Asking a professional to collaborate?

[Meteo Xavier]

I had this crazy idea yesterday to hit up a professional artist I've enjoyed for many years (I don't want to name names at this point) and be ballsy enough to ask him if he has any interest in collaborating or advising, etc. and I went to his website and, much to my surprise, his email address is right there for the clicking.

I didn't think just asking would be that accessible, but now I'm not sure how to go through with it. I have a pretty good idea how I want to write up sort of a proposal, for lack of a more accessible word, but I don't want it to be so polite and professional sounding as to misrepresent me or what I'm looking to do. There's a real fine balance I want to strike here.

Basically, I just wanted to know what some of the finer things are for someone like me to ask someone like him. I already know how to present myself, but I always seem to miss out on very fine elements and mindsets and things to remember. I just want to know if anyone's done this before or what the professional/industry standard way of doing it is.

I'm realistic, I know its more than likely just going to get ignored and that's just how it is for professional artists, so I'm not going to be too disappointed, but I'd like to try since I got the email address.

Any thoughts?

[Arcana]

Collaborating? or Advising?

You might want to decide which one you are looking for, first. Collaborating is a big effort from both of you and it might even cause issues with his agents and lawyers.

Advising is easier if it's on the path of, "I have a few questions...".

If I were a professional, I would be pretty wary of someone I didn't know who asked me to collab, but not so cautious about someone who would have asked me some questions about my particular technique or setup.

Just my 2 cents

[Meteo Xavier]

Collaborating? or Advising?

I haven't decided which I want to do yet. If it would be a collaboration, it wouldn't be for profit, at least not me. The legal end is certainly something to consider, but I don't think he's that litigious. A very good point and I'm glad you brought it up.

If I were a professional, I would be pretty wary of someone I didn't know who asked me to collab, but not so cautious about someone who would have asked me some questions about my particular technique or setup.

Its very possible that would be the case. Part of my exuberance on this is based on how easily I've been able to correspond on occasion with "The Fatman" George Sanger. I've written asking him questions before and he had great answers not even an hour later.

So I don't really know which way it could go here, thats why I'm trying to strike a fine balance.

[Arcana]

In the research world collaborations tend to usually happen based on what you can provide to the other person, what he can provide you in return, and how well you know each other.

Intuitively (mind you I don't have experience asking musicians for collaborations but if it's anything like researchers asking for research collaborations) I'd say that you should start with getting to know the guy first. You know his work so start with that and discuss how his work is relevant to the work that you've done and how his techniques/composition/themes/whatever have inspired you to do things the same/differently/etc.

Ask him a few questions about his technique and his methods and get him to talk about himself a little bit.

I'd get a bunch of the "how well you know each other" out of the way first, for sure.