Now most of you don't know this, but I'm a ghost writer by trade. I write business books for big name gurus -- if you walked through the Business section at Borders or checked out the spinner rack at Staples, you'd see my work, although it doesn't have my name on it.

So when I decided to look at A Craft Fair Goldmine this afternoon, I had a little bit of a bias. After all, if anyone knows how a business book SHOULD be written, it's me.

Guess what? This is hands down the best niche-specific business book I've read in a long time. In very readable, understandable language, A Craft Fair Goldmine spells out the basics of how to succeed in the competitive craft fair environment. Common sense suggestions are side by side with some surprisingly sophisticated recommendations.

A Craft Fair Goldmine is encouraging without being unrealistic: the cold, hard facts that crafting for a living is indeed work and does carry expenses are right up front, not hidden away as they are in so many similar guides. I particularly liked the list of resources for online sales and marketing strategies presented in the book: they speak to the acumen of the author, who obviously knows her way around building a business.

Knowing your target audience is always key, of course, and that point is stated repeatedly throughout the text. If you're planning on selling extremely high end crafts (for example, the $5,000 picture frames that sell at a show near me) this is probably not the guide you're looking for. However, if you're in the vast majority of craft sellers, you'll be sure to find knowledge that will help you improve your sales. Invaluable for the new entrepreneur, The Craft Fair Goldmine will also be of real value to the veteran craft seller. Strongly recommended.