Behind the Ink: How to Work With Management Companies & Book Creative Projects as a Linocut Artist

gilfaloartdesign
Nov 15
6 min read

Updated: Nov 19

If you’ve ever spent hours carving a block, hands cramped, music blasting, ink drying on your shirt because you definitely wiped your hands on it again — then you already know that being an artist is only half the job. The other half? Booking the work. Talking to bands. Connecting with management companies. Sending emails that somehow sound confident even though you’re sweating onto your keyboard.

Welcome to the side of the art world nobody teaches you: the relationship-building, email-writing, contract-negotiating frontier. You can carve the most beautiful linocut in the world, or create the cleanest reduction printmaking masterpiece—but if you want to turn your art into a sustainable career, you’re eventually going to have to communicate with the people who hire artists: band managers, booking agents, tour managers, art directors, and management companies.

The good news? It’s not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, once you understand how managers think and what they value, booking concert poster commissions and graphic design work becomes a natural extension of your creative practice.

Let’s dive in.

1. Managers Are Not Gatekeepers — They’re Partners

This is the first mindset shift new artists need to make.

Many creatives imagine management companies as a giant castle wall, impossible to climb unless you know someone on the inside. But the truth is much simpler: managers are busy people trying to do right by their artists, and when they find dependable creatives who show up with professionalism and originality… they remember.

Most managers aren’t looking for perfection — they’re looking for:

reliability
clear communication
timely delivery
professionalism
enthusiasm
and yes… good graphic design and artwork that genuinely fits the vibe of their artist

If your linocut and block printing style is unique, bold, and memorable, that already puts you in a category that stands out from typical digital artists. It’s real. It’s handmade. It’s tactile. It catches their eye.

Your goal is simple: make yourself easy to work with and hard to forget.

2. Before You Reach Out: Prepare Your Portfolio Like a Pro

Managers and booking agents are visual people. They’re constantly thinking about branding, imagery, tour posters, album campaigns, and audience engagement.

So before you send your first email, make sure you have a strong artist portfolio that includes:

A clear gallery of your linocut or reduction prints

Show work that is crisp, consistent, and reflects your artistic voice.

A dedicated section for concert posters or music-related art

If you want to book poster work, make sure they see poster work.

Project summaries or “process posts”

Managers LOVE seeing how long things take, how they’re created, and the dedication behind handmade art.

A clear contact page

Make it impossible for them to question how to reach you.

Clean photography

Good lighting, clean backgrounds, clear details — your prints deserve to shine.

Your website and social pages are not just portfolios; they’re trust builders.

3. How to Write the Email That Actually Gets Opened

Here’s the truth: managers get a lot of emails from artists. Most of them are long, vague, or trying way too hard.

The best outreach email is:

short
specific
respectful of their time
full of energy
and backed by your best work

Here’s a simple structure that works across the board:

Subject Line Ideas

Poster Artist Inquiry – Unique Linocut & Reduction Prints
Handmade Concert Poster Artist Available for 2025 Shows
Graphic Designer & Printmaker Interested in Collaborating

Email Structure

1. Start with who you are.

A single sentence. No life story.

“Hi, I’m Chris — I’m a concert poster artist specializing in linocut and reduction printmaking.”

2. Give a quick, punchy description of your style.

“My posters are fully hand-carved and hand-printed, with bold textures and a handmade aesthetic that stands apart from digital design.”

3. Tell them what you want.

Managers appreciate directness.

“I’d love to be considered for future tour posters, event branding, or limited-run merch.”

4. Show them you know the band.

Not a novel — just a sentence showing you’re not spamming.

“I think your artist’s style would translate beautifully into block printing, especially with their nature-driven lyrics.”

5. Attach or link your absolute best work.

Links > attachments.

“Here’s a selection of my poster portfolio: [link]”

6. Make it easy to say yes.

“I’m flexible on timelines, comfortable with print or digital delivery, and happy to produce concepts quickly if needed.”

7. Thank them.

Simple. Kind. Professional.

Managers want three things from the artists they hire:

authenticity
clarity
confidence

Give them that, and you’re already ahead of most people hitting their inbox.

4. The Follow-Up: The Most Overlooked Step

Most bookings don’t happen on the first email — they happen on the follow-up.

Not an annoying follow-up. Not a guilt trip.

Just a simple message like:

“Hi again — following up to share a few new posters I created this month. Would love to collaborate when the timing is right.”

Managers appreciate reminders when they’re done respectfully. You’re not pestering; you’re staying present.

5. When You Finally Book the Project: Treat It Like Gold

The first commission you book with a management company is your chance to set the tone for every future job. Make it count.

Here’s how to build trust immediately:

Confirm deadlines clearly
Ask what dates are non-negotiable.

Send thumbnails or low-res previews early
Don’t disappear for two weeks.

Communicate delays (if any) honestly
It happens. Managers appreciate transparency.

Deliver on time — or early
This is the #1 way to get hired again.

Provide both print-ready and social media versions
You become instantly more valuable when you understand their needs.

Give them usage notes

For example: “This is a 3-layer reduction print, limited to 75 copies — perfect for VIP bundles or special releases.”

When you make a manager’s life easier, they return the favor in the form of more work.

6. Why Handmade Linocut Posters Stand Out in a Digital World

This is a secret advantage many printmakers forget they have: management teams are constantly seeking ways for their artists to stand out.

Handmade art does the heavy lifting for them.

Linocut posters offer:

tactile texture
visual depth
natural imperfections
bold lines and rugged character
exclusivity
built-in storytelling
the “cool factor” that fans love

In a world drowning in digital graphics, your reduction printmaking, block printing, and hand-carved imagery are refreshing.

When you pitch your work, highlight what makes it special:

limited editions
signed prints
hand-pulled process
collectible value
compatibility with merch tables and VIP add-ons

You’re not just offering a poster — you’re offering a piece of art that fans will cherish long after the show.

7. Pricing and Negotiation Without Losing Your Soul

Money talk scares artists, but here’s the truth: management companies EXPECT to pay for quality design.

For concert posters and printmaking work, your pricing should reflect:

concept development
carving time
printing labor
material cost
edition size
usage rights (tour-wide? one show? merch?)
deliverables (digital? physical prints? both?)

Separate “art creation fee” from “print production costs” so clients understand the value clearly.

And remember:

Licensing is your friend.

If they want to use your art on shirts, hats, posters, vinyl, banners…

That is not free.

Protect your work, but don’t undervalue it.

8. Building Relationships That Last Years

It’s not just about booking one job — it’s about becoming the go-to artist for multiple bands and tours.

To build long-term relationships:

deliver consistently
celebrate the artist’s wins
send managers your new work occasionally
share posters on social with proper tags
think like a collaborator, not just a vendor

Managers remember artists who make their lives easier, deliver killer art, and genuinely care.

9. Your Reputation Will Book Jobs You Never Even Pitch

Something magical happens once you’ve worked with a few great management teams:

your name starts getting passed around.

One poster leads to three.

Three posters lead to ten.

Suddenly, you’re the “linocut concert poster person.”

And that’s when your creative world expands in ways you never planned.

10. The Real Reward: Seeing Your Art Become Part of Music History

At the end of the day, management companies and booking projects aren’t just about business. They’re about becoming part of someone else’s creative universe.

Your posters end up on merch tables.

They get signed by artists.

Fans frame them in their homes.

Collectors track you down for editions.

Your carving becomes part of the story that music tells.

That’s the magic of this work — the merging of graphic design, printmaking, sound, ink, and human connection.