• The Business of Designing for the Craft Market

The Business of Designing for the Craft Market

When others learn that I am a professional full-time craft designer and writer, they often look at me wide-eyed and ask, "How did you get into that?"

This newsletter kicks off the first in a three-part series on Making Money With Crafts. Whether it is through designing for the craft market, selling in shops or teaching, many of you are interested in making money doing what you love. In this first part, we will discuss a little-known market: the business of designing for editors, publishers and manufacturers.

First, let me explain that there is no magical surefire formula for quitting your day job and making money as a craft designer. Allow me to back up and explain what a designer is and does. A craft designer usually works on a freelance basis, designing and selling the rights to the projects she or he creates. This begins with creating an original project using the wide array of craft materials available to the consumer. The projects can be sold to an editor of a magazine, a book publisher or even the manufacturer who created the project materials. If this sounds like something you might want to do, follow these ten tips for beginners who are interested in learning more.

1. Originality is key. Projects sold to the craft design market must be original never-published-before work. A project copied from another designer with colors and motifs changed does not qualify as original and would be would be considered plagiarism. A project that you created from an original concept, a design of your own creation, is an example of an original project.


2. Digital photographs. After you have completed your original design, take several good-quality digital photographs. Most companies prefer to work with e-mailed inquiries, so good-quality pictures that can be attached are helpful.
   
   Also, you are not required to ship finished items to companies who may or may not be interested in purchasing your work, which is a money saver. Digital cameras are relatively inexpensive and a great investment in your designing endeavor.


3. Magazine submissions. The editors of your favorite craft magazines are often eager to discover hidden talent among their readers. Many times editors will post calls for submissions. This means they are willing to look at your original project and let you know if they are interested in pursuing publishing it.
   
   This usually requires sending written instructions and the finished project or photo. The editor will, in turn, send you a contract that involves purchasing the rights to the project for a design fee.

4. Manufacturers. Do you frequently use the products of a certain manufacturer? Companies look for fresh, trendy designs that show consumers how to create with their products. They use these finished projects for ads, trade-show samples and for many other uses.
   
   Doing some research will be required, but much information can be expedited through the Internet. Get the phone number or e-mail of the company and contact them directly. Ask them if they work with designers, and if the answer is "yes," ask to speak to the person at the company who handles the program. Explain to the contact what it is you do and ask if you can e-mail some digital photographs of your designs.


5. Know your market. Editors, publishers and manufacturers are savvy enough to know when you have not researched the markets or used their products. Sending a crochet project to the editor of a kid's magazine, for instance, will be a useless effort. Creating a home decor project using Play-Doh® for a crochet magazine is another blatant misstep.
   
   Research and get to know the style of the magazine or manufacturer you are trying to reach. To whom are they marketing? What styles do they seem to like best? Who is their target audience? Doing this will greatly increase the likelihood of success in having your work published.


6. Diversify. Many of you wrote in to ask how it is possible to get started in an already crowded design world. Diversity in what you do is the best advice I was given when I began my design career. The paper-crafting market, for example, is currently very competitive. The needle-arts area, on the other hand, is not. Companies are eager to work with those who have plastic canvas, crochet, knitting and quilting skills. Being able to design in many of these techniques is even better!


7. Be "on trend." It is vitally important to be in sync with the current trends, themes and colors being used. The craft market often follows the home decor and fashion market as consumers are eager to create budget-conscious projects of the things they see in furniture and clothing shops. Look to those markets first to see what is current.

8. Instructions. Like most designers, I cringe when I hear this word. Instructions are, however, vitally important. Read as many instructions as you can and examine how designers write them as clearly as possible.
   
   Also, before sending your instructions to a company, make sure you follow the format they prefer. Ask the company contact to send you his or her design-submission guidelines and example of preferred format. Some submission guidelines are often found in the magazines themselves.


9. Be patient but follow up. If you make contact with a company, give them ample time to follow up. Two weeks is usually a good time before making a polite follow-up call. Be considerate and patient -- many individuals are doing the jobs of two or three persons these days. But don't be shy about following up because editors, publishers and manufacturers expect you to.


10. Network with other designers. Eager for more information? The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) has a group comprised entirely of designers who sell finished projects and license flat art for the gift market. More information is available by going to their Web site at CraftAndHobby.org.