The Handmade Marketplace

By: Kari Chapin

Retail: $14.95

Disclaimer: Mama Buzz and reviewers received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes

Melissa J’s Thoughts

This book is dangerous for someone like me.   Or at least my husband may think so. I’m always getting brain storms of what I might be able to create and sell. The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online, just fueled that thinking the tiniest bit.

Actually, this is a book that takes some of the danger of marketing crafts away. Without this book, a crafter could have a house full of crafts but no brilliant way of marketing them. Kari, a been-there, done-that entrepreneur shares the tricks of the trade, when it comes to crafting and selling. She pretty much covers everything in this book. A breakdown of the chapters is as follows:

Chapter 1: Setting the Scene for Sucess

Chapter 2: Branding Your business

Chapter 3: Establishing Basic Business Practices (*This chapter adresses pricing your items and collecting money, as well as explains DBA’s, sole proprieterships, and LLC’s)

Chapter 4: Marketing Basics

Chapter 5: Your Craft Community

Chapter 6: Blogging

Chapter 7: Advertising and Publicity

Chapter 8: More Online Marketing Networks

Chapter 9: The Craft Fair Scene

Chapter 10: Selling in Online Stores

Chapter 11: Selling in Brick and Mortar Stores

Chapter 12: Get Creative: Other Selling Options and Opportunities

The Handmade Marketplace has a wealth of information for those who have no clue how to sell their crafts. For those who have somewhat of a successful handle on doing so, some of the information may seem common knowledge, and yet, there will be concepts that will broaden an already thriving business. It is a book that should be on the shelf of every serious crafter, who hopes to make money from doing what they love. It is a well spent $14.95 that will see a quick return once Kari’s suggestions are implemented.

Mel’s Thoughts:

The Handmade Marketplace, by Kari Chapin, is not just a book about having a successful online crafting business.  It’s about so much more.  Kari Chapin takes you through the ins and outs of how to be successful in the ever-growing world of online shops for handmade items, social media, and crafting.

The beginning of the book focuses more on getting set up in your business and making a name for yourself.  She takes you through the steps that are necessary to building your very own business.  One sidenote: throughout the book, Chapin inserts the advice and opinions of crafters she has followed through the years.  Their input really adds to the personality of this book, making it even more interesting and insightful. You’ll even find their websites and blogs listed.

As a blogger, I found this book to be just as helpful for me, as it gave tips on blogging and marketing and using social media, as well.  I especially found her tips on photography very exciting for me personally, as I’m attempting to dive more into the world of photography, trying to learn how to take better pictures for my posts and things that I do.  She tells you exactly how to set up your own light box, so that you can have the proper setting for your photos.  Not only that, but she explains how to prop your items, meaning how to put certain items in your pictures to enhance the items you’re trying to sell or show.  I’m excited to try some of her photography tips for my crafting projects or recipes that I feature.

The chapters on blogging, social media, and marketing were especially helpful right now, what with all of the things that we do on MamaBuzz and with trying to build up my personal blog, as well.  Kari teaches you how to write up a simple press release, which is a necessary piece of writing if you’re going into business; she even delves into press, or media, kits.  Social media can be intimidating to a newbie online, but Kari and her Creative Collective help give tips for using places online, such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc.

I highly recommend this book for all online crafters, especially newbies.  It is one book that will be staying on my shelf as reference and even reminders when I need some advice.  You can purchase The Handmade Marketplace for $14.95 from Storey Publishing.