The Crafty Superstar Ultimate Craft Business Guide [Paperback]

Grace Dobush (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2012

Calling All Crafters!

Let's face it, peeps; the craft business world can be a tough one to navigate. Luckily, you have the Crafty Superstar by your side! This updated and expanded guide will navigate you through the ins and outs of setting up shop, advertising your wares, braving the online marketplace and becoming a craft show maven. You'll find expert advice from Grace Bonney, Cinnamon Cooper and April Winchell, as well as downloadable forms to keep track of your budget, organize your craft show applications and calculate prices and sales tax. Yes, you can sell your crafts, make extra cash and have it all!

Inside you'll find out how to:

• Sell your handmade items
Get publicity and press
• Put together an awesome packaging concept
• Rock the indie craft show
• Set goals, plan for the future and balance life and crafts

Running a craft business can be a challenge, but you're up for it, right? Get organized, get noticed and get selling—the Crafty Superstar will show you how!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Grace Dobush is a writer, editor and crafter based in Cincinnati. She is a co-organizer of the indie craft show, Crafty Supermarket and the author of the popular book Crafty Superstar: Make Crafts on the Side, Earn Extra Cash and Basically Have It All. An alumna of Kent State?s School of Journalism, Grace has written about crafts, art and design for Hello Craft, HOW, Venus Zine and The Artist?s Magazine and presents at creative business conferences around the country.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (August 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440320373
• ISBN-13: 978-1440320378
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Grace Dobush is a writer, editor, crafter and freelance vagabond based in Cincinnati. She's the co-organizer of Cincinnati's biggest, baddest indie craft show, Crafty Supermarket (http://craftysupermarket.com), and sells her handbound books and linocut cards and shows and shops around the country (http://graciesparkles.etsy.com). A proud alumna of Kent State's journalism school, Grace has written about craft, art and design for Wired, HOW, Venus Zine and The Artist's Magazine, among others. She recently made the leap from being a salary woman to being a full-time freelancer and entrepreneur. Learn more at http://www.gracedobush.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Ugh January 25, 2013

By Diane Brown

Format:Paperback

Where to begin . . . this book is an odd mixed bag, both in tone and content. The tips and information about starting a craft business seem shallow and nonspecific. The style of the book is irritatingly cutesy (e.g. cartoon illustrations similar to the cover, "what kind of crafter are you?" quiz, too many exclamation points!!), but it's a bit unclear who the intended audience is. This book appears to be directed at the beginner in the craft business world, yet it glosses over issues like collecting sales tax or buying supplies wholesale. Then it jumps to advice on getting a lawyer and the difference between an accountant and a bookkeeper. I just can't imagine that the same person who needs a book on starting a tiny little craft business is also the same person who is going to hire financial professionals for $100+ an hour.

My greatest annoyance with this book, however, is its excessive padding. Page after page of this book is devoted to (wasted on) things like blank contact lists or blank diagrams for craft show booths. Not suggestions for how to set up a craft show booth, but a diagram that consists of a blank square with each side labeled 10'. This page is repeated four times. A similar blank diagram of a table (a rectangle labeled 2.5' x 8') is repeated five times. Questions to think about (such as "What's the definition of success for you?") are printed one to a page, with the rest of the page blank for your answers. Now, this might not be so annoying if the book were set up as a workbook, say, spiral-bound, intended to guide one through the entire process of starting a business, with places to fill things in and process all the steps.... But it's not--it's a small paperback that wouldn't lie flat for you to write in it unless you broke the binding, and even then, the various blank pages are scattered throughout the book. By my count, there are no less than 70 pages of this kind of padding (in a book that's only 240 pages including the index and 13 pages about the author and contributors), including 14 pages of blank contact lists (in 2 separate parts of the book), 10 blank pages labeled "notes," and 9 pages of blank craft show booth and table diagrams. These blank pages might not be so aggravating if they did not so obviously take the place of meatier content. But there is no excuse for including 9 pages of blank diagrams, and NO pictures or diagrams of an actual or even hypothetical craft show booth!

I could go on. But why should I? Let me just say that this book is shallow, heavily padded, and not very useful. There are many, many books out there about getting started in the craft business. Choose a different one. I wish I did. Read more ›

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it. October 2, 2012

By 13anana

Format:Paperback

This book so far has been great and full of information. I have enjoyed reading it a lot.
All the information is organized and easy to find. I like the questionnaires the writer has provided, it's not like they're useless either, they each have a purpose. I like the colorful layout of the pages, and the tips the writer provides are quite helpful. This book is great for beginners (I'm a beginner so I really needed something that provided some sort of guidance), and this book has been great so far. So if you're a beginner like me, looking for a good book for your start in a crafty business, then I suggest you give this book a read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! December 12, 2012

By Lady Who

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been selling online for a few years and I have learned a ton in that time. This book was great in that it helps me formalize plans from packaging to craft shows.

5.0 out of 5 stars Grace sparkles! May 16, 2013

By mheilman1

Format:Paperback

When I thought I was ready to take the plunge and go full time with my craft, I bought many books, researched online and bugged the pee out of my friends...I had a million questions, a full head and a fly by the seat of my pants plan. Then I got a copy of Crafty Superstar and it changed my life! I followed the books plan....I devoured the plan and lived by the book! It has taken a little bit of time, a whole lot of patience and many hours, weeks, days and months, but three short years ago, I worked in a coffee shop and was a pt crafter. Today, with much love in my heart for both of Grace's booksI am a FT crafter, I have a legit business, am part of a brick and mortar art collective, keep a budget, a bank account, plan my year, set goals and pretty much rock it like a Crafty Superstar! I am grateful to the sound advice, the shared experience from other crafters and the info beyond the "fun stuff"! thank you, Grace, for inspiring me to get out there and do it- the right way! Much love! Now, go get these books!
Tara Heilman
ROBOT Inside

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book and resource! May 2, 2013

By russela2

Format:Paperback

I thought this book was helpful and inspiring. Great contributing articles, and inspiring lessons and testimonials. I've shared it with others who have enjoyed it too!