I thought I would share a few of my favorite books.  These are the “go-to” books of the moment that are helping me get through preparing for a craft show.  They sit by the sofa, on my bedside table and one was in the kitchen, not sure why exactly, but that’s where it has been.

First up, The Handmade Marketplace, how to sell your crafts locally, globally and online by Kari Chapin.  This book is small and paperback, which I like because if I wanted to, and I have, I can toss it in my handbag for those moments when I have a few spare minutes to read when out and about (HA HA HA who am I kidding, that hasn’t happened in three and a half years).  There is a lot of information about branding, business basics, advertising and craft fairs, plus more.  Kari set up a “Creative Collective,” people who have become very successful selling their arts and crafts, who give their input too.  This should/needs to be in your collection.

Up next, Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco.  Meg is one who started making wedding invitations in college and it became a full time business, which she recently sold to start a new business in housewares and gifts (how fun!).  This book, also, covers the basics, my favorite chapter 7: Ups, Downs, and Next Steps, which I can dream about for now, hiring help because you have too many orders to cover yourself- that will be the day! She also has artists/business owners that talk about there mistakes, we all make them, which is comforting to read.

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Blogging for Bliss, crafting your own online journal by Tara Frey, is a great read for blogging how to, tips etc., it lives under my laptop. Lots of nice photo how to’s here, I have read that section many times, to not much success, but that’s my user issue. This book is fun in that there are “Meet the blogger” pages through out where there is a bio (for lack of a better word) about popular bloggers, who have made it big blogging, they give there favorite blogs, tips, success and failure stories.  If you are like me and start looking at the blogs mentioned, 4 hours later, it’s past midnight and you are not sure how that happened.

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One book that is not related to business or craft shows, but is full of creative inspiration loveliness is True Colors A Palette of Collaborative Art Journals.  This one is off the shelves because I enjoy seeing how creative people are.  It makes me feel like being creative. Another reason I enjoy this book, it speaks to my need to organize by color, every chapter is based on colors. Me like!

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And lastly, a book I stumbled upon, I Brake for Yard Sales and Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, Auctions and the Occasional Dumpster by Lara Spencer.  Fun! Fun! Fun! This book speaks to my heart, of late.  Lara shows items she finds and how she has made them fantastic. Beautiful photos and fun tips; I want to go thrifting every time I peak at this book.  If you are a thrifter you need to peak at this book!

Have you read any of these?  Do you have a favorite crafting business book that I haven’t read?  I would love to know what they are.

This entry is part of 31 days of preparing for my first craft show, click here to read more.