Ely Library collects materials to help students with their academic careers here at WSU across all disciplines. We have a great collection of print and e-books in all areas relating to art, and this page is a great starting point for resources relating to starting your career as an artist after you graduate.
Access to library resources doesn't end after graduation! Visit the Alumni Borrowing page for more details.
Resumes & CVs
Professional Ethics & Practices
Wages & Pricing
Worksheets & Forms
Artist Statements
Print Books
Art/Work - Revised and Updated by 
Create Your Art Career by 
Day Jobs by
Day Jobs examines the overlooked, powerful impact of day jobs on the visual arts. Success for artists is often measured by their ability to quit a day job and focus full time on their practice. Yet these jobs can often spur creative growth by providing artists with new materials and methods, hands-on knowledge of a specific industry that becomes an area of artistic investigation, or a predictable paycheck and structure that enable unpredictable ideas. The book is comprised of thirty-nine chapters, one for each included artist, with images of their work, commissioned essays, and interviews. Included are creative pioneers such as Larry Bell, Mark Bradford, Tishan Hsu, Howardena Pindell, and Julia Scher, who offer firsthand accounts of how their day jobs--as a frame shop technician, hair stylist, word processor, museum employee, and security systems installer, respectively--altered their artistic trajectories in surprisingly profound ways.By examining the impact of day jobs on artists, Day Jobs seeks to demystify artistic production and overturn the romanticized concept of the artist sequestered in their studio, waiting forinspiration to strike. Conceived as a corrective to traditional art historical narratives, this book encourages us to more openly acknowledge the precarious and generative ways that economic and creative pursuits are intertwined.
Getting Your Sh*t Together by 
How to Price Crafts and Things You Make to Sell by 
Publish Your Photography Book by
An expanded edition of the essential guide to making a photobook, packed with interviews and contributions from artists, publishers, designers, packagers, editors and other industry experts The first book to demystify the process of producing and publishing a book of photographs, Publish Your Photography Book was first released in 2011 and subsequently sold out two editions. This highly anticipated third edition guides photo-based artists through the steps involved in publishing a book of their work. Industry insiders Darius D. Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson survey the current landscape of photography-book publishing and point out the many avenues to pursue and pitfalls to avoid. This updated, expert guide covers: a history of the photobook; an overview of the publishing industry; the process of bringing your project to book form (with both traditional publishing and self-publishing options); how to market a photography book (including a dialogue with collectors on the limited edition and artist-made books); case studies with published photographers; and valuable resources on production materials, publishing and marketing timelines. Filled with educational wisdom, the book features interviews and contributions from artists, agents, editors, designers, printers, publishers, distributors, booksellers, curators and librarians who share their experiences and provide advice about each step on the path to publication and placement. A removable workbook helps readers address book preparation, draft submission guidelines, production timelines and marketing plans. With over 50 years of combined industry experience and insights, the authors also provide both historical context and contemporary expertise about the international photobook scene, including awards, fairs and grants. Contributors include: Regina Maria Anzenberger, Bob Aufuldish, Julia Borissova, Barbara Bosworth, Frish Brandt, Sonel Breslav, Joan Brookbank, Jane Brown, Jason Burstein, David Campany, Alejandro Cartagena, Bruno Ceschel, Nelson Chan, Lewis Chaplin, Clément Cheroux, David Chickey, Joshua Chuang, Mary DelMonico, Sarah Espenon, Jon Evans, Chloe Ferres, Tricia Gabriel, Susan kae Grant, Kris Graves, Hans Gremmen, Nathalie Herschdorfer, Todd Hido, Deborah Hollis, Tiffany Jones, Christina Labey, Joan Liftin, Michael Lundgren, Lesley A. Martin, Christopher McCall, Lisa McCarty, Clifton Meador, Dan Milnor, Arezoo Moseni, Colleen Mullins, Azu Nwagbogu, Martin Parr, Cecile Poimboeuf-Koizumi, Alan Rapp, Rixon Reed, Ruth R. Rogers, Laura Russell, Markus Schaden, Mike Slack, Søren Solkær, David Solo, Gerhard Steidl, Alan Thomas, Ian van Coller, Anne Wilkes Tucker, Amy Wilkins, Deborah Willis, Denise Wolff, Nancy E. Wolff, Carl Wooley, Sophie Wright and Philip Zimmermann.
E-Books
Legal Guide for the Visual Artist by 
