How to Market/Publish your Works.

[bcshort]

Hi All,

I'm now getting to a stage where I am considering my first foray into producing some work to sell to the tourist markets (postcards, posters/prints). Given this would be a move from the keen amateur to the semi professional, I need to get my head around how not to lose a bucketload of money in buying stock I subsequently am unable to sell. Similarly, I dont want to go to a printer and say I need 20 of this item, 20 of that one - because I know this would not get me a good price

How do other people do this? Do you go shop to shop with a portfolio of work, and then take orders before going to the publisher?

Obviously I am going to have to have some product samples - I am thinking I can just contact some printers and ask for samples (of anything, not my photos), that I can be sent for review purposes prior to choosing a printer?

Also, what are people's thoughts about on-demand printing, such as that provided by sites like RedBubble?

Thanks for the advice in advance