be missed. 
AN ARTIST'S GUIDE TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Artworks Archive
Very useful social media booklet for all artists.
130 IDEAS TO KICKSTART YOUR MARKETING
Monica Davidson

If you run out of ideas you will find a friend in this booklet of 130 ideas to kickstart your brain.
501 KILLER MARKETING TACTICS
Tom Feltenstein
Packed with information this book gives a long list of useful tips. If this is too much for you, chose the topics you are interested in. 
MAKING ART WORK
Australia Council for the Arts

One of the newest Economic Studies of Professional Artists in Australia.
ARTS NATION 
Australia Council for the Arts

This book is a summary of indicators for Australians experiencing arts, artists, arts international and cultural economy. 
WHAT'S YOUR OTHER JOB
Australia Council for the Arts

A census analysis of arts in Australia and what it means to an individual artist.
MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR ARTS ORGANISATIONS

A neat and useful publication covering SWOT analyses, growth strategies, visions, missions, goals and objectives. Critical success factors and marketing goal and objectives. 
MAKING YOUR MENTORSHIP WORK
Australia Council for the Arts
A great book for both mentors and mentorees including a checklist for each. It explains what mentoring is, the benefits, effectiveness, stages of relationship, pitfalls and how it is being done.
INTERNATIONAL ARTS ACTIVITY - AUSTRALIAN ARTS SECTOR
Australia Council for the Arts

The Australia Council for the Arts has invested more than $44.4 million in grants for international activity, supporting 1830 artists and organisations reaching 93 different countries. This is a summary of projects snapshots.
BUSINESS MODEL GENERATION
Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

This is a comprehensive preview of a book you can purchase.
www.businessmodelgeneration.com also has a wide range of free Online sources for download.
ARTS & LAW ANSWERS FOR ARTISTS
Arts Law Centre of Australia

A guide to basic legal issues including copyright, employment, and contracts for artists.