Books to Help the Handmade, Creative Business Owner

Online Marketing for Your Craft Business: How to get your handmade products discovered, shared and sold on the internet by Hilary Pullen.

It is full of practical tips to improve your online networking skills and save you precious time promoting your craft business, teaching you everything you need to know about online marketing, and how to set realistic measurable goals which will have a genuine positive impact on sales of your handmade products and boost brand awareness of your craft business.

It will show you how blogging and social media can connect you not just to customers but importantly to industry influencers, the press and publishers who will share and champion your crafts.

Handmade to Sell by Kelly Rand, Christine Ernest, Sara Dick, Kimberly Dorn

From setting up a booth at a craft fair to taking the perfect product photograph and launching an online shop, Handmade to Sell guides readers through the ins and outs of starting, running and maintaining a thriving craft business.

Written by the founders of Hello Craft, the well-known non-profit trade organisation, this is the most complete, up-to-date and authoritative resource for crafters seeking to learn every aspect of selling, marketing and branding. Topics range from developing successful product lines to preparing taxes and forming LLCs. Also featured are expert tips and invaluable strategies and advice from some of the most successful craft business owners.

Turn Your Talent into a Business: A Guide to Earning a Living from Your Hobby by Emma Jones.

Everyone has a talent, and there's never been a better time to turn your talent into turnover. Written in plain English, this book, by small business guru Emma Jones, takes you step-by-step through the process, and is also packed with case studies and top tips from people who have successfully made the leap.

Produced in partnership with Country Living Magazine, this book is for anyone who has a passion, skill or hobby and an interest in turning it into a business. You will discover how to: - Make sales beyond your friends and family - Promote your brand and become well known - Register your company and manage your finances - Embrace technology to save you time and money - Convey a professional image both online and off - Create a support network and work with partners.

Above all, it shows you how to make money from doing what you love!

How to Make Money Using Etsy: A Guide to the Online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products by Timothy Adam

How to Make Money Using Etsy –written by Tim Adam who has successfully been selling his products all over the world through his Etsy shop since 2007, guides readers step–by–step through the many stages of selling online.

How to topics include:

Establish your Etsy shop Effectively photograph your products

Post your products to optimize visibility and increase sales

Brand your business

Use social media like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to connect with buyers and grow your business

I Just Like to Make Things: Learn the Secrets to Making Money while Staying Passionate about your Art and Craft by Lilla Rogers.

I Just Like to Make Things is a dazzling, colorful volume of career and personal advice for artists, filled with ideas, playsheets (as opposed to worksheets), case studies, and tools for staying inspired and creative.

These pages are grounded in the wisdom and experience gleaned from a long and buzzing career as creative juggernaut Lilla Rogers shares her analysis of leveraging various working styles and ways to keep your art fresh. Artist interviews provide inside details about the best jobs, as well as tips on how to work smart and stay creative.

You’ll also find annotated case studies of several successful art jobs, in addition to coloring book pages, hand-drawn charts, and lots of crazy fun.

The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online by Kari Chapin.

First, determine the right price for every item, not too expensive and definitely not too cheap. Whether the product is beaded jewellery or felted slippers, illustrations or tote bags, author Kari Chapin helps crafters determine cost of goods, market competition, and the pros and cons of wholesale and retail sales. If the price is right, customers will buy. Then it's on to selling.

The boom in indie craft fairs and sites such as Etsy ('Your place to buy & sell all things handmade') is providing artisans with an ever-expanding marketplace for handcrafted items. Chapin demystifies every venue. She explains the guidelines that craft fairs impose on exhibitors, the typical yearly calendar of shows, and how to start a new craft fair.

Grow Your Handmade Business by Kari Chapin.

This is a complete guide for the creative hobbyist who wants to take the next step and quit his or her day job to make a living from a creative passion.

Part coaching handbook, part practical nuts-and-bolts guidebook to developing a business plan that will work and be sustainable. Kari Chapin has spent the past 15 years working in marketing, publicity, and community relations and as a buyer, crafter, and stylist.

She is the author of "The Handmade Marketplace" and offers a popular line of e-courses.

The Craft Business Handbook: The Essential Guide To Making Money from your Crafts and Handmade Products by Alison McNicol.

The Craft Business Handbook has ALL the information you need to get started making money from your crafts ? NOW !

From setting up as a proper business, producing and pricing your goods for maximum sales and profit, to the various options for selling online, at craft fairs, trade shows and getting your products into
retailers, right through to gaining magazine coverage, promoting your business online and managing your business as it grows, this is THE essential guide for any would-be crafty entrepreneur!

Whether you’re just considering getting started with a crafty business idea, or already selling your wares and looking for ways to grow your business ( think sales reps,major retailers, fulfillment houses and more!), this handy
book shares tons of insider tips, practical information, and shows how you too can achieve Craft Business success!

Craft a Creative Business: Making & Marketing a Successful Creative Business by Fiona Pullen.

A complete must-read guide for anyone wanting to turn their hobby, craft or art skills into a successful business. Covering everything you ever wanted to know, Fiona gives clear, simple advice on the importance of identifying markets, focusing on a USP, assessing the competition, making sure the price is right and setting goals.

The book includes sections on product photography, branding. and legal matters. The book has particular emphasis on online selling, with detailed information on markets, blogging, using social media and the importance of analytics and SEO (search engine optimisation).

Information on offline selling is included too, with notes on on selling at craft fairs, trade fairs and markets, selling through retail outlets, running courses and workshops, and featuring work in the media.

Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos: Fool-Proof Techniques to Make Your Handmade Creations Shine Online by Heidi.

Amidst the sea of handmade jewellry, apparel, housewares, art, and other crafts that populate blogs, websites, and online marketplaces, how do you make your items stand out? The key is great photography.

Beautiful handmade items can be undermined by poor or uninspired images that fail to represent their detail and craftsmanship. With this book you'll learn that you don't need expensive professional equipment to get quality results. Get simple, practical advice presented with the crafter in mind.

Learn to make a lightbox, avoid camera shake without a tripod, how to use natural lighting, and how to capture the detail in your work. Broken down into specific craft areas, you'll find tips on how to best generate eye-catching images that will help sell your items.

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Do you have a hobby you wish you could do all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take those passions and make a living doing what you love. In CRUSH IT! Why NOW Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses.

Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using the secrets revealed in this book, transformed his entire life and earning potential by building his personal brand.

By the end of this book, any reader will have learned how to harness the power of the Internet to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Step by step, CRUSH IT! is the ultimate driver′s manual for modern business.