How to Show & Sell Your Crafts: How to Build Your Craft Business at Home, Online, and in the Marketplace

by Torie Jayne

For crafters who want to take their craft to a new entrepreneurial level, this book is the perfect guide. Using highly-visual, step-by-step tutorials, How to Show & Sell Your Crafts is packed with helpful branding, selling, and merchandising tips that no serious crafter should be without. Using the workspaces, shops, salons, and "through-the-keyhole" profiles of some of the world's most successful crafters, readers will learn the best ways to merchandise and sell their items online, at craft fairs, markets, pop-up events, exhibitions, and in shops. Plus, you'll learn how to build a personality-driven brand, create a memorable blog or website, improve your photography skills, and analyze your results to help move your business forward into the future.

You start by learning how to optimize your workspace to improve creativity and profitability, then how to build a strong brand name and online presence across multiple social media platforms. Lastly, learn how to get your work out into the marketplace, engage customers, and use the insider secrets offered in this book to set yourself up for success and grow your sales!

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Crafts, Reference, Art

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2014

Reviews

[Muchandquick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an excellent, simple overview of what it takes to get into selling handmade goods via craft shows, physical stores, and online stores. The information is basic, so don't expect any detailed information about how to file taxes for your annual profits, how to protect your IP, or the value of SEO. It is a simple resource meant to help you dip your toes into selling your own, handmade goods.

The layout is gorgeous and the pictures of people's crafting spaces will make you very jealous. The style is modern and chic, very visually appealing.

Tucked between sections you will find some craft ideas that can be put towards work spaces and branding. These are cute and fun to consider.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Show & Sell Your Craft is a wonderful book for anyone that sells handmade goods or simply loves to craft or make their crafting space more beautiful. The photography alone draws you into the book and you find yourself looking at the photographs over and over again. However, once you start reading the book you realize how useful and informative the text is as well. I love how the author highlights different artisans and the tips Torie Jayne gives throughout the book are creative and useful. I highly recommend this book and as a small business owner of handmade goods I am already putting some of the ideas and tips into place. I can't say enough good things about this book. I am excited to have won the book as and advanced copy through Goodreads, however the opinions I have shared are all my own.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice overview of what to do to start a craft business. Some of it felt very overwhelming as if I couldn't possibly start unless I have a blog, website, store front, a handle on every social media outpost, and thought of every detail that needs to be thought out. So I'm currently feeling rather discouraged to even bother starting my own business.

[Ligaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pass on this book. 144 pages, readable easily in one day.

One page (five mere paragraphs) on "Making a Business Plan." One page (four paragraphs) on "Payment Processing." One page (one paragraph and seven "tips") on shipping with the directive: "Start by researching the packaging options available to you." Five pages on how to make a craft desk, six pages on "creative boards," two pages EACH on making a ribbon spool holder box, wooden ribbon spool holder, pretty pen pots, stylish storage boxes... Ridiculous photos (p 77 AND 85) seem to suggest you ship your items as if they're ready for a baby shower... arrgh!!!

The photographs are pretty in a treacly way, with lots of pastels and floral. and only 1 man in the entire book.

[CynthiaQ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed that the book was rather vague. I was hoping for more specific information and resources, and detailed anecdotes about successful crafters and how they did it. The book didn't add much to what I already knew.

[J Renee Tevis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a compilation of artist's stories, websites, origin stories. Beyond being inspiring there wasn't much instruction like the title suggested. The most useful information was contained on the last couple of pages that listed resources.

[Maite Lozano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro te va llevando de la mano en la difícil tarea de emprender una pequeña empresa de manualidades. Así mismo, te da consejos y técnicas en cada capítulo.
Es muy completo y lleno de buenas ideas y datos muy interesantes. La autora ha logrado plasmar en mi corazón ese entusiasmo que se requiere al emprender un negocio.

[Audra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, when I first saw this book I didn't want to read it. Not that the book didn't look good, but I thought it was just another book for the author to show off their art/craft skills. I did like the cover, I did like the photo used and decided to read it.

What I loved about this book were the photos and the Meet the Crafters articles! Torie Jayne, the author, also gives great information. Her information is communicated in a way that you understand the business portion. When you meet the crafters you also learn how they got started in the business. Or why the decided to start their businesses. The book also shows you how to design an on-line banner as well as other craft projects.

It was well worth the read, and it is a quick read.

(PS...It took me longer than it should have to read because I was also reading other books in between!)

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was easier to digest than the other crafting book I just finished. It give a lot of information and tips but in a more general way. It didn't make me feel as overwhelmed. I will start some of the beginning tips and will need to review as I go along. I liked the short crafter profiles and tips on taking pictures and organizing your ideas on mood boards etc., and this quote "It's a process. If I had waited to open my shop until I was awesome at everything, I'd never have started my business at all. You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin. As long as you have a general idea of where you're headed, you'll work things out and find your niche along the way. The important thing is to take that first step and get going." - Amanda Wright, Wit & Whistle.

[Lori Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually quite an informative and attractive book. I didn't really know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to find useful tips for all aspects of selling online. The photography section was particularly clear and helpful. Loved the format and color pictures too. This will be going on my book shelf for easy reference!

[Wanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It showed great ways of how to organize your crafts but did not really get into the selling aspect. I was disappointed because I was hoping for some marketing tips on how to sell your items. The ideas the book had were neat ideas in how to organize your craft room and how to set things up, however, I was not impressed with the book overall.

[Jai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really helpful but it didn't answer one of my questions that I think is very crucial to a crafter who would like to start off selling online. I do recommend it to anyone trying to start out online.

[Jaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful and considered book, I really enjoyed it. There were plenty of tips and hints, alongside beautiful pictures.

A little light on when it came to the actual business side, but a great introduction to the world of Crafts.....

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book with a lot of basic information for getting started, which was exactly what I wanted. there were a few topics that I though should have been added, like dealing with taxes or offering customer orders.

[Son · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, clear, solid advice.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has great tips for beginners who need help organizing and selling their homemade crafts. I tend to use these ideas for starting up my homemade card business.

[Tracee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely book. I can't say there was much new information I hadn't already gleaned elsewhere but the pictures were so pretty I just wanted to keep looking through this book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very pretty. More of a light overview of the topic, but lots of pretty pictures, a few tutorials, and spotlights of crafters.

[Michelle Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alot of useful info that I saved..

[Another · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot of actual info. More of a shabby chic inspirational book.

[Donna Schubert · Rating 3 out of 5]

a really great book, gonna start organizing soon

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

first impression: holy toledo! I am soo not frou-frou!

Second take: I need to be more organized!

third through 80th take: okay. put it down. while this is interesting and Torie Jayne did great, it is numbing my mind and doesn't feel applicable to my craft. BUT, better do more research on craft fairs.

If you want to start a business for your CRAFT, this is a good resource. I may have to revisit this in the near future, just to be sure that it isn't my head being flooded with information that influenced my take on this book.

Happy Reading!