Aesthetic Offers You Can't Refuse (Or how to respond to a vanity "juried" art press offer)

So here is an incredible email I got today about my art that I am sure NO ONE else in Nashville or all the world received today (make sure to click on the link):

From: info@wwab.us [mailto:info@wwab.us]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 06:39 PM
To: la@lorianneparker.com
Subject: Invitation to appear in International Contemporary Masters volume 5

Dear Lorrie Anne [perfect way to get my attention: give me an extra "r" and an unexpected "e"]

I visited your portfolio at artsnashville.org and I liked your work. You are therefore pre-selected to submit art for inclusion in Volume V of "International Contemporary Masters?, a leading juried annual art publication presenting the most important artists from all over the world!

Please note that this is not a free inclusion. If you are interested I will send you more information or you can visit the link: http://wwab.us/index.php/Masters-Application/ 

To get an idea of the quality of our publications you can view our previous book at the link above.

  

Best regards

Judy Adams - Assistant Curator

World Wide Art Books
5383 Hollister Ave, # 260
93111 Santa Barbara CATel / fax +1 805 683 3899

And here's my response to this wonderful offer (yes, I did really send it), which costs (and this is just the starting cost) a mere $900+ to have yourself included in what is no doubt the most esteemed arts publication of all times:

Dear Judy, 

I just looked at the website and was so impressed with the publication that you represent. All publications that have the privilege of selecting me for reproduction are subjected to a rigorous jury process. I am delighted to inform you that you have been pre-selected to submit your proposal to include my work in your publication. 

Please note: if you choose to include any of my images in your publication, that reproduction of them is most certainly NOT free. If you pass the jury process and I decide that you may indeed include my images in your stellar publication, you will be allowed to do so at the cost of $2000 for each artwork image that you choose to publish. 

Thank you so much; I hope you will find this offer to be of interest to you. I know you recognize how important reproducing such work is to your success as a serious international arts publication. Do not miss this opportunity.

Best,

Lori Anne

How awesome is that--I was PRE-SELECTED to submit to a publication that doesn't require pre-selection to submit (or to pay) because, yes, I am so sure that this person REALLY checked my art out and it wasn't a matter of some data mining efforts that gathered up all the names from the metro nashville arts commission artists registry. My life as a full-time artist has begun. I have hit the big-time. Soon the dollars will be rolling in. For as the website promises:

In this superbly printed annual art book, we present artists of high caliber from all over the world whose work we believe to worthy of a serious art book.