I’ve used postcards to publicize my books and take orders.  I recently read about an author who has expanded the use of her postcards.  It got me thinking about ways to utilize this form of PR for other art and craft work.
Print a picture of your craft, book, painting or other art on the card.  Then develop the back for:

Grand openings

Sales announcements

Order blank for taking orders 

Information about you

Classes/workshops

Event announcements

General news

Carry the cards with you.  Mail them out.  Have them on a display table at an event.
How do you creatively use postcards in your crafting business?
(Image: sxc.hu)

Even if you’re not selling your crafts and aren’t considering making it a business, you still may want to get recognition.  However, if you are developing your hobby into an income producing venture, whether it’s making items, developing workshops, giving talks, writing books or providing a service, you’ll need to let your potential customers know and to keep current ones informed.
Author Debbie Macomber has impressed me with her promotional techniques.  Of course, she’s a good writer and has developed a following of readers.  You can, too, take some lessons from Debbie and perhaps use some of her methods as a …read more

In my interview of Carolyn McWilliams Brown, author of  the children’s picture book, All You Want and Then Some, I learned about illustrating  the book ,as well as writing it and how her family inspired the project.  The story evolved from a family challenge and Carolyn’s children inspired the illustrations
I’ve continued the interview here:
Mary Emma: Were your children involved in writing the book?
Carolyn: They were!  They were involved in making the illustrations come to life.  By the time I got around to writing the story, several years had passed; Katie had grown, and that created a challenge for the …read more

Writers often draw from real life for their books.  Parents find lessons to learn and stories to tell from raising children. 
Carolyn McWilliams Brown shares, in her picture book,  All You Want and Then Some,  a situation when youngsters must share the attention of their parents, especially when a sibling has a disability.  Carolyn’s daughter Katie, as well as the whole family, learned there could be joy in their family challenge.
Mary Emma:  Your book is based on a true story.  Tell us about that.
 Carolyn:  When our daughter, Katie, was three, we welcomed the arrival of her little brother, Parker, and then eighteen …read more

Susan Schenck is the author of the award-winning book, The Live Food Factor. The book has gained the reputation as the raw foods bible, and we are giving away a copy of her book here at Blisstree. We also talked recently via email with Susan about how she became involved with the raw foods movement, and what it means for people. Following is Part 1 of our 3-part interview.

Tell me how you first became interested in the raw food movement?
I had been a health seeker since the age of 16 when I developed asthma and an …read more

Have you read the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with Diabetes by Steven Covey?
I’ve haven’t read this book, but I have read the others in the “7 Habits” series and I really get a lot out of them. Also, I saw Steven Covey speak once. He was very good! I love this voice and he gets right to the heart of things. He’s an excellent teacher and not someone full of bull, you know?
Here’s a video of Covey talking about it with Diabetes TV.