Best email marketing for artists and makers
Offer early access to drops in exchange for an email. Send a studio note every two weeks. Send the drop email to your list an hour before you post it anywhere else. SendFox is free up to 1,000 contacts, then $29 once for 5,000.
Free up to 1,000 contacts. No card.
Your best collectors aren't refreshing Instagram at 10am on drop day. They're at work. An email is the only way to reach all of them at once, and it gets there before the bots and the resellers.
The example is Fern & Kiln, a made-up one-person pottery studio run by Jess. Jess and the mugs are invented. The screenshots are from a real SendFox account set up exactly the way this page describes.
The offer: first dibs, not a discount
"Join my newsletter" gets nothing. "Get the shop link an hour before Instagram" gets signups at every market. When things sell out, access is worth more than 10% off.
Jess prints the Smart Page link as a QR code on a little card at the market table. People sign up while she wraps their mug. It takes them 15 seconds.
The form, field by field
- Fields: First name and email. Every extra field costs signups.
- Button: "Give me first dibs"
- What they get: The shop link an hour before anyone else, on every kiln load.
- Where signups go: the Early access list, which starts the welcome automation.
Use it as a hosted link (your bio, a QR code, the back of a book) or paste one line of code to put it on your site.
The drop email
Short, specific, and useful. How many of what, when, how much, and the link. Plus one human line so it doesn't read like a receipt.
Put the prices in the email. It saves people a click, and the ones who can't afford it today don't feel tricked.
Copy the text of this email
Morning,
The kiln is open and it was a good one. 38 pieces made it:
22 speckled mugs (the 12 oz ones everyone asks about)
9 small serving bowls
7 bud vases in the new moss glaze
Two mugs cracked. They're on my desk holding pens now.
The shop opens to this list at 9am Eastern today. I post on Instagram at 10.
[Button: Shop the kiln load]
Mugs are $38. Bowls are $54. Vases are $26. Shipping is flat $8 in the US.
Thank you for being here,
Jess
Never post a drop on Instagram before your list hears about it. Your list is the part of your audience that actually buys.
From the SendFox teamSay your list is 800 people. If 40% open the drop email, 320 people see the new work.
If 3% of the whole list click through and buy, that's 24 orders. With 38 pieces in the kiln load, most of it is gone before the Instagram post goes up.
Rough math, not a promise. Round numbers for illustration; they aren't SendFox data, and your list will do its own thing.
A drop month for a one-person studio
- Thu Oct 1
Studio note: photos of work drying, rough drop date.
- Thu Oct 8
Past buyers list only: "You get first look on Thursday."
- Thu Oct 15, 9am
The drop email (above) to the early access list.
- Thu Oct 15, 10am
Instagram post. Not an email.
- Sat Oct 24
Market reminder: where, when, what's left.
Send a studio note every two weeks even when nothing's for sale. If you only email when you're selling, people learn to ignore you.
Set up the welcome before the market
You'll get a burst of signups at every market. The welcome sequence means each one gets a proper hello, even while you're packing up the tent.
- Right away"You're on the early access list"What to expect, when drops happen, and a photo of the studio.
- 3 days later"Why I make mugs (a short story)"The why behind the work. People buy from people.
- 10 days later"The next kiln load is drying"A photo of greenware and the approximate drop date.
Lists and tags, with exact names
Create these on day one, with these exact names, so every email has an obvious place to go.
Early accesslistEveryone who signs up. Drop emails go here first.
Past buyerslistImport from your shop as a CSV. They get the first look.
Commission waitlistlistPeople who asked for a custom piece. They hear when slots open.
Subject lines
The SendFox features that matter for makers
Scheduling to the minute
The drop email goes out at 9:00 exactly while you're refreshing the shop.
Every planA Past buyers list
Import customers from a CSV and give them first look.
Free: 3 lists · Lifetime & Pro: unlimitedSmart Page
Your signup page and QR code. No website required.
Free: 1 · Lifetime & Pro: unlimitedImport
Bring subscribers from a CSV, Mailchimp, Kit or Google Contacts.
Every planCommissions: let the list fill them first
When you open commission slots, send one email to the list 48 hours before you post anywhere else. Say how many slots, the price range, the turnaround, and exactly how to claim one (reply to this email works fine).
Jess opens 6 commission spots each December. They usually go to people who've been on the list for a year and bought twice. That's not a coincidence. The list is where your repeat buyers live.
One more thing: write alt text in your head as you write the email. Say what the piece looks like in words. Some people read email with images off, and "38 speckled mugs in a creamy glaze" sells even when the photo doesn't load.
Settings for a maker's list
| Setting | What to set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| From name | Jess at Fern & Kiln | Collectors buy from Jess, not from a shop. |
| From email | An address you actually read | Replies go to your from address. Replies are the best signal you'll get. |
| Send time | Drop day, 9am Eastern | An hour before the Instagram post, while people are at their desks. Campaigns schedule in your time zone. |
| Double opt-in | Leave it on to start | Confirmed subscribers mean fewer typos and fake signups. Single opt-in is available on Pro, or on Lifetime after a one-time domain setup. |
| Lists and tags | Early access, Past buyers, Commission waitlist | So each email goes only to the people it's for. What each one is for is spelled out in the lists and tags section. |
| Engaged only | On for promos, off for must-read news | It sends only to people who opened in the last 90 days or joined recently. |
| Footer | Nothing to add | SendFox adds your mailing address and an unsubscribe link to every campaign. You'll need to enter your address before your first send. |
What it costs
Free
1,000 contacts, 3,000 sends a month. 1 Smart Page, 1 form, 1 automation.
Lifetime
5,000 contacts and 300,000 total sends. Unlimited automations, Smart Pages and forms.
Pro
From 5,000 contacts and 100,000 sends a month. Paid newsletters, teammates, no SendFox branding.
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Sends | Smart Pages, forms, automations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 | 3,000 / month | 1 of each |
| Lifetime | $29, once | 5,000 | 300,000 total | Unlimited |
| Pro | From $19 / month | 5,000 to 250,000 | From 100,000 / month | Unlimited |
Free and Lifetime emails carry a small SendFox footer; Pro removes it. Pro also adds paid newsletters on your own Stripe account, MCP access and teammates. Current plans: sendfox.com/pricing.
Most makers send a few emails a month. $29 once covers 5,000 contacts and 300,000 total sends. That's less than one mug.
How that compares to 12 other tools at 5,000 to 100,000 subscribers: email marketing pricing compared.
FAQ
What is the best email marketing platform for artists?
One that is simple, cheap and lets you schedule a drop to the minute. SendFox is free for 1,000 contacts, then $29 once for 5,000, with signup pages and scheduling on every plan.
How often should an artist email their list?
Every two weeks, plus drops. Studio notes keep people around between sales.
How do I collect emails at craft fairs and markets?
Print your Smart Page link or a QR code on a card at your table. People sign up on their phones in seconds.
Can I give past buyers early access?
Yes. Keep buyers on their own list and send them the drop email before everyone else.
Copy this setup this afternoon
Free for 1,000 contacts. $29 once for 5,000. Import from Mailchimp, Kit or a CSV.
Free up to 1,000 contacts. No card.
Keep reading
The example senders on this page are made up. The screenshots are from a SendFox demo account set up to match them, before any emails were sent.