First, your usual price
A debut price only works on top of a real price. If your usual price is a figure you improvised, your debut price will be too, and the people who follow your work can tell. So the first step is not on Instagram but in your studio: a way of pricing you can repeat work after work.
- By size. Height times width, times a rate per square centimetre or inch that grows with your career. Similar works end up with similar prices.
- What it costs you. Materials, framing and your hours. A price that does not cover them does not last.
- The sales channel. A gallery keeps up to half. Your price is the same everywhere; what changes is how much reaches you.
A consistent price explains itself: similar works, similar prices.
Instagram is one more channel: same price
When you sell on Instagram nobody takes a commission, and it is tempting to lower the price. Don't: your work should cost the same on your social media, in your shop and at the gallery that represents you.
- Respect your gallery. If you work with one, selling for less on your own breaks its trust, and often the agreement. Check which works you can sell directly.
- Put what you save in commission into shipping. Careful packing, insurance and transport: that is what people value most in a direct sale.
- One published price. When someone sees two prices for the same work, they stop believing both.
The debut price is the only difference, which is why it has an end time.
Show the price
«Price on request» is the phrase that costs the most chances on Instagram. Many people never write to ask: out of shyness, for fear it is expensive or because they do not want to start a conversation they would then have to end. A visible price filters out those who can't and spares the question for those who can.
With the price in sight, a debut makes sense at a glance: the price now, the price later and how long is left.
Your debut price: how far below
The debut price is your usual price with a difference people can feel, only during the debut. Three cases with the same rule, about 20% below and in round figures:
| Usual price | Debut price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| US$300 | US$240 | 24 h |
| US$600 | US$480 | 48 h |
| US$1,800 | US$1,450 | 72 h |
- Between 15 and 25% below. The difference is felt and the later price stays credible.
- Round figures. €480 is easy to remember and to say out loud; €487 looks like it came out of a calculator.
- Half at most. ArtDebutPrice does not let you go more than 50% below: a debut that is too low makes people doubt the later price.
The later price is your usual price, or higher if the work deserves it. It is fixed when the debut launches and can only go up.
How long it lasts
Time is the other half of a debut price. Too short and your audience never sees it; too long and it stops being a debut.
- 24 hours. As long as a story. For your most loyal followers or a small work.
- 48 hours. The default: time to see it, and room for the last-hours story.
- 72 hours. For large or higher-priced works that need a little more thought.
After the debut
When the time is up, the work moves to its later price and the debut price does not come back. What happens in those hours tells you something for the next one:
- If it finds a buyer in the first hours, your usual price may be too low. Raise it a little for the next work.
- If nobody wants it, don't debut it again for less. Debut the next one and look again at the price, the photo or when you posted it.
- One debut per work. Each work gets one. That way whoever decides in time knows they were right.
Scarcity only convinces while it is true.
Why a debut works and how to prepare it in your stories: How to sell your art on Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
How do I price my paintings if I am starting out?
With a modest, consistent rate by size that you apply to every work and raise as you sell. Cover your materials and your hours, and keep the same price on every channel.
Should I put the price in my Instagram post?
Yes, in the post or behind the story link. A visible price removes the barrier of asking and makes the debut price clear at a glance.
How far below should my debut price be?
Between 15 and 25% below your usual price, in round figures. ArtDebutPrice allows up to half, but a debut that is too low makes people doubt the later price.
Can I lower the price if nobody wants it during the debut?
No. When the debut launches, its price and end time are fixed, and the later price can only go up. If a work finds no buyer, review your usual price for the next ones.
How much does ArtDebutPrice cost?
One debut a month is free (it doesn't roll over: a new one each month). To debut more, packs of 5, 15 or 40 debuts valid for 12 months. No commission on your sales.