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Time, graphic design… and money?
***Cliquez ici pour la version française***
Today we’re going to talk about a controversial subject! Yep, we’re talking about pattern prices and taking a look « behind the scenes » of a creative crochet businesses!
Why is it so expensive?
Since I’ve started buying patterns I have seen every extremes! Very detailed patterns with fancy graphic design or very basic « put together in notepad with no pictures » very minimalistic patterns. Paid or free, we see a whole range of patterns.
I usually don’t print out the patterns I use, I’d rather just have them on my tablet or phone… but I still prefer when the graphic design is minimal because it makes me feel as if I don’t get lost as easily.
Of course that tends to make them less visually appealing…
Once I started writting my own patterns, I immediatly started trying to put them togheter in a way that optimized the space. I wanted to include all the necessary instructions and pictures, but I also wanted to make my patterns easy to read and print.
Available in the « Free patterns section » et en and as a paid PDF on Ravelry.
Lately, I saw a post on social media about how patterns are set up and it made me want to try something new.
My goal was to transform one of my optimized pattern into a cute e-book… and maybe print a couple as booklets.
Also, when my Ghibli fan art crochet book was published last year, I was mesmerized by the graphic design! It was very special to see my fan art patterns in such a fancy format!
First thing I did was pick which pattern I was going to work with. Since I’ve pretty much been obsessed with my creativity potion pattern (Roll for creativity!), I decided it would be the pattern to undergo the whole makeover process. Now, let me just say here that I am not that great at graphic design… even if I am an artist (lol), liking looking at and making pretty things really doesn’t really make one well versed in graphic design…
And the pattern went from 3 pages to 8… 6 if we don’t count the front and back covers, but I have to say it’s become quite adorable to look at!
The process did make me take a good and hard look at the amount of time us designers put in our patterns before we throw them at the internet…
So many hours in the hopes we’ll sell a few copies for a few dollars…
Side note, back when I learned from my editor that the price for the Ghibli crochet fan art book was going to be under 20$; considering all the work that went into it on top of the designing, I was very impressed at the low cost of the final product! By the way, I do hope it eventually gets picked up for an English translation!
When it comes to my PDF patterns, I am completely responsible for the whole process.
From creating the design, writting the pattern, photography, etc. Luckily, I have help with the editing and testing!
By keeping things simple and taking less time into the designs of the PDF, I can focus on trying to take taking good pictures!
I’ve also think it’s logical to try to be as efficient as possible when I put a pattern together so that its price will be both as low as possible for my clients, but also be fair to the time I invest in my work.
Since I wear all the hats in my job, no matter how qualified I am (or not)… and that I am completely at the mercy of an oversaturated market to generate an income, it makes sense to focus my time and energy into the actual designs themselves.
(This seems like the opportune moment to direct you to my Ravelry store, if you feel so inclined lol!)
Sometimes it is difficult to find the right price for a pattern. Especially because of the growing demand for « free, ad free, patterns, with video please and thank you » and my own selfish desire to see my amigurumi being made by other crocheters.
It can be hard to navigate between what I can do, what I want to do, what I should do and what would actually work to help me generate a decent income through La rose du rang.
And here is where I should link to my 3 hours long master class about how YOU TOO can put together your very own creative business that will allow you to have a 6 figures income monthly, JUST LIKE ME!
Mind you, 5 of these figures are after the coma… but that you’ll only learn after 2h58 of the master class… let’s laugh lest we cry.
Parting words
All of this to say that I, and most of the designers I know, work very hard to offer high quality patterns at a price that also allows us some fair compensation for the work put in.
When you share the things you make with our patterns, paid or free, each picture you share of our designs, paid or free… these small gestures are really important ways to give us designers support and motivation to keep creating!
If you would like a copy of the fancy version of Roll for creativity, it is included in the Ravelry downloads!
Do you have questions about what it’s like to have a creative business? Do you have questions for me about my work and my creative universe? Let me know in the comments what you would like to read about next!
La rose du rang 