David Elrad

NFT Your Art probably provides most of the information you need to understand and create an NFT. I say probably because the nuggets of essential information are interspersed among tangentially related topics throughout the book.

Two changes would improve the usefulness of this book. First, brief outlines at the beginning of each chapter would clarify the organization and enable readers to select the topics they wanted to read. Not all the information provided is of equal usefulness.

Second, show more answering the questions likely to be on readers’ minds in the first chapter would provide a clear answer to the question, What is an NFT, and for what is it useful? With this initial information, readers can select the background topics they wish to explore.

Here are some questions that remain for me after reading the book.
• If all you have to do is convert your art into a digital format and use that to create an NFT, is the buyer merely buying a photograph of a piece of art? If so, what would motivate people to do that?
• Purchasing an NFT doesn’t entitle the purchaser to the original. Multiple NFTs of the original can be created and sold to various buyers. Given that, are NFTs the digital version of prints made from etchings and engravings?
• If an NFT of a video is a digital copy of the video, is that merely a legal procedure akin to ripping a movie from a DVD or duplicating it from a VHS tape?
• If an artist sells NFTs of the original, then sells the original to a different buyer, what is the obligation of the new owner to the NFT owners?
• If the owner of an NFT for the output of AI-generated art is not entitled to take possession of the software, who is obligated to keep the AI software functioning? What recourse does the NFT owner have if the AI makes changes that diminish the quality of the art?

Myriad examples illustrating the diversity of NFTs are provided, some of which were sold for thousands of dollars. However, the coverage reads more like a quick-sale hype than an effort to communicate clearly. For example, in Chapter five, the author states creating an NFT collection involves four simple steps. However, it turns out that if your NFT is a photographic representation of a visual image, you need to become familiar with photo editing software (e.g., Photoshop) and take a photo editing course. I am a knowledgeable photoshop user, and I can assure you that learning to use Photoshop is not quick or easy. The tone is more that of a huckster or evangelist than an educator or reporter striving to inform. show less

If, like me, you are not familiar with NTFs, especially when applied to the art market, then this book is a good start. Elrad leads the reader through definitions, ideas, history, existing products, how-to steps, FAQs, and potential pitfalls. Chapters include hands-on guides, such as “Creating Your Own NTFs”, “Finding The Right Marketplace”, and “Making Money From Your NTFs”. The author also lists several on-line help tools from picture sizing, editing tips, market selection, and show more creation.

While general definitions and discussion of the many cryptographics and blockchain terms are included, it would be useful for the reader to have prior knowledge of all things crypto to get the most from this book. We understand that nothing in the universe of innovative art can be guaranteed, however, this book offers hope that many artists will benefit from NFTs.

This reviewer, after reading 'NFT Your Art', was left with the impression that determining the value of an NFT might be similar to valuing 'The Emperors New Clothes'. show less

Will this book make you rich? Only if you have in fact made something that people want to pay for in a digital form. If you have, "NFT Your Art" is a readable guide to the state of the "non-fungible token" art platforms of early 2022, how different sites and apps and platforms work, and how artists can use them to maximize profits on sales of their arts, crafts, writings, compositions, performances, or even digital images of real-world products like shoes. NFT is an investment; it won't show more reward everybody but it's paying some new artists serious money. show less

Full disclosure - I've never heard of NFT before reading this book, but have heard about blockchain, bitcoin, etc and never really understood it. This book does a great job explaining what they mean and how they are being used. That said - while this book does explain NFTs really well, I just don't understand how people can get involved. Kuddos to the writer for explaining something totally incomprehensible to me