Feel confident.
If you have any doubts of how good you are then the first step is to get it out of your system. If you are not serious enough then either get serious or don't hold an exhibition. There should be no self doubt. Gauge by how others perceive your painting how good you are. If some of your friends want you to do some painting for them then it is a good sign. Observe the first reactions. Are there people who just walk by smile and say nothing? Did they recently say some nice things about your painting? That is a great sign too. Get some friends to give you an honest opinion.
Build a style.
If you paint like Picasso then you will be known as the one who paints like him. If you are all over the place, then nobody will recognize your painting unless he or she reads your sign or you tell them. Having a style means a couple of things. One, it means that you have practiced and practiced and perfected an art. Two, you will be able to paint faster and faster in your style. Three, your style does your publicity when you are not around. How many times have you heard someone say, "Hey, that's typical Mario Miranda style!"
http://www.indiancaricature.com/modules/cartoons/public-album.php?id=52
He or she is probably trying to flaunt their knowledgeable but indirectly Mario becomes famous.
Set your expectations.
We all dream of making a lot of sale and a lot of money. But that's not the only goal. A much more realistic goal is to build a database of possible cliental. This is not the only exhibition that you will hold. So build towards the future. Find people, build a fan base and make friends. Keep your expectations reasonable and you will not be disappointed if not sweetly surprised.
Pick a theme.
Next step is to have at least 20 paintings that fall in the same theme. Have you gone to exhibitions and found that too much of theme mixing is actually confusing. That is the same concepts big departmental stores arrange very similar looking dresses together. It simply looks neat. If you have not yet selected a theme, do it now and remember, you have to paint 20 pictures pertaining to the same theme. Some will turn out good and some wont. If in doubt, drop the painting from your collection. You have to put your best paintings out there since you are the new and want to make a name for your self.
Pick the place.
It's time to pick the place for your exhibition. There are many places you can hold exhibitions like libraries, shops, conference halls, etc. Evaluate the pros and cons. Take the space, lighting, the mounting assistance, price and the kind of people visiting into consideration. You should also inquire if there is a long waiting list. By the way, it can also be your house or your friend's house but you will have to take care of mounting.
Frame it.
This is a very important aspect. Adding a frame makes a lot of difference. Not those cheap frames. Make sure you get the right kind. Sure it is an investment but it is worth it. Matting makes the painting bigger than it actually is. It also brings out a special appeal. If it's a canvas then you usually don't put a mat but get a broader frame. The color of the frame should bring out one of the colors in your painting.
Book your place.
When you are close to finishing your final pieces, make sure you have booked your exhibition hall. Plan accordingly if there is a big waiting list.
Set the price.
This is a tough one. But there are some general rules. Small paintings cost less and large paintings cost more. Your minimum price will be cost of materials plus time plus the money it costs you to exhibit. Add to this your personal worth of the paintings. For example, some paintings are worth more to you than others. Look around and compare. If you are new, you could go 75% less. But don't sell cheap. Also, people tend to buy if they know some of the proceeds go to charity. You can also set an auction style setting a min and max price. If anybody wants to buy outright, they can pay the max.
Advertise
Make a small one page portfolio about yourself. Build a website. Look around and get professional. Take photos of each painting and describe each of them in a few words. If you can't write, get someone to do it for you. Distribute these pamphlets to local stores, small galleries etc. Market your self.
Be ready for the show.
One the day of the exhibition, be prompt and put it up on time. Mount them neatly and feel the flow. People come in and come out. You are presenting them a series of art work, the sequence matters. Put out some drinks or snacks if need be. Get people to sign up a guest-list. Ask them to rate the paintings. Build your cliental.
Find more information in the resource section below.