Some books I’ve written along with a titles that are part of the Inc series that I developed for Chronicle Books.
creative inc.
The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business
by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho
As the hipster classic Craft, Inc. did for crafters, this book will teach all types of creatives—illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, animators, and more—how to build a successful business doing what they love. Freelancing pros Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho explain everything—from creating a standout portfolio to navigating the legal issues of starting a business. Accessible, spunky, and packed with practical advice, Creative, Inc. is an essential for anyone ready to strike out on their own.
CRAFTING A MEANINGFUL HOMe
27 DIY Projects to Tell Stories, Hold Memories, and Celebrate Family Heritage
by Meg Mateo Ilasco
As the second decade of the 21st century begins, we’re more compelled than ever to find refuge in our homes and personalize our living spaces with DIY projects that celebrate who we are and where we’ve been. In Crafting a Meaningful Home, Meg Mateo Ilasco shares 27 projects that tell personal stories and celebrate heritage, all easily created on a budget. Learn how to decoupage a plate with photos of a best friend; silkscreen upholstery with folk motifs; artfully display love notes; sew a teepee from a vintage quilt top; or create family silhouettes for a festive banner. Contributed by a hip cast of well known designers from across the country, the projects are, at once, nostalgic, sentimental, and modern. Clear instruc tions are easy to follow, even for beginning crafters.
craft inc. revised edition
The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business
by Meg Mateo Ilasco
The growing legions of crafters looking to turn their hobby into a profession can rely on the tried and true advice in Craft, Inc. In this completely revised edition of the definitive crafter’s business book, entrepreneur Meg Mateo Ilasco offers expanded and authoritative guidance on everything from developing products and sourcing materials to writing a business plan and paying taxes. With all-new sections on opening an online shop, using social media strategically, and more—along with updated interviews from such craft luminaries as Jonathan Adler and Jill Bliss—this comprehensive primer features the most current information on starting and running a successful creative business.
CRAFT INC. BUSINESS PLANNER
The Ultimate Organizer for Turning your Crafts into Cash
by Meg Mateo Ilasco
This action-oriented take-along planner is packed with advice and worksheets that guide creative entrepreneurs in their hot pursuit of profit. From big picture goals (writing a mission statement, developing marketing campaigns, launching a new line) to immediate to-dos (getting a business license, pricing products, packing for trade shows), this essential guide brims with how-to tips from industry experts. Roomy pockets catch important business cards, while tear-off notepad pages offer space to jot thoughts on the go. The lay-flat portfolio packaging makes this planner both easy to tote and durable enough to withstand all that the bumpy road to success may bring.
Blog inc.
Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community
By Joy Deangdeelert Cho
Edited by Meg Mateo Ilasco
Foreword by Grace Bonney
With roughly 95,000 blogs launched worldwide every 24 hours (BlogPulse), making a fledgling site stand out isn’t easy. This authoritative handbook gives creative hopefuls a leg up. Joy Cho, of the award-winning Oh Joy!, offers expert advice on starting and growing a blog, from design and finance to overcoming blogger’s block, attracting readers, and more. With a foreword from Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge plus expert interviews, this book will fine-tune what the next generation of bloggers shares with the world.
art inc.
The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist
By Lisa Congdon
Edited by Meg Mateo Ilasco
Foreword by Jonathan Fields
Artists who dream of turning their passion into a career need only the expert guidance in Art, Inc. Lisa Congdon unveils the multiplicity of ways to make a living from art—including illustration, licensing, fine art sales, print sales, and teaching— and offers practical advice on cultivating a business mindset, selling and promoting work, and more. Trade secrets from art world pros including such luminaries as Paula Scher, Nikki McClure, and Mark Hearld make Art, Inc. the ultimate resource for aspiring artists ready for success.
MOM, INC.
The Essential Guide to Running a Successful Business from Home
by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Cat Seto
So many women dream of having it all—being kickass mothers and running their own successful businesses. This book helps them take the leap with confidence. Serial entrepreneurs (and moms) Meg Mateo Ilasco and Cat Seto draw on their own successes and missteps to reveal exactly how to choose the right business, find clients, write a business plan, launch a blog and Web site, stay focused at home, and more. Insightful Q&As with enterprising mothers like fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and Style Me Pretty blogger Abby Larson demystify the many nuances of balancing work life with family time. It’s not easy. But this practical and inspiring guide helps make it possible.