Like a personal mentor, this guide provides step-by-step instructions and advice for creative people with great ideas for independent projects who want to achieve success and sustainability. Whether their projects are based in independent publishing, music, food, art, craft, activism, or community work, this user-friendly tool will help to clarify the project vision, get organized, set goals, create a plan, raise funds, market, and manage any do-it-yourself project. The reference is full of real-life inspiration and creative business advice from successful, independent business owners and creative people with projects that began in the do-it-yourself spirit. An accompanying website includes downloadable worksheets to assist in putting the information and advice into practice.
Eleanor C. Whitney, MPA, is a writer, a musician, an educator, and an arts administrator. She works to guide creative people through the project development and fundraising process and writes regularly about fundraising, social media, management, art, culture, and food for a variety of web and print publications and blogs at killerfemme.com. She was a cofounder of the Portland Zine Symposium and plays in the rock band Corita. She lives in Brooklyn.