For a while I have been wondering how much you get if you submit your crochet or your knit design to a magazines. Then the other day, I read about it in Crochetville. There was a lady asked about it, then somebody answered that the starting price is about USD 50 - USD 150 depending on the item, USD 50 for accessories up to USD 150 for a really nice detailed sweater. Only when you are more established and published in several venues you can start to get more money from this. Then another discussion in Ravelry about the same subject mentioned that a very famous designer got about USD 500.
I feel the number is quite low. Let say you are a designer, and you come up with new design every month. That means you only get USD 150 to USD 500 max per month? Furthermore, once you sold your pattern to a publication, you also surrender your copyright. That means you can not sell it in your website. I think people submit their design to magazines or any publications in order to get their name recognized rather than for the money purpose. Anyway,
I don't think I want to submit my design to magazines at this moment. Probably later when I have designed 20 patterns, then I will think it over.
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For me, its not so much the amount I'm going to get paid, but I don't like the long, painful process it takes to get your precious design published in a magazine. Besides, one publication replied to my inquiry, that as of now they don't get designs from international contributors. I don't know how true that is...
I am lucky to be able to design for Coats here in the Philippines. Nevermind that I don't get much income from it, but I can still retail my printed patterns from them since I can buy it at wholesale price.
You have some lovely designs. I hope you will consider submitting them for publication. I have a had a few designs (mostly knitting, one crochet) published in the USA and Australia. They have all paid between US$300-$650. It would still be hard to make a living just publishing patterns, but it doesn't have to be quite so low!
This group is a great source of information:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knit_Design/
Good luck!
Your creations are gorgeous! I wish you luck selling online. Maybe you could make a booklet of patterns & self publish at LuLu.com? The Crochet Dude does that & I think Crochet Kim does also.
Lily, your designs are gorgeous and I don't think you would have any trouble getting published in a finer crochet publication like Interweave Crochet or Crochet! But as you said, the pay is not very good for having to give up all your rights to your pattern. I'm sure you have probably been paid $100 or more from customers buying your patterns and hope to continue selling more. I hope you've made that much anyway. You are very talented. So yes, I think you would benefit from keeping these elaborate and beautiful creations and selling the patterns yourself. It's a nice money-making business on the side, right? :) Perhaps to get your name out there you might submit a pattern for a smaller project to a magazine? Just an idea where you might have the best of both worlds. Having your name published in a magazine and still selling your bigger patterns yourself. :-)
I just discovered your designs and hope to buy some in the near future, especially Dahlia. You are very talented.
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