How to Sell Your Craft and Needlework Designs

Freelance writers who are also talented needlework designers can earn substantial extra money for their designs through both on-line and traditional print publishers. Publishers tend to pay a good deal more per word for needlework and craft patterns because of the tightly controlled requirements for formatting, arrangement of materials, and photographs or other types of illustration for your article. So, like any other form of technical writing, you will need to develop a few easily mastered special skills in order to successfully market your designs and patterns.

The first, and most important skill you need to have is a good working knowledge of the way patterns and craft instructions are actually written. Chances are you have at least a few pattern books and magazines in your library. If not, then you will need to invest in a few magazines and books to help you understand the way the patterns are put together.

Carefully study the way the instructions are divided into such categories as materials required, special tools or equipment, lists of abbreviations (especially if you write knit or crochet patterns), and so on. Craft publishers demand that all submissions be written in these very tight formats, and the format requirements can vary considerably from publisher to publisher.

You will also need a good camera. Online publishers in particular require modestly good photographs and charts to accompany your submission, and even if you plan to post your pattern yourself, you want your reader to see what your completed project looks like. For certain types of crafts, such as patterns for jewelry pieces, wood or paper crafts or similar types of projects, you might need to shoot photographs of the individual steps in your project. If you (or someone you know) can produce good digital images, you will find that publishers often pay for the photographs separately from the payment for the article itself, so you can actually make more money just by providing good, clear photos of your work.

Nearly all traditional magazine and book publishers, especially those who print craft magazines and books, offer free guidelines for freelance craft writers, Many publishers post their guidelines online, and you can usually find them by looking for "writer's guidelines" or "submission guidelines" on their websites. Pick out a magazine that publishes the type of projects you are interested in designing. If you cannot find their guidelines online, you can email them for information. And be sure to find out, either by searching their website or by asking, whether or not they are looking for specific types of projects for upcoming issues. Editors will love you if you can help them fill out an upcoming issue of their magazine. LarkBooks, in particular, publishes lists of upcoming book titles and requests input from designers who can produce designs for their books. LeisureArts publishes both books and magazines on a wide variety of needlework and crafts. Both of these publishers have submission information and guidelines directly on their websites.

There are several paying online markets as well, such as knitty.com, which buys knitting designs. If you can meet their very tight standards, you can make very good money with them, and they offer a free newsletter detailing what types of projects they are looking for as well as submission deadlines.

Don't overlook the yarn or product producers who manufacture the materials you use in your needlework or craft. Many of them produce flyers or booklets of patterns, such as those found on the inside of your yarn label, and sometimes they will buy from freelancers. It never hurts to contact them if you are using their products.

There are, of course, a number of ways to profit from your patterns by using your own website or blog. I have seen designers offering PDF files of patterns on Etsy and eBay, for example. You can also start your own blog or Squidoo page featuring your patterns and actually make your money from advertising revenues. If you have several patterns which could be grouped together, you might want to consider publishing an ebook.

And don't forget your local craft fair. Many fair-goers are actually looking for design ideas for their own crafts, and it is an open secret that booths offering craft instructions actually sell more than those offering completed crafts. All you need to take to a craft fair is your sample and a supply of printed pattern leaflets or booklets. Of course, the more samples and patterns you have, the more successful your booth will be. One advantage here is that you can offer your blog or Squidoo patterns so that those patterns will generate even more income for you. You can have your leaflets professionally printed, or if you have a competent printer, you can lay out and print your own.

There are many different ways to make a profit from your original needlework or craft designs. The only thing you need to do now is to pick out a place to start, follow the guidelines, and start making money.