Tips for Writing Emails to Art Directors

Image by: Krsto Jevtic

Contacting Art Directors is a massive part of being an illustrator. It's the main way of getting your work seen. The best way to go about it when starting is email; it's free and every professional has one. However, writing to an art director can be intimidating when you’ve never written to one before. What do I say? How do I sound professional? You can find some good examples online on how to format one of these emails, many of which I have used. Today though I want to talk about some of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up to help you write your emails.

No Mass Emails

It can be tempting to write one email and send it to all the Art Directors you have in your contacts. This however, is frowned upon in the industry. Art Directors are busy people but they are people. It feels much nicer to get a message specifically addressed to you than an obvious advertising campaign. 

Have a Schedule

So when I was in art school I was told you should be contacting art directors 3-4 times a year. However, no one said to me that you shouldn’t be doing it all at once. Break the email process down into smaller chunks so it's something you do consistently rather than a massive project done over a couple of days every 3 months. Take the total number of contacts and calculate how many emails you have to send a week to complete your list in three months. Once you finish your list circle back around to the top and start the process again with more up-to-date work. 

Template or Personal, Why Not Both?

One of the things I see debated a lot is whether you should be creating an email template or writing each email from scratch. Templates make the process more efficient but can feel generic and impersonal. Writing from scratch can help to connect with the person on the other side but takes up much more time. I’ve come to find something in the middle works quite well. I’ll usually write out a basic template but leave spots to write more personal bits. A place to comment on an illustration you liked that they published recently. A comment about how you are looking forward to a book being released and asking if they were involved in the project. Congratulations on winning an award or getting a new job, saying how you saw them post about their recent vacation on social media and asking how it was. Social media is great for this sort of thing It's a tool for people to stay up to date with your work but you can also take advantage of it in the same way. Taking an interest in what’s going on in an Art Director's life can show you see them as more than just someone who might hire you. You always want to remember that there is someone on the other side of the screen. A person with their thoughts and feelings. Writing something that might make their day leaves a much bigger impression than just sending them work.

The Subject line

When it comes to subject lines I like to make it friendly while also getting straight to the point. A good morning can leave the receiver having to open your email to figure out what you want. That’s why I like to put something like Good Morning + Illustrator Introduction or Excited to Share My Work with You. You want to keep it upbeat while being obvious with what the emails are about

Keywords

Keywords are probably not something you think about when writing an email. But do you know how many Art Directors find illustrators for specific jobs? They type in keywords into their email search and look at those artists. So, make it easier for them to find you. Take the time to pick some keywords that best describe what you do. Illustration agencies are a good place to get ideas for this. They already have their artist organized into categories that are often looked for. Look at those categories and figure out where you fit in. Then use those keywords when introducing yourself. For example, My name is Katie. I’m an illustrator who specializes in lifestyle, sports, and nature illustrations. Now, when an art director is looking for sports illustrations your email will pop up.

An Image Banner

So I’m sure you already know this but a common problem you can come across when emailing Art Directors is not making your sample images small enough. If the files are too big you run the risk of them ending up in someone's junk box never to be seen. So instead of sending multiple images create a banner with a collection of your latest work. I usually have it in two rows of three. This lets the art director see six images with only one small file. The sample images you send are a teaser so they don’t have to show your work in their full glory. The sample is to pique the Art Directors' interest and get them looking at your website.

The Follow-up

It may seem a bit obvious but follow up on your emails. If after a week you haven't heard anything send a quick email asking if the art director has gotten a chance to review your work. Since starting this I’ve noticed an increase in responses from my emails. But don’t be too disappointed if you don’t get one. Most of the time you won’t but that doesn't mean you haven't been seen. Just move on and contact the potential client again in your next round of emails.

What to Write After the Introduction

So you’ve already introduced yourself to an art director and it's time to email them again. But what do you write now? The format is similar to the introduction and can feel a bit weird because of how short it is sometimes. I usually write a fresh template for each new round of emails so people aren’t just getting the same email over and over again. Start with a basic How are you doing, if a holiday happened recently ask if they had a good time. Comment about how the weather has been where you are and ask how theirs has been. Comment about that new thing they posted on Instagram recently. Mention how you have some great new stuff you’ve been working on recently and wanted to show them. Point them toward your website if they want to see more of what you’ve been doing. Change it up and ask them a question or ask if they have time to review your work and give you some pointers. Tell them to have a great rest of their day and sign off. Don’t forget to follow up in a week if you haven’t had a reply.

Don’t let Mistakes Ruin your Day

You're bound to make mistakes in the thousands of emails you will send over your career. Were human it happens. Just don’t let it stop you from continuing what you are doing. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my emails. In my first set of emails, I copied and pasted all the art directors' first and last names from my spreadsheets so every email started with something like dear John Smith. I cringe every time I see those emails. I’ve also had my mind elsewhere and sent people emails without changing the spot I usually write something custom for the person and the name on the email. It happens. Own your mistakes and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.