General Advice Post: Declining a Commission and/or a Trade

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

Be it their reputation, their attitude or just the overall theme of what they want you to draw for them - we as artists and people have the right to say 'no' to offers placed upon our plates.

The question is, how does one say 'no' in such a way that it is purely professional and has that weight of finality to it that doesn't allow for weasel room. Lets figure out the best way to create a standard of etiquette for declining inquiries we don't want to handle!

I'm opening the floor to the community on this. Please feel free to advise or suggest ways to professionally bow out of offers for commissions or trades.

If you recall someone making a post or a comment regarding this in the past, and felt it was a big help to you; please link to it for everyone's reference!

Comments

[furryfan2012.livejournal.com]

I have a question, I know of an artist who does really good work, and well is immensely popular, but I don't want to be the one who has to report him on Artists beware as well he is well known in the fandom. But my situatio I dunno if he is being unprofessional or not, is that I would note the person in particular being interested in a commission.

So in the past I was feeling meh hes busy, so I tried again, no response, read the note on FA, but no response. Then I had a friend ask him if he was open for commissions, and he is.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Being rude on its own but before the commission starts isn't beware worthy, I'm afraid.

[furryfan2012.livejournal.com]

Yea true, I want to post on artists beware, but I am afraid of any sort of backlash because he is so well known in the fandom.

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

No one in this community would backlash against someone having a bad transaction with anyone, fame within a particular fandom or not.

But it has to have been a bad business transaction. Just ignoring your commission inquiries, while rude and shady, doesn't equate a full beware.

[furryfan2012.livejournal.com]

Yea, but it is more the lack of response even though we didn't get to the point of what I want for the commission.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

As already stated, that is still not enough to warrant a beware.

[furryfan2012.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure, all I know is that he could give some sort of response or something as part of a good business practice