If you can dream it, you can design it Whether your goal is to design your own marketing materials, launch a visually compelling blog, or just have some fun creating your own CD covers, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Graphic Design is your one-stop reference. Presented in an intuitive, accessible format, here are the fundamental elements of design and design principles, as well as instruction on how to apply those elements and principles to a variety of projects. • Covers art supplies, software, concept development, reproduction needs, and much more • Sample projects include business cards, print and web ads, and graphic T-shirts • Follows the success of other titles aimed at the aspiring artist, including the Complete Idiot’s Guide® titles on digital photography, drawing, and manga

If you can dream it, you can design it. Whether your goal is to design your own marketing materials, launch a visually compelling blog, or just have some fun creating your own CD covers, The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Graphic Design is your one-stop reference. Presented in an intuitive, accessible format, here are the fundamental elements of design and design principles, as well as instruction on how to apply those elements and principles to a variety of projects. ?Covers art supplies, software, concept development, reproduction needs, and much more ?Sample projects include business cards, print and web ads, and graphic T-shirts ?Follows the success of other titles aimed at the aspiring artist, including the Complete Idiot's Guide® titles on digital photography, drawing, and manga

How to figure out what you want out of college—and life. Choosing a college major is the biggest decision of one’s college experience, and there are many factors to consider. Here, you will discover which majors will give the best chances of finding employment, which majors are most likely to lead to the highest-paying jobs, what major best suits each personality, and what skills and background you need to realize your goals.

Every dream has to start somewhere! With the shaky economy and unemployment rising, more and more people are trying to find alternative ways to start businesses out of their homes. But what is the right home grown business? What skills are necessary? What will it really cost and how much money will it generate? All these questions and more are answered in The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Low-Cost Startups. • Expert author with over 30 years experience in the area • Ways to determine which business is right for you-and the most effective to start • Great, innovative ideas from hi-tech service to low-tech selling • Practical nuts and bolts advice on starting and running the business • Solid information about costs, financing, taxes, and organization

A brand new look at a time-tested business practice. Using powerful techniques refined in the heat of business competition, this book guides readers in defining and building a personal brand that is distinctive, relevant, and consistent. It includes: ? An in-depth understanding of the principles of successful brand building-in any context ? Practical tools to build and manage powerful relationships ? Strategies for aligning personal brand values with an employer's brand values, and making brand-building a successful endeavor for both ? Advanced techniques to continually refine your unique personal brand

Now newbie songwriters can learn the craft—and sing their own praises online Beginning songwriters can hit the right note by starting out with the basics in this guide, including: • How to create melodies • How to create many different harmonies • Techniques using deliberate rhythm and stylistic changes • How to enable one's songwriting to grow and evolve • How to deal with songwriter's block • The best places to upload one's work for maximum exposure and opportunities

The web-based basics! Aspiring web entrepreneurs will find here everything they need to know about starting and running their own small-scale online business. Whether they intend to sell goods, services, subscriptions, or advertising, this book provides them with the specific nuts and bolts of planning, designing, building, hosting, marketing, and operating their online businesses. ?The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Starting Your Own Business has over a quarter million copies sold in five editions ?1.6 million web-based businesses in the U.S., a $175 billion market in 2007 ?Online businesses benefiting from increasing number of Internet users, with increased traffic for subscription, advertising, and affiliate program revenue

In the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression, a new sector has blossomed: the virtual work world. It's an oasis of sorts, one brimming with unfilled jobs. Elance.com is one of the largest and fastest-growing portals that connects freelancers who need work to businesses that need flexible, cost-effective workers in areas such as software development, creative and marketing, administration, writing and editing, engineering, accounting, legal, and more. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Elance holds the key to business growth in the global age, for freelancers and employers alike. Through its step-by-step, illustrated advice, readers learn how to: Get started and register with Elance. Develop a contractor profile that stands out and sells their services. Win clients through targeted pitches and top-notch proposals. Find and attract the best contractors with advanced search tools and a well-done client profile. Write clear job postings quickly and easily. Use Elance's tools to manage projects efficiently. Negotiate deals and project agreements that protect both contractor and employer. Manage earnings and expenditures using Elance's account pages. Develop best practices using example and template profiles, proposals, and job postings.

Decompress stress-now! Stress is one of the most significant factors impacting health and relationships. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Beating Stress clears a path to actually mastering and eliminating stress by teaching meditation, visualization, and other techniques; showing how to avoid stressful situations; revealing the impact of diet, exercise, and lifestyle on stress, and more. Expert author Simple workbook to help readers keep track of progress Features the latest, cutting-edge information about stress-reducing methods A comprehensive look at traditional and new age techniques

Etsy is a wildly popular website where crafters and craftsmen alike have discovered a portal where they can market and sell their handmade wares - literally around the globe. According to the latest stats from Etsy, there are over 14 million registered members, over 800,000 shops, over 39 million unique visitors each month, and transactions spanning across 150 countries. Those numbers represent a global marketplace for someone interested in selling their handmade items, but they also mean a tremendous challenge when a seller is faced with the daunting task of making their Etsy storefront visible among the thousands of others. Any successful Etsy seller will tell you the difference between a successful Etsy storefront and the storefront that gets lost in the mix often boils down to the tricky details. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Selling Your Crafts with Etsy is written by someone who has proven selling success on Etsy and knows the tricks that will get a storefront noticed - and wares shipping out the door. From having the right keywords in place for optimum searchability, to creating an attractive storefront that will create return customers and loads of traffic, The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Selling Your Crafts with Etsy will help you learn the tricks of the trade and help you build the successful Etsy business you have always wanted.