If you have a question please check these FAQ to see if you can find your answer here.

If you cannot find what you are looking for please feel free to email us at hello@makeartthatsells.com.

Do I have to be a resident of the USA to participate?
No, the competition is open to everyone regardless of country of residence. However there are some restrictions for entry – please see our Terms & Conditions for details.

What do I have to do to enter?
First you need to register here by Thursday 21 June, 2018. All registered participants will have access to a special GTS portal website via their account page on the makeartthatsells.com website and will get access to the first assignment on Monday 25 June, 2018. Please see this page for full details of how the competition works and this page for the full schedule.

What are the deadlines for submitting work for each round?
Please see this page for the schedule of important dates.

Will I be judged solely on my responses to the creative brief(s) or will my portfolio be looked at along the way?
The decision on who to include in the shortlist of 50 will be based solely on your response to the first creative brief. The decision on who to include in the final six (via the judges’ vote and People’s Choice) will be made based on your response to the second creative brief, should you be shortlisted. Your response to the first creative brief may also be referred to at this stage. You will be asked to provide information about your online presence (links to your website/blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest etc) although for judging purposes these will only be referred to in the event of a tie.

If you make it to the final six then Lilla Rogers Studio will review your online presence, as well as consider more detailed information about your current situation. It will be in your interest to have your online portfolio up to date so you can shine at this point! If you are worried that you do not have enough quality work in your portfolio, you may want to consider taking Make Art That Sells, which will help you develop more commercially viable art whilst staying true to yourself, as well as giving you an inside look into what Lilla Rogers looks for when considering new artists for representation. Please note, participation in any particular course is not a pre-requisite of this competition.

If I win, what is the prize?
Please see here for details of the prize.

Who are the judges?
Our judging panel comprises an AWESOME line-up of industry experts.  We will announce Judges in June 2016, for the 2015 judges, read all about them here! There will also be a public vote in the second round. Lilla Rogers will make the final selection of the winner.

What are the judging criteria?
Entrants will be advised of the judging criteria when the first brief is sent out.

Does this mean I can no longer submit to Lilla Rogers Studio for representation directly?
No, you can still do that (via the usual channels at no cost). However please note that the Global Talent Search will be Lilla Rogers Studio’s main focus for finding new talent for the rest of 2016. Lilla Rogers Studio gets thousands of submissions every year, but it is most likely that the next artist to be taken on for representation will be the winner of the Global Talent Search.

Why is there a fee?
The entry fee covers administration costs and the cost of the bespoke technology to handle all submissions and offer the public voting gallery. Please note no purchase is necessary if you want to submit your work for consideration for representation by Lilla Rogers Studio free of charge via the usual route. However, entering the Global Talent Search will give you the opportunity to respond to a professional-level brief, be part of a widely advertised competition and, if you are shortlisted, get your work featured in our online gallery and in front of our esteemed panel of judges.

If I enter will the organizers own the rights to my artwork?
No, you will retain all rights to your work, but we will be able to show it in the context of the competition both in our online gallery and in any online and offline promotional materials. Please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.

Can I enter multiple times?
No. Entry is restricted to one submission per person for each round of the competition. Please see our Terms & Conditions for further details.

I am going to be away when one of the deadlines is due. Will this mean I cannot enter?
Unfortunately the deadlines cannot be altered to accommodate individual schedules. It will be your responsibility to ensure that your entry is submitted on time and in the correct way. We are unable to release assignments ahead of the scheduled date.

Can I get feedback on my entry?
We are sorry but due to the large number of entries anticipated, we will not be able to provide individual feedback on work submitted.

What are the deadlines for submitting work for each round?
Please see this page for the schedule of important dates.

How many creative briefs do we get?
Everyone who enters will have access to one professional-level creative brief on 25 June. The 50 people shortlisted will have access to a second creative brief (on 13 July), and the 6 finalists will receive a third creative brief on 1 August. (See Important Dates for more info).

Do I have to do a computer-based design?
Both computer-based and hand-drawn work will be accepted, but work will need to be uploaded online. We cannot accept any entries through the post. Full details will be provided to entrants when the first brief is sent out.

Do I have to have taken Lilla’s course ‘Make Art That Sells’ to participate in this competition?
No, but it might help you! See our classes here, so you could try GTS this year (as great practice) and if you don’t win, take the course then try again next year! Make Art That Sells is designed to help you create more commercially viable art in exactly the markets that the Global Talent Search briefs are designed for. The course teaches you how to make exactly the kind of art that the Judging Panel and Lilla Rogers will be looking for, so if you have been thinking about taking the course we encourage you to do so in order to maximise your chances of success in the competition.

Can I enter if I am currently represented by an agent?
If you are currently represented in the US in any form then we are sorry but you are not eligible to enter. This includes literary representation. We are not in the business of poaching artists from other agencies! The only exception is if you are represented outside the US in a limited number of countries (excluding the US), and if your existing agent agrees that it is acceptable for you to enter. If you make it through to the later rounds you will be asked to produce evidence of this.

If I win I am prepared to leave my current agent. Is it OK for me to enter?
No. Please see above. You must not be represented at the time of entering.

I work as an in-house designer at a stationery (or other product manufacturing) company. Am I eligible to enter?
You will need to check with your employer first as some do not permit in-house artists/designers to be represented by agents. If you make it through to the later rounds you will be asked to produce evidence of their approval.

I have some existing licensing deals. Am I eligible to enter?
As long as you are not currently represented (see above) it is fine for you to already have some licensing deals in place (whether exclusive or non-exclusive), regardless of whether these were secured by you or previously by an agent whom you no longer work with. If you were to proceed to the final stages you would have an opportunity to discuss ‘house accounts’ with Lilla Rogers Studio – i.e. whether you would want to continue handling those yourself or whether you would want the Studio to take over and handle them on your behalf.