2017 Commissions: What you need to know
2016 was a fabulous commission year! I completed 39 commissions from January to December, with sales pieces and smaller jobs in between. I had a lot of fun projects and fantastic models cross my desk, and I can't wait to see what comes in 2017.
There were some minor hitches in the booking process in 2016, and in an effort to smooth them out I'm tweaking the way I'll book in 2017. Commissions scheduled for the last half of 2016 were fully booked within an hour, so I really recommend reading up on the coming changes!
What's Staying the Same
I'm still going to book roughly 6 months at a time, and I'm still going to take three commissions per month. No deposit is required to hold a spot, and you don't have to know what you want when you book! You can still book more than one spot at a time. Commissions will still be finished in the month they are booked.
As before, I won't be keeping a waiting list. If you're interested in finding out about later commission opportunities, my studio newsletter is the way to go. You can sign up here.
What's Changing
Instead of posting a surprise ad on MH$P, I'm scheduling the day I'll be booking. My books will be opening on Wednesday, January 11 at 2pm CST. I'm blocking off that afternoon to answer questions and book commissions for February through June! I'd love to make it possible for everyone who wants one to book a spot, but with clients across the US and overseas, I can't make it work for everyone. Hopefully by notifying everyone in advance it will be a little easier. If you'd like an email notification when bookings go live, sign up for the studio newsletter.
Perhaps the most important change is the means of communication. I will only be booking advance commissions via email. I will post a MH$P ad and send out an email to the studio newsletter mailing list with an email button when bookings are live, and emails received through either channel are fine. I will be advertising via Facebook and Instagram as well, directing traffic to MH$P, and have no problem switching to Facebook for communication after a spot is booked. Any inquires on social media channels will be responded to with a stock request for an email.
In an effort to make sure that I can respond to commission inquiries in a timely, organized manner I'm going to require people to specify the month they'd like their commission to fall in, along with a back up (or two). You can also request the next available spot. If more than one spot is requested, month and back up (or next available) needs to be specified for each. Inquiries that do not specify a month will be responded to, but are likely to miss out on booking since things go so quickly.
A minimum order amount of $100 is going to be enacted for commissions in 2017. These bookings are intended for full sets (saddle, bridle, etc), and I've scheduled myself accordingly. If you aren't sure how much a potential commission would cost, you're welcome to email me in advance or check out the commissions page of my website for some basic pricing information. If you're interested in work by me, but not a full set, never fear! That's the next thing on the 'what's changing' list.
If you want a bridle, a halter, boots, a saddle pad, or something else small and don't plan on commissioning a full set in 2017 - this is for you! In addition to the larger, full set commissions I'll take two or three small jobs per month, advertised at the beginning of each month and filled on a first come, first serve basis. These will be advertising through social media and my studio newsletter, so if you want a notification right in your inbox - sign up!
Whew, thanks for sticking with me for all of that information! If you have any questions, please comment here or send an email to studio@dreamflitedesign.com. I look forward to hearing from you and working on your commissions in 2017!
