Beeple’s collage, Everydays: The First 5000 Days, sold at Christie’s. Image: Beeple
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Sell Art
It might be a little optimistic to expect your first NFTs to sell for anything near that – but it certainly seems as though NFTs are here to stay, and they represent an exciting opportunity to diversify your income. Many artists and brands are starting to explore selling NFTs as another form of revenue. NFT sales are exciting; there have been multiple reports by artists such as Beeple selling for millions of dollars.
Of course, before you can sell NFT art, you’ll need to understand exactly what is NFT art. Check out this article to learn everything you need to know – and when you’re ready, read on for our step-by-step guide on how to sell NFT art.
How to sell NFT art
1. Create art that people want
The first step in selling NFT art is to create the type of NFTs people want to buy. Have a look at top-selling NFTs and popular collections for inspiration, and to understand the types of art people are interested in. Your art can be an image, video or audio file, up to 100MB, in a format such as JPEG, PNG or GIF.
2. Choose a blockchain, NFT platform and crypto wallet
Once you’ve created your art, you need to turn it into an NFT. As NFTs are blockchain-based assets, you need to decide which blockchain you want to sell your NFT through. Ethereum is the most popular, but there are also many others, including Tezos, Polkadot and Solana. You then need to choose an NFT marketplace that supports this blockchain. Examples of NFT marketplaces include OpenSea, Rarible and SuperRare.
When making these decisions, consider the type of art you are selling, what fees each platform charges, and what cryptocurrency your potential buyers are likely to be using. Ethereum, for example, charges high ‘gas fees’ for ‘minting’ (creating) your NFT, but ETH is a popular cryptocurrency that lots of people own. Scopio uses the Magic Eden marketplace on the more affordable Solana blockchain.
When you’ve selected an NFT platform, you’ll need to create a crypto wallet that supports your chosen blockchain, to allow you to send and receive payments in cryptocurrency. Before listing on Scopio, you’ll need to set up and connect a Phantom wallet, which is compatible with Solana. If you don’t already own cryptocurrency, you’ll need to buy some and store it in your wallet to cover any minting or transaction fees.
3. Mint your NFT
After you’ve set up and connected your crypto wallet, it’s time to mint your NFT. The exact process for this will vary depending on the platform you’re using. You may have to fill in an application form, or on the bigger platforms such as OpenSea, there may just be a ‘Create’ button (although OpenSea will still vet your submission before approving it for sale). At this point, you will be prompted to upload your image file and select which blockchain you want to use.
As part of this process, you will be asked to give your art a name and add any details about it, such as the edition and a description. Maximize this opportunity by giving as much information as possible about the art and yourself as the artist. This will allow potential buyers to better understand and connect with your work, just as if you were selling it in the physical world. This is an important way in which you can help sell your NFT art.
Adding ‘unlockable’ content to your NFT is another way to attract buyers. This content is only visible to the purchaser and could include anything from a discount code for future purchases or an invite to your exhibition. Brands may like to add exclusive coupons or rewards for their customers.
Another tactic when learning how to sell NFT art is to create a collection of similar NFTs. Many people enjoy the feeling of community and status that can come with owning an NFT from a sought-after collection. The Bored Ape Yacht Club, popular with celebrities from Justin Bieber to Jimmy Fallon, is a great example.
For a more detailed explanation of the process of creating an NFT, check out our in-depth article on how to make NFT art to sell.
4. Create your NFT listing
Congratulations, it’s time to list your NFT for sale! Again, the exact way to do this will depend on the NFT platform you’ve chosen. On OpenSea, you can select the NFT you have created, and click ‘Sell’ in the top right corner. On Rarible, the listing is part of the process of minting your NFT.
If you want people to bid on your NFT, select the auction option. You could run this indefinitely until you accept an offer, or you may be able to set a time limit with a minimum purchase price. Again, make sure this is at least enough to cover your expected fees – although these can be hard to predict, so there is an element of risk involved.
5. Set your royalties and pay fees
At this stage, you may also be asked to decide what percentage of royalties you want to charge on future sales of your work. On OpenSea, you can set a percentage up to 10%. On Scopio, royalties to the artist are defined at 6%, with 4.2% going to the artist and 1.8% going to Scopio. Bear in mind that although higher royalties may seem more attractive, they can deter potential buyers, as they will be less likely to make a profit from future sales.
6. Get social
Marketing is an essential part of learning how to make and sell NFT art. No matter how great your NFT is, it’s unlikely to sell if no one knows about it. Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to get the word out about your NFTs. You could post some teasers or ‘sneak peaks’ in the run-up to your NFT drop, and run a live stream, Q&A or giveaway to get people interested.
Some NFT platforms require proof that you have a social presence before they will approve you as a content creator. OpenSea, for example, requires you to tell them your social following and for you to commit to sharing your NFT collection on your social channels at least once.
On Rarible, you can apply to be a ‘verified’ artist, which involves submitting proof that your work is original and sharing links to your social media channels, to show you have a community. Getting a ‘verified’ badge can significantly increase your chances of selling your NFT art on the platform, so it’s worth doing.
7. Promote your NFT art
Your social channels are not the only way you can market your NFTs. You could also join NFT groups on community platforms, such as Reddit, Quora or Discord and share your NFTs. Make sure to contribute meaningfully to the community and discuss other people’s art as well as your own, so you’re not just spamming them.
Collaborating with other artists and influencers to cross-promote your NFTs to each other’s followers is another great strategy. If you’re just starting, don’t be afraid to ask friends and family to get involved and help spread the word.
You could also promote your NFTs by creating a website (if you don’t have one already). This will give you credibility as an artist and if you focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) you may be able to pull in lots of new potential buyers from Google and other search engines.
FAQs
Where can I sell NFT digital art?
The best place to sell NFT art is through a dedicated NFT platform. If you’re a photographer and wondering where to sell NFT art, Scopio is the first photography-focused NFT platform, so we are best-placed to assist you. We promote the artists and stories behind all of our images and are committed to helping you access the opportunity of NFTs.
This is a difficult question to answer, as it depends on so many factors, including which blockchain and NFT platform you choose, the fee structure, and the time of the transaction (due to the fluctuations in the value of cryptocurrencies). The Ethereum ‘gas fee’ to mint your NFT is often around $80, whereas Solana is just $0.10. However, you may be able to sell your NFT for more on Ethereum, as ETH is a more popular cryptocurrency.
If you’re wondering how to sell NFT art for free, or at least, for the lowest fees possible, you could look at platforms that offer ‘lazy minting’. This is where you can list your art for free, and charge the cost of minting the NFT to the buyer when your art sells. However, you still need a crypto wallet, and you may still be charged other fees. For example, OpenSea charges a one-time fee to ‘initialize’ your account, and most platforms charge transaction fees of 2-3%.
How do I make my NFT popular?
You need to promote your NFTs to generate interest. Some ways to do this include:
- Make a website and use SEO to get it ranking on search engines.
- Use social media to advertise your NFTs and run giveaways.
- Collaborate with other artists and influencers to reach more followers.
- Post and actively contribute to NFT groups on community forums.
Is it easy to sell NFT?
Yes! The popularity of NFTs has increased exponentially and demand has never been higher, so now is a great time to get involved. Anyone can sell NFTs – just follow our step-by-step guide on how to create NFT art and sell it. If you’re a photographer with a portfolio on Scopio, it’s even easier to sell your art as NFTs – just set up and connect a Phantom wallet, and we’ll do the rest!
