When you have a craft blog you should constantly be thinking of ways to create value for your readers. Writing a project tutorial, showing a special technique or tool, or explaining your design process helps readers know that they can turn to you for expertise. A look at your studio space or a show-and-tell of…
Party Origami by Jessica Okui
Before I found sewing, I was really into origami. I think something about making three-dimensional shapes from a flat piece of paper has always appealed to me. Back in 2002 when we got married I folded 145 origami irises to use as placecards at our wedding. And when I taught middle school I held an…
Is Secrecy Necessary to Sell Craft Books?
On Monday evening I spoke on a panel at a bookstore in Boston with two other craft book authors and an editor from a craft publisher. We talked about how to write a book proposal, we discussed what editors are looking for, and we shared our experiences writing and marketing craft books. It was…
Forecasting the Future of Craft Publishing
In early 2005 I became a craft publisher by starting a craft blog. Between then and now I’ve watched the industry change in radical ways. Favorite magazines folded (remember Adorn? Domino? Now Stitch Craft Create is no more). Big companies bought out smaller, craft-exclusive publishing houses (most recently F+W bought my former publisher, Interweave). More…
Book Review: I Just Like To Make Things by Lilla Rogers
Two weeks ago I was at a coffee shop with my two younger daughters. I glanced at my Twitter stream and saw that Lilla Rogers has a book out. Lilla Rogers. Photo by Sharon Jacobs. I knew about Lilla Rogers because she’s the illustration agent for two long-time bloggers whose careers I’ve followed from way…
The Economics of Selling Sewing Patterns
How much is a sewing pattern for a stuffed animal worth? When I sell a single sewing pattern to a big company, such as a book or magazine publisher, or to one of the big pattern companies like Simplicity, I can generally expect to get $250 for that pattern. Then, six months or a year…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #5 Putting Your Pattern Up For Sale: Pricing, Marketing, and Customer Support
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #4 The “Whys” and “What Ifs” of Selling Patterns
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #3 Creating the Document
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
Pattern Design Week: Topic #2 Breaking it Down
This week I'm talking about how to turn your craft projects into pattern instructions that you can package, market, and sell online. Whether you sew softies or do another type of craft, creating patterns is a great way to add an income stream to your handmade business. Pattern sales produce small bits of income that…
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