To Market, to Market

To Market, to Market—So a given map is “finished”.  Now what?  Photograph it.  Create a digital record file.  Copyright it.  Decide the final production sizes.  Choose materials such as art paper, canvas or other.  Sample color separations, shades and transparencies, UV protected inks and degrees of finishing.  Finally, print finished samples for presenting and marketing and adding to the website, along with promoting new entries to make the best effort at reaching and informing the largest possible audience.  And, do I really know who these people might be?  Are the only really interested folks those with some connection to the specific locale or will this map have broader appeal?  How to decide this or somehow market-test it?  Why do buyers really like or want to own a map?  These very fundamental questions go to the heart of producing these artworks and the desire to put them in front of others to see if their reaction is as positive as my own.  A part of this relates to my hopes for the website; to reach beyond easy, geographic boundaries and connect with unexpected and unknown “others”.  Who visits the site, when and why, is pretty fascinating.  Is it just to see maps or is it their connection to the water and related activities or is it a gift for a house warming or Father’s Day?  Each of these visitors could represent a different promotional, marketing strategy and all are valid viewers.  But finding them and being responsive is the trick.  What I’ve been doing so far has been working fine.  Now I’m trying to stretch to another level by putting stuff further out there and seeing what comes back.  All thoughts on this are welcome.