How to get published?

My Dad and step-Mom create one-of-a-kind Pottery.  Almost all of their work takes between 100 and 200 hours of carving alone.  It all wheel thrown, hand carved and hand glazed.

My Dad has sold many pieces of his pottery for $3000-$5000 each. However, all of his sales have been to private collectors....Doctors, Jewelers, etc  Also, they are often few and far between...the sales that is.  He doesn't care much for studios because they want 50% commission.  I've been trying to get him out on the internet but that's harder than I thought it would be.  Any ideas?

Nope...he's never put his pottery in a show.

Yes I know this can be an issue.

Also, how about getting published in Kovel's or Miller's?

I made a short video the other day......hope you like it...please be kind on any feedback.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyShoT3bfMY

Welcome to the forum.

If you wish you can create a thread on here dedicated to "Norton Family Pottery" or under whatever name you chose.

You can add pictures and details of techniques used etc, but please don't advertise directly (e.g. sales links, prices etc), though I'm sure if anyone is interested they will Google to find out more etc.

Regards,

Potty.

A gallery exhibition would be his best bet if he wants to be better known - It's the old adage ' You have to invest money to make money. '
As for Millers and similar publications, they mainly list antiques and collectables sold at auction , rather than contemporary pieces, unless made by artists who's work is already being bought and sold at auction . 
I see he's on Etsy. There are also State and COunty potters organisations / groups who hold exhibitions and sales which he could join. But it has to be his choice. If he's not comfortable doing that, and just wants to stay home and make pots then leave him be.

To add , most potters make ranges of tablewares as their bread and butter items.  And limited editions and one off expensive pieces which they sell far fewer of, mainly for the fun of it. They couldn't make a living just out of selling one off pieces. 
Your father (and step mother), however, is just producing the expensive one off pieces. He might consider taking molds of some of his pieces and producing a few limited editions of slip cast copies for sale via galleries or Or Craft Shows. They would help him become better known and, although they would be a fraction of the cost of the originals, selling in bulk is the way to make money.

If your Dad and Step-Mom are happy doing things the way that they do and don't need to make any more money than they do from their pottery then I guess you ain't going get them to change their ways and why should they.

If you want to get them better know because you are proud of their work or for more selfish reasons, such as wanting to have some kind of legacy after they are gone and make a little money for yourself then I don't have a problem with that. However, that isn't going to happen by getting them to show their work in galleries, be featured in some downmarket price guide or on the internet.

Basically, the only way is to get their work selling in auctions and for it to get an "auction record" and decent auction prices at that. There is a cost involved in organising that but as someone else said, you need to spectulate to accumulate. Until someone is prepared to do that then the status quo will prevail.

I say that as someone who has dealt in studio pottery in the UK for 20 years, run a gallery and staged numerous exhibitions.

Selling in auctions that are not Ebay.
That is a hugely tall order in today's market. None of the big International auctioneers in this country alone,are in any way interested in specialist Studio Pottery auctions.