One major perk of working as a writer is the doors it opens. Curious about something, and want to learn more? Write a story about the topic and you can call up the experts and ask them a million questions — then share what you've learned with your readers.

This issue, we both got to speak with smart entrepreneurs who have turned their creative endeavours into successful businesses. (Scroll down for the stories.) And as we thought about what they told us, we realized they had one big thing in common: they think hard about the customer when they're creating their work.

There's always room in our hearts for art for art's sake, and for creating something that's just for you. But when you're running a creative business — i.e., your goal is to earn an income — the point is to sell. And as we learned from both of our profile subjects, that means not just imagining what your customers might want, but being attentive to what they buy (or don't). It's the kind of attention to detail that can make or break a business.    

We hope you find this issue's stories interesting, and as always, send us an email with your questions, comments, cute animal pictures and more.

Yours in making,

Co-founders Corinna vanGerwen and Kat Tancock

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