Review: The Handmade Marketplace Book

I was recently given the opportunity to read and review "The Handmade Marketplace."


The facts:
Title: The Handmade Marketplace
Author: Kari Chapin
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Ages: Mothers, Families
Price: $14.95


Back Cover Blurb:
Turn your craft into a successful business! Even the most expert crafters may find it challenging to market and sell their wares, but with Kari Chapin you have an experienced guide at your side. Learn to determine your cost of goods, set prices, identify the competition, and understand the ins and outs of wholesale and retail sales. Explore the various sales venues available, including independent craft fairs, Web sites such as Etsy, and traditional stores, and learn to maximize your visibility and sales in each one. Want to start your own Web site? Chapin shows you how to style and prop your crafts for photography and explains how the most popular Web marketplaces operate. You’ll find everything you need to turn your talent into profits.

My review:
I really enjoyed "The Handmade Marketplace." It is a comprehensive step by step approach to turning your crafting into some extra spending money or a second income stream. The information has stories sprinkled throughout to keep it from becoming very dry reading. Reading what other people did that worked (or didn't work) really puts a practical application to the tips.

My recommendation is to sit down with "The Handmade Marketplace" in one hand and a notebook in the other. This is the type of book that you should make careful notes of your own personal ideas and the things you need to do to get started. While not every item will be needed by every person, it gives the total picture on what to do for your own situation.

If you have something you love to make, I'd recommend this book as a practical, step-by-step guide to taking your passion and making a little money (or a lot of money) with your craft.



This is a mama buzz review. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Storey Publishing for the purpose of doing this review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own. For my full disclosure policy, click here.